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Performance
Porsche revised said engine for 2008 with direct injection and VarioCam variable valve control. The naturally aspirated 4.8-liter V-8 makes 385 hp at 6200 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm, and passes through a six-speed Tiptronic S gearbox. The Infiniti's VVEL 5.0-liter V-8 (bored and stroked from the FX45's 320-hp 4.5-liter) makes five more horsepower than the Cayenne S and exactly the same amount of torque, albeit at higher revs. It cuts the torque more finely, though, thanks to the FX's seven-speed manumatic transmission. Both vehicles' final-drive ratios hover around the 3.5:1 mark.
With powertrains so similar, it seemed odd that, in our testing, we couldn't get the Cayenne S to within a second of the Infiniti. Here's how they stacked up:
Weight, obviously, is the culprit. The Cayenne S hides almost 400 extra pounds under its skirt, tipping in at 4950 versus the FX50's 4575. Although the Porsche posted respectable numbers, the Infiniti simply ran away from it through the midrange. In testing, the FX's power delivery was far more linear than the Cayenne's, and its manual shifts were cleaner and faster. And for all the Porsche's legendary braking prowess — the pedal feel is amazingly natural, allowing you to easily grab one consistent pressure all the way to a full stop — the Infiniti is within range, both in terms of feel and stopping distance. Looks like someone needs a little TrimSpa.
Conclusion
What these two pioneers of the performance-crossover genre reveal most strongly are their countries of origin. The Infiniti couldn't be more Japanese, using a couple of supercomputers' worth of processors to do its thing. The Cayenne, being German, clings to its mechanicals, and as a result has a far wider range of capability than the FX — wider, in fact, than anything else on the road. Still the questions persist: Why has Porsche made such a fast crossover with all that off-road dexterity? And why has Infiniti made an off-roader that really can't go off-road?
After driving both hard for a week, we think we have the answers: In the case of the Porsche, the Cayenne S is of a piece with the marque's sports-car philosophy. Porsche disdains single-purpose vehicles; it tries to make cars that are good at everything. Ferry Porsche famously said the 911 is the only sports car that can go from the Monte Carlo Rally to the opera, and the Cayenne is capable of its own kind of miraculous transformations: It will stick to the side of a 45-degree boulder even as it out-laps sport sedans on the Nordschleife.
The FX, on the other hand, is a carefully examined reflection of the crossover buyer's realities. It concedes that, in this segment, fashion and speed are easily as important as off-road functionality. Either Infiniti understands the market better or Porsche is unwilling to compromise its ethos, or both. Whatever the case, there's no denying that the FX is a stunningly fast and entertaining machine. But the Cayenne's not that far behind, considering that it can cling like a spider to a rock face. Also, it must be said, you can get a Cayenne that goes faster than the FX50, but it will cost you twice the money.
So for most buyers, it's a no brainer. Why get all that mechanical all-wheel-drive gear you'll never need, as it only impedes the Cayenne's performance with additional mass? And yet, for another kind of sportsman, the gent who understands and embraces the nuttiness of these things in general, why, indeed, shouldn't his $60,000 crossover be able to navigate the Rubicon Trail and Road America? At this level, what matters is perceived performance, and the Porsche simply has more of it than anything else. If we were richer, or actually went off road, or towed two classic 2.7RSs, or had more people to impress, we'd choose the Cayenne. Until then (a day we hope comes soon), we'll take the FX.
