Last month, Porsche made a surprise appearance at the historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb in Great Britain, taking a camouflaged prototype for an unannounced run up the hill. Now, the brand is ready to reveal some details about that mysterious vehicle. The key information: the car is a prototype of the upcoming Cayenne EV—something that sharp-eyed observers likely guessed upon noticing the large “Cayenne” lettering prominently displayed on the SUV’s camouflage wrap.
Details remain scarce for now, but Porsche has confirmed that the new Cayenne EV will feature the brand’s Active Ride system, previously seen on the Panamera and Taycan. This advanced active suspension uses hydraulic motors to apply up to 2,000 pounds of force to each corner of the suspension, helping to counteract the stresses a heavy vehicle like the Cayenne EV experiences during cornering, braking, and acceleration.
Porsche also disclosed that the Cayenne EV will have a towing capacity of up to 7,716 pounds, depending on the configuration. To demonstrate this capability, former Top Gear and Grand Tour host Richard Hammond towed a century-old car with the Cayenne. This stunt is featured in Hammond’s 10-minute drive video centered on the Cayenne for his YouTube channel, DriveTribe.
Porsche’s Cayenne EV has set a new SUV record at the historic Shelsley Walsh hill climb, completing the course in just 31.28 seconds—shaving an impressive four seconds off the previous best time. Given the short length of the hill climb, this margin is remarkable. The record run was driven by Gabriela Jílková, a simulator and development driver for Porsche’s Formula E team. Porsche plans to showcase the Cayenne EV again this weekend at the famed Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, another celebrated event featuring a challenging hill climb. This record-breaking performance highlights Porsche’s commitment to combining electric performance with the brand’s iconic motorsport heritage.
