The highlight of the range is the new Cayenne S Hybrid, which features a highly-sophisticated parallel full hybrid drive system. With V8 power and fuel economy of a V6, the new 380bhp supercharged V6/electric motor hybrid averages 8.2 L/100 km.

What makes the Cayenne S Hybrid unique is its ability to cruise at high speeds on electric power alone. The gasoline engine can be completely switched off and disengaged from the drivetrain at speeds of up to 156 km/h. In this so-called sailing – or cruising – mode, the drag forces exerted by the combustion engine and their braking effect are eliminated in the interest of lower resistance and fuel consumption.

Next-Gen Porsche Cayenne

And a seven-speed transmission is so early 2010, a new eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission is the go-between the engine and the wheels.

A new design outside means the Cayenne is now 48 mm longer – the extra 40 mm in wheelbase ensures extra space and greater versatility.   The front end of the current Cayenne has always been amazing, it’s even more so now.

A new design inside means the driver and passengers enjoy a touch-screen infotainment interface and a centre console which, like the Panamera, rises up to meet the dashboard. Porsche’s traditional set of five round instruments includes a high-resolution circular TFT screen to the right of the tachometer. It can be used to change radio stations or vehicle settings, or access the navigation system and view the map. Rear-seat comfort is much improved as well. The bench slides fore-and-aft by 160 mm, while the backrest can be adjusted to three different angles.

Heavy right footers will embrace the Cayenne Turbo – 500-bhp, 4.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 of power, but get this, 23% less fuel consumption.

The new Porsche Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo go on sale in Canada in July. Canadian Porsche Centres will offer the Cayenne and Cayenne S Hybrid in the fall.

Follow Porsche on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PorscheNewsWire

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Yada and And Now You Know are teaming up for a fun contest just in time for the holidays:

Tell us your distracted driver horror story – the one where you were cut off, had to slam on your brakes or veer at the last minute because someone else just couldn’t keep their eyes and ears off their cell while driving – in the comments below! The best story wins a Bluetooth hands-free device valued at $150 from Yada. But you have to hurry: On December 20th 2009 we’re closing the comments and picking a winner.

This contest is only open to British Columbians, but if you’re from out of province and have a story to tell, don’t hesitate to drop it in the comments as well.

A while back we tested the Lexus LS-460 – the first car that parallel parks itself. The video was lost in the jungle of Morten’s computer for a long time but now it’s finally available for everyone.

Parking using the automatic feature is really as simple and safe as it looks. It takes some time to get used to not turning the wheel but that’s a small price to pay for never having to park and re-park to get to that downtown coffee place you like so much. A small price that is if you ignore the massive price tag. But that’s the price you pay for luxury I guess.

Good things come in little packages. This is especially true if your big brother is the Acura MDX and you have Honda engineers backing you. The all-new RDX brings the priceline of the SUV lineup for Acura back down to an affordable 40 thousand range. The MDX has moved more upmarket, in size, features and price.

The RDX is a fine balance of performance, bad weather capabilities and environmental friendliness. While it’s not a hybrid (not yet at least), it is very frugal on gas.

The RDX is made in Ohio, the same plant where Acuras’ TL comes from. Quality is up to par with other Acura models and that is a great thing to have, Acura’s quality is very good.

I put in three passengers plus myself in vehicle. We put in some hockey bags, some other gym equipment and headed on our way to the rink. We were comfortable the whole time and didn’t have to get to cozy.

Interior noise is quite low, as is enine noise. Hit the gas though and you’ll hear a turbine wind up – this model has a turbo charger plumbed on to its 2.3 L i_VTEC 4-banger. Output is 240 horses and 260 lb-ft of torque. You can row your own with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters or let the 5-speed autobox do its own thing. I was able to touch 100km from a standing start in just under 8 seconds.

Once power hits the road, you have confidence with the full-time SH-AWD (Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive) system. The brains behind it will send power to each wheel as and when needed. If a wheel loses traction, it will transfer the power to another wheel. During a recent snowfall, it worked really well. The RDX felt secure and safe on the icy roads. There is a benefit in dry or wet weather as well as grip comes on strong during cornering.

The RDX shares the market with the slightly more costly BMW X3. The Bimmer has a few less features and has been around for about three years now, but can still hold its own.

Interior appointments are a plenty. The 360-watt AM/FM/6-disc CD changer with seven speakers and auxiliary input jack, rocks you, the driver and passenger automatic climate control keeps the ideal temp and the large power moonroof lets the sun shine in. The center console has a huge vertical storage area, enough to swallow a laptop and/or your portable video game system.

