If you’re of a certain generation, it’s likely you associate Porsche with the 1983 Tom Cruise movie Risky Business, in which the actor takes his dad’s two seater for a few spins when left home alone with it. While the film effectively cemented the car brand in pop cultural consciousness, Porsche itself has evolved to be more than just an aspirational set of wheels
from the 80s.

In 2002, the car company introduced the Cayenne model. Categorized as a luxury SUV, it was Porsche’s first off road vehicle since their 1950s tractors–the manufacturer dabbled in them in the aftermath of World War II–and it was also the first Porsche with four doors. With 1.25 million sold since the day it launched, the model continues to be refreshed, with the latest being the 2024 Cayenne S, which can be outfitted with an off road package.

Porsche

To experience these additional capabilities, we arrived at Tindall Farm & Market in Uxbridge, Ontario, where Porsche had set up five exercises in the farm’s dirt field. Called the Porsche Cayenne Test Drive, it was an opportunity to be in the driver’s seat and push both our limits and the cars’ limits while guided by instructors. To increase the pressure, every driver was measured on how they executed the exercises using Porsche technology to evaluate how “spicy” of a driver we were.

As we slid into the driver’s seat, the dashboard felt extremely futuristic, and our eyes required adjusting as there was more screen and less dash. We searched for where to shift our vehicle from park to drive and located the small gear shift to the right of the steering wheel. We then proceeded to maneuver our vehicle through a tightening slalom, zigzagging around cones as quickly as possible while the cones got closer, making the turns tighter. The Cayenne’s handling capabilities held up, and no cone was harmed.

Porsche

Next up was a dirt hill that we were instructed to drive on a side incline—at an angle as high as 25 degrees if we dared. “Make it spicy!” came the encouragement over the walkie-talkie from the instructors; the higher the angle, the spicier our grade. This allowed us to experience the vehicle’s stability and traction control and provided a thrilling, if not terrifying, vantage point.

To test the car’s suspension control, the axle twist exercise had us slowly drive our wheels over mini hills; each one allowed us to reach the highest level possible with one wheel off the ground. It is difficult to imagine a scenario where you would need your car to be capable of this, but in any case, the Cayenne delivered.

Porsche

The closest we came to feeling like action stars was during target braking, which tested acceleration and braking. We were instructed to floor it, drive the Porsche as fast as possible, and then suddenly stop, all while leaving a haze of dust in our wake. That’s what was asked of us next, and trust me when I say we tried to make this one as spicy as possible.

The final exercise for our Cayenne was hill control: we crept up a steep incline and then slowly rolled down to showcase the Cayenne’s Hill Control Descent feature and highlight its advanced safety features. Our results were then evaluated, and our final Scoville score came in at 803,098.

The heat continued with lunch inside the farm’s market, which included sampling Porsche’s limited edition hot sauces (available later this year for Cayenne enthusiasts). We passed on such culinary delights, as our experience driving the Porsche Cayenne provided all the spice we needed.

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