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The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Porsche Secretly Entered the 2027 Cayenne EV in a Hill Climb, and It Set a Record
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The upcoming electric Porsche Cayenne doesn't exist yet, but Porsche just ran it up a public hill climb. On Sunday, Porsche entered the electric Cayenne in prototype form at the 2025 UK British Championship Hillclimb at Shelley Walsh. It's hard to miss what this thing is because the 'camo' wrap has Porsche Cayenne written all over it in neon purple and blue letters. Hilariously, the prototype also had a roof rack installed. Porsche slid the prototype into the Road Cars Series Production Electric category of the event. The automaker's Formula E factor test driver Gabriela Jilkova piloted the prototype through the course. The event announcers commented how the EV rocketed off the line thanks to the instant torque and it only took 1.94 seconds to hit 60 feet. The action all takes place at the 2:36:42 mark in the video stream. 'For a big car that is scuttering up the hill something special,' the announcers said. The prototype, which it's unclear if this was a production-spec vehicle, ran the course in 31.28 seconds, smashing the SUV record up Shelsley Walsh by over four seconds. The camo-wrapped Cayenne EV prototype looks like a Porsche Cayenne with a slightly evolutionary design. The headlights include the now trademark quad LED daytime running light dots, and the rear features horizontal LED taillights. The greenhouse feels familiar, but the window line in the C-pillar is specific to the EV compared to the gas-powered Cayenne. Large wheels, maybe 22s or 23s, fill the wells. Active aero both up front and possibly in the rear can be seen working throughout the blazing run up the hill. Off the line it sounds like the Cayenne EV is making noise, presumably from a speaker, and during certain points up the climb it sounds as if there are noises coming from the electric SUV. Those sounds seem like they are coming during hard acceleration, but it's all quick and hard to be sure. The next-generation Cayenne was set to be electric, but now Porsche has backtracked and will keep a gas-powered version alive past 2030. With the electric Cayenne running up the hill climb in prototype form with only a mild camo wrap, it seems as if it's only a matter of time before the automaker reveals or starts talking about the upcoming EV. Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@
Auto Blog
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
It's Official: Porsche and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Tie the Knot
Fans of Porsche have long considered Monterey County's Laguna Seca track a home, thanks to events such as Rennsport Reunion. But now the link is for keeps. Porsche and Laguna Seca, like peanut butter and jelly For many Porsche fans, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on the Monterey Peninsula in California has essentially served as the German automaker's unofficial home base. That's thanks to not just many Porsche sports car victories at the track over the decades but also its recent role as host for multiple editions of Porsche's haloed Rennsport Reunion, multi-day gatherings of rabid Porsche fans and astounding Porsche cars from around the globe. Well, that unofficial marriage just got a bit more real, as Porsche Cars North America officials announced on May 5 that its storied marque is now The Official Car of the raceway, which is itself experiencing a renaissance in leadership and direction. Now you can wring out a new Porsche at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca So what does this all actually mean? For one, it links Porsche to the raceway in a more formal sponsorship partnership, which will include a Porsche (no word on which model, but I'd vote for a 911 GT3 RS) serving as the official safety car for the Monterey Sportscar Championship IMSA race weekend, May 9-11. The race will be broadcast live on Sunday, May 11, at noon PDT/3 p.m. EDT on NBC. But certainly even more exciting for Porsche-philes is word that the track will play host to another location for the automaker's thrill-a-minute Porsche Driving Experience, which offers owners and would-be owners alike a host of driving school options that range from tips for teen drivers to hardcore on-track tutorials from pros. The existing PDE locations are at the company's HQ in Atlanta as well at its Porsche Driving Experience Los Angeles track in Carson. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Source: Porsche For longtime Porsche racer, restorer and track board member Bruce Canepa, the partnership is a natural 'Many of the greatest moments in motorsport history have happened at Laguna Seca,' Timo Resch, President and CEO of PCNA, said in a statement. 'We are excited to be a part in the track's exciting plans for the future and to allow the next generation of enthusiasts to get behind the wheel of a Porsche.' The partnership no doubt was inked with the deft stewardship of ex-racer, noted classic car restoration shop owner and Porsche devotee Bruce Canepa, who helped Bill Gates and others with the importation of Porsche's rest-of-the-world supercar, the 959, and currently is the sole distributor for Kalmar, a high-end Porsche restomod (think Singer, but from Europe). 'We are thrilled to welcome Porsche as the official car of Laguna Seca,' said Canepa, who also serves as a Friends of Laguna Seca board member. 'I have been a fan and owner of their cars for five decades. This partnership brings together two iconic brands, and we are excited to celebrate our collective histories and race into the future together.' Source: Porsche Ever heard of The Corkscrew? There's nothing quite like it in North America Porsche's legacy is extensive at this historic track, which opened in 1957 as a formal location for races that previously had wound through the Del Monte forests near Pebble Beach. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has so far hosted four Rennsport Reunions dating back 15 years. In 2023, Rennsport Reunion 7 featured historic and new Porsches, top Porsche company officials, and 91,000 fans across the four-day event. In addition, last year Porsche notched it's 600th and 601st IMSA victories at the track, while last February a Taycan Turbo GT became the fastest series-production EV to lap Laguna with a time of 1:27.87. For those of you who have been to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, you know all about The Corkscrew, a sinuous left into a hard right that drops precipitously on the backside of the track, a famous turn that requires you to aim the nose of your car not at a cone but rather a hillside tree, so steep is the dropoff. And so fun. If you've never experienced it, Porsche's new driving school at Laguna Seca will remedy that pronto. The program is slated to open up in 2026. Get in line now.