The dash consists of three round displays, back lit with a nice blue hue. The rest of the instrument cluster is laid out nicely as well.

If you’re a techie like me, spend about five extra G’s and you’ll get DVD Navigation system with voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, a rear camera to assist in parking and a DVD-Audio capable 410 watt ELS Surround Premium 10-speaker sound system

If you keep listening to the tunes and forget to watch the road, the dual front airbags, front side airbags, dual curtain airbags, active front head restraints and should help you in case of an accident.

The RDX will be a hit for Acura. It’s not perfect, but it does have a nice mix of performance and features for the price. The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) thought so as well, they voted it the Best New CUV Between $35,000–$60,000.

Base price: CAD$41,000

Options: CAD$4,000 (Technology Package: navigation system, ELS 10_speaker premium stereo, back_up camera, Bluetooth connectivity)

Fuel Economy: City 12.5L/100 km (23 mpg) / Hwy 9.3L/100km (30 mpg)

www.acura.ca

Some first generation hybrid cars were styling exercises straight from the design book of The Jetsons. The Camry, and other newer hybrids such as Honda’s Accord and Civic, Ford’s Escape and the Lexus GS450, seem to be going back to the main stream design, basing their alternative fuel cars on current models.

I don’t mind at all as the new Camry is as sexy as a family commuter vehicle has the right to be. The lines are down near perfect, with none of them pointing the wrong way.

The Camry Hybrid utilizes what Toyota likes to call Hybrid Synergy Drive. This system essentially attempts to use electric power as much as it can. When extra power is needed – for example under heavy acceleration or heavy electrical usage – the gasoline engine will fire up and work in parallel with the electric motors to pull the car.

I say pull, as a front wheel drive car, the same as the regular Camry. Power to those wheels is transmitted through a continuously-variable transmission (CVT). The Hybrid Camry puts out 187hp, 40 more than the 2.4L gas-only four cylinder it’s based on. Torque is at 161lb/feet at very low revs – this is why a CVT tranny works here, CVT’s like low end torque. They have an infinite number of gear-ratio settings, unlike a regular automatic, which has five, six, seven and now even eight (Lexus LS460) set gears.

The combination of the future-type engine and the advance transmission give the Camry Hybrid one of the top fuel ratings in it’s class. Fuel consumption is estimated by the folks at Toyota to be 5.7L/100km (50mpg) in the city and on the highway. This is quite high as my figures were closer to 7L/100 km (40mpg), still very respectable for a car that seats five and hits 100 km from a standing start in about 8.5 seconds.

So where is the downside here? Interior cargo space suffers. The batteries are stored in the rear area, shielded by a protective casing. Their placement reduces the 15 cubic feet of trunk space down to 10.6 cubic feet, with the further loss of a folding rear seat option.

For safety, the nickel-metal hybrid battery will automatically disconnect it’s power from the car if an accident is detected. Up front, seven airbags keep the occupants from receiving additional injuries. There are two bags up front, two on the sides up front and back and a small one for the driver’s knee area.

The 2007 Vancouver International Auto Show has a green theme to it and the Camry Hybrid fits that bill to a “T”.

We visits the Vancouver International Auto Show. Cars featured include

• Mercedes S Class CL 550 Coupe
• Volvo C30 Hatchback
• Cadillac Escalade
• 2007 Lotus Exige
• BMW 3 Series Cabriolet
• 2008 Audi TT
• 2008 Dodge Challenger
• Toyota FJ Cruiser
• Audi Q7
• 2007 Tripple White Volkswagen Beetle

Every year the auto show leaves a distinct memory of one thing or another.  In 2005 it was the large variety of concept vehicles.  In 2006 it was the strong focus on new environmental technologies, most notably hybrids and the hydrogen powered Hywire from Gm.  This year however it was what was not there which left the strongest impression.

• Tune in for our special video presentation of the Vancouver International Auto Show later this week.

Although all the manufacturers kept emphasizing green initiatives there was a severe lack of both green alternatives and new innovations in the displays.  In all the green focus of the show was lackluster and unimaginative and left a distinct feeling that something was amiss.  You got the distinct feeling that the emergence of environmentally conscious consumers had caught the auto manufacturers off guard with little if anything to offer.  The few green alternatives were tucked away and hidden as if the manufacturers were embarrassed to show their lack of progress since last year.  The Toyota Prius and Camry Hybrid were hidden behind a wall in the Toyota area.  The Saturn hybrid was jammed into a corner behind a display.  And while GM’s display “Green by Design” featured four solutions to the environmental impact of cars: a hybrid, a “low consumption vehicle”, a fuel cell vehicle they claim will be released this fall and a program called “car heaven” where you can trade in your old polluting car for a new slightly less polluting GM model you also found several Hummers and other gas guzzlers with “Green by Design” stickers on them.

Knowing that the European auto shows featured new technologies like the Volkswagen Blue Motion diesel engine, natural gas vehicles and even diesel hybrids one would expect that the Vancouver International Auto Show had at least a hint of these new innovations.  Instead it seemed like they had gone in the opposite direction reverting back to the status quo of a couple of years ago when the environment was still something only treehuggers cared about.  In the end the irony of the car show being held underneath the dome of BC Place Stadium – recently repaired after the heavy damage it sustained earlier this year caused by strong winds many say was the direct result of climate change seemed uncomfortably poignant.

A French company called MDI is in the final stages of devellopment of their air powered vehicle. Yes, that’s right: a car that runs on compressed air! The company has recently signed a contract with Indian auto manufacturer Tata Motors and it is expected that the first commercial Compressed Air Transports (or CATs) will hit the pavement in Europe some time later this year.The cars have a top speed of 65kph and the hybrid vehicle has a range of about 2000 km with “far better fuel economy than an electric vehicle”.

Unlike hydrogen and solar powered vehicles these air powered cars seem to be an interesting solution to at least part of our transportation problems.

For more information visit MDI’s website www.theaircar.com

My test car was yellow!  Only a Porsche could get away with this bold colour and only the Cayman pulls it off with sweetness!

There are a lot of automotive manufacturer websites that allow you to comparison shop their vehicles. Not only can you compare models from within the manufacturers line-up, you can click to add other makes and models to the “compare to” list.

I did a little experiment of mine, putting the new 2007 Porsche Cayman against a more-than-double-the price Ferrari F430. Sure there are some configuration differences between the two, but your wallet is a whole lot lighter with the German machine.

The Ferrari F430 has a V8, the Cayman a flat-six. The Italian 490hp, the German 245hp (295hp in Cayman S guise). The Ferrari will set you back US$164,000, the Porsche CDN$70,000.

Now sure the specs are completely different, but there is more to a vehicle than numbers printed on a brochure, there is the feel and emotion of driving. The Porsche has plenty of both.

The Cayman, in my opinion, is one of the best styling exercises to come from Stuttgart. No small feat considering the stylish wonders from the company already on the road. The lines are clean and pure, with rear three quarter styling its best feature. I know many people, including myself, that have the Cayman as their computer desktop wallpaper. Porsche knows this too, offering wallpaper downloads on their website, www.porsche.ca .

About the feel. I love the handling of the Boxster (on which the Cayman is based on), in some situations more than the Carrera 2, so I had huge expectations for the Cayman. I was not disappointed. The mid-engine 2-seater is so well balanced that you have to turn off the PSM (Porsche Stability Management) and push the car hard to lose its grip. The feel at the wheel is of shear confidence, leaving the driver to enjoy the drive without tension.

Twist the key, with your left hand of course, this is a Porsche, and you are rewarded with a sweet rumble from the flat-six boxer engine sitting right behind you. There is where “feel” comes in again. The engine revs so smoothly, you would think its smothered in butter. It is in fact, the smoothness of synthetic engine oil. Shift the manual gears through their gate and you can feel the positive linkage through each one. And we haven’t even released the hand brake yet!

Also available in Tiptronic form, the Cayman is more fun with the row-your-own transmission. Sure, with stop and go traffic these days, the smart choice would be the automatic Tip, but Porsches love the open road so be nice to your car and give it some room to play.

The Cayman is not particularly the fastest car to 100km/h in, but the way it does it is what matters most. There is never a hint of complaint nor strain from the Cayman, it is a willing partner for your divulgence in pleasure driving. I did take the Cayman past the pleasure part, pushing it hard into corners and turns that I would normally keep a steady low speed on. The harder I pushed, the more the Cayman responded, actually helping me keep the line in the turns.

When it comes time to stop, the Porsche C-man will bring you to a standstill without any drama and minimum brake fade. Give your dealer another thirteen thousand or so and you can order the fade-free ceramic brakes.

The interior, while cool enough, is not a match to the exterior. The dash is a handsome design, with sculpted lines everywhere, but there has been an extensive use of plastic here. The heating and air-conditioning controls are better now than they used to be in the Boxster.

Standard equipment includes a CD system, six airbags, power windows and locks. Full power seats are an option. If you plan to have someone travel with you and they have a lot of luggage, tell them to stay home as you’ll be able to fit them or the luggage. There is some space in the rear, with some more space up front. Useful for weekend getaways.

Base (5-speed manual): $69,600