NOW THAT WE¡¦VE LIVED with such an oxymoronic concept for almost a year, that Porsche builds sport/utes feels less like an acid trip through The Martian Chronicles than 21st century automotive SOP. Sports car makers now build trucks. Yeah, we got it.

But what would you say to Porsche¡Xmaker of not only your favorite sports cars (see America¡¦s Best, AW, July 7), but crafter of some of the world¡¦s most kick-*** engines¡Xgrafting the beating heart of a Volkswagen into its latest effort? That¡¦s right, the Cayenne now features power courtesy of the People¡¦s Car company.

The last time Porsche deigned to wedge a VW engine under the hood of one of its vehicles, we got the 924 as a result. Not exactly a bad ride¡Xin fact, if sales have any say in the matter, that the 924 quickly became the most successful Porsche in the company¡¦s history must mean something (maybe only that it cost less than $10,000).

But the front-engined, water-cooled car hardly lived up to the automaker¡¦s reputation as a builder of premium product. When the 924 bowed here in late 1976, its 2.0-liter 95-hp four required over 12 seconds to propel the car to 60 mph. Not exactly asphalt-shaking stuff, even by late-¡¦70s standards. That said, the 924 would have made for a fine VW, even Audi, as it was intended.

A generation later, Porsche turns once again to VW for engine help (press materials only say the engine is ¡§supplied from outside the Company¡¨), lifting the 3.2-liter 15-degree V6 for duty in the entry-level Cayenne. Surely familiar to AutoWeek readers by now, this ¡§narrow-angle¡¨ six also powers VW¡¦s Touareg (Cayenne¡¦s sister vehicle), as well as the Audi TT 3.2.

Porsche designed its own intake for the 3.2, whose variable-length runners do give the Cayenne a unique character compared to the Touareg or the TT. Power tops out at 250 hp at 6000 rpm, with 228 lb-ft of torque on tap between 2500 and 5500 rpm. The Touareg¡¦s V6 is good for 220 hp from 5400 to 6400 rpm and 225 lb-ft of peak torque at 3200 rpm, while the Audi manages 250 hp at 6300 rpm and 236 lb-ft from 2800 to 3200 rpm.

The six features 24 valves and cam phasing on both the intake and exhaust sides, which ideally should help out both on the performance end and in emissions and fuel economy. While the Porsche manages to turn out decent enough power from the normally aspirated unit, and the Cayenne does qualify as a low-emissions vehicle, the ute¡¦s 5005-pound curb weight does little to help out in the consumption department. Its 15 city/19 highway mpg makes the V6 only a hair less thirsty than the V8-powered Cayenne S at 14/18 (both with Tiptronic automatic transmissions).

Porsche claims the V6 Cayenne will scoot to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 9.1 seconds, with a top speed of 133 mph. While ¡§Porsche¡¨ and ¡§9.1 seconds¡¨ don¡¦t sound like they belong in the same sentence, the Cayenne¡¦s wide, flat torque band makes getting up to speed a fairly convincing affair. Not Cayenne Turbo convincing, but the V6 does manage to keep you pinned in the seat from off-the-line to full-out.

We¡¦ll have to wait and see if the six-speed manual transmission we tested makes it Stateside.

There is one caveat: That 9.1 seconds comes with the help of a dandy six-speed manual gearbox, the product of a joint development with ZF. Porsche has been less than forthcoming regarding delivery of that gearbox to these shores. Officially, Porsche only will say that we won¡¦t see the manual in model-year 2004 vehicles and refuses to elaborate. A couple of Porsche engineers we spoke with insisted the stick will make its way Stateside by around May, but only in V6 models. Guess we¡¦ll just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, Tiptronic-equipped Cayennes, up to 5000 in the first year, should start arriving in showrooms on Jan. 10. Stickers will start at $43,665 including destination, or fully $13,000 less than a Cayenne S. So besides having to make do with a VW engine, what else does one give up in settling for the V6 vehicle?
Not much.

The bodies look identical, differing only in the color of their brake calipers (Cayenne¡¦s are black, the S¡¦s silver) and name badge (black vs. chrome). Both get standard Porsche Traction Manage-ment, a permanent four-wheel-drive system that splits torque 38/62 front to rear in normal driving conditions, but that can send up to 100 percent of the power in either direction as needed. Both also get PSM, Porsche¡¦s stability control system.

Tiptronic Cayennes, both V6 and V8 versions, come standard with a hill-holder feature that allows the driver to ease off the brakes on hills without worrying about rolling backward. The equivalent system on manual-equipped Cayennes is called Porsche Drive-Off Assistant, which automatically applies the brakes on uphill grades even when the clutch is engaged and you¡¦ve lifted off the brake pedal.

Both V6 and V8 models make an air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (a variable damper system that adjusts from ¡§comfort¡¨ to ¡§normal¡¨ to ¡§sport¡¨) available. An advanced off-road package (with locking rear differential and disconnecting front and rear antiroll bars) and a navigation system (with off-road-tailored features like altitude, wheel position, compass, coordinates and a backtracking function) can