Up until the year 2002, it was completely unthinkable to most people in Germany, and especially to sports car fans, that Porsche would at some point in time make a sports utility vehicle. The name Porsche has always been synonymous with thoroughbred sports cars, in most cases rear or mid-engined. However, the Cayenne proved to have the recipe for success. In the 2003/2004 financial year it moved almost 40,000 units and was by far the most popular Porsche model.
The “Zuffenhausen Bull” also quickly became popular with tuners, as it offered, both visually and technically, an outstanding basis for monumental show and performance projects. Less well-known than the market leaders, Chemnitz-based ENCO Exklusive have produced probably one of the best Cayenne interpretations with their ENCO Gladiator.
It’s the second glance that makes the difference
Even though the Gladiator is noticeably bigger and more powerful than the normal Cayenne at first glance, you have to look carefully to see how meticulously the team, centred around Jens Engelmann, have integrated their aerodynamic kit with the full size SUV.
What is not immediately obvious is the ENCO front apron right underneath the car with its huge air intake and its integrated rows of daytime running lights, another set of which can be found on the diffuser apron at the rear which has distinctive fins and a central opening for the exhaust pipe. The bonnet with incorporated air intakes is crafted out of carbon. Even less obvious is the roof spoiler with air flow openings and the widened side panels with recessed air vents which, along with the side skirts, make the Porsche appear more muscular and broad. Only Cayenne experts can really spot the aerodynamic styling just a few centimetres under the skirting-line at first glance. It’s “well hidden”, but forms a significant part of the dynamic performance of the ENCO Porsche. The two-tone black and Bordeaux red paintwork is also very classy.
700 PS thanks to the turbo upgrade
The Cayenne Turbo itself is far from lacking in the power department, but ENCO Exklusive couldn’t leave it at only 500 PS and sent the Gladiator to the weights room. Through the insertion of larger turbo chargers, an ENCO-designed sport exhaust system with manifolds and sport catalytic convertors and numerous further engine modifications, the supercharged V8 – which is officially called the “Gladiator 700 GT Biturbo” – possesses a hefty 700 PS and produces some 850 Nm of torque. Even weighing in at 2.5 tonnes, the Gladiator still races to 100km/h in only 4.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of around 290km/h.
At such speeds, the Gladiator carries such an incredible amount of kinetic energy that a bazooka could hardly stop it, and must be able to be brought to a stop in as short a distance as possible. For this reason, ENCO equipped this high-calibre projectile with a high-performance braking system with 410mm x 36mm brake disks and 12-piston callipers on the front axle and 380mm x 32mm disks with 4-piston callipers on the rear. Of course, such an impressive braking system requires a lot of space, of which ample can be found in the ENCO Jura alloy rims. They measure 11” x 23” and are compatible with the 315/25R23 Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyres. An electronic suspension module for the standard Cayenne Turbo suspension lowers the car by 50mm.
Red carbon
The wow-factor is continued inside the car. There are four individual leather/Alcantara bucket seats taken from the Porsche 911 GT3 that have been further enhanced with carbon backrests and red carbon-fibre padding. Wherever you look, red carbon gleams: Fittings made from the high-tech material adorn the dashboard, the steering wheel, the centre console and the door lining. Likewise, the whole vehicle is painted red, including the roll cage.