For our Fall 2004 season, we wanted to show off our more practical side and showcase a vehicle with a bit more versatility than our previous projects, while maintaining that good sense of style that everyone was accustomed to. With the sudden explosion in the SUV wheel market in the last 2-3 years, we wanted to get in on the action, but at a different level than what the competition was doing. Since Wheel Experts specializes in mostly European vehicles, we wanted to continue the theme with the latest project, so once again our choices were limited. We started with a vehicle budget of under $60K, so we began listing our options - among them the BMW X5 4.6is, the Range Rover 4.6HSE, the Mercedes G500, and the Porsche Cayenne. The BMW was ruled out due to an aging platform, and the lack of aftermarket support for the other 2 options made it a relatively easy decision, so we went with the newer Porsche model. Since the desirable Turbo model was out of the budget, and the base model with the 3.2L V6 was rather anemic in the performance department, we decided to look for a nice pre-owned S model with the 340hp 4.5L V8. Our search did not take long, as a 2004 with 9K miles, finished in Titanium Metallic with black leather was located by our friends at Expo Motorcars. This vehicle suited our needs to the tee, and the price was just right, so a deal was finalized the next morning, and we were on our way yet again.

Within minutes of receiving the vehicle, a phone call was made to our friends at Wheel Power, who provided a set of H&R sport springs to kick off our latest project. These springs, which lowered the Cayenne approx 1.25", gave it a much-needed sportier look, while drastically improving the handling and taking out some of the floatiness usually associated with driving SUVs. With the suspension underway, it was time to get rolling on the wheels. Since color-matched centers were still the rage, we phoned up our long-time partner HRE and ordered up a set of their popular forged 647R wheels in size 9.5x22 for all 4 corners. We requested the wheel centers to be custom-matched to the Titanium Metallic paint of the vehicle, and the end results speak for themselves. Upon arrival 4 weeks after the initial order date, the huge 22 inchers were shod with Pirelli’s latest sport truck tire, the Scorpion Zero Asimmetrico, in size 265/35/22. This provided us with a nice sporty look and a car-like ride, while still being properly load rated (XL) for the 6000+ lb Cayenne. The custom-painted centers against the 2" polished outer lips look stunning, and the stance is just right thanks to the H&R suspension upgrade.

With the suspension and wheel/tire portion out of the way, it was time to tackle the rest of the exterior and interior. A phone call to long-time friend Brandon Baker at CEC yielded us a new TechArt aero package, complete with a front add-on spoiler, a pair of side skirts, a rear apron with diffuser, and a pair of front fog lamps. This gave the truck the aggressive look we had been searching for, while still complementing the Cayenne’s factory lines. CEC also provided a set of floor mats for the Porsche, finished in charcoal with silver leather piping. The 5-piece set also included the trunk mat, all complete with TechArt embroidered logos in silver. Herschel from Cargraphic USA came thru in the crunch, air-freighting in a set of his quad exhaust tips to finish off the package nicely.

The truck made its public debut at the 2004 SEMA Show in Las Vegas (see "show coverage" section for photos) where, at the request of HRE Performance Wheels and Claus Ettensberger Corporation, it was displayed outdoors on the Grand Pavilion in front of the center hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center. As in the past, Bob Sellers at Intercity Lines handled all of the transportation duties to and from the LVCC. A special thanks to those involved with our latest efforts - the crew at HRE Performance Wheels, Tim from Wheel Power, Brandon at CEC, Herschel at Cargraphic USA, Mike and Tri from Expo Motorcars, Bob at Intercity, and last but not least, Ron Harvey and the guys from Midtown Auto Body who did such a great job putting the vehicle together just in the nick of time. Stay tuned for yet another exciting project to be unveiled in the spring 2005 season.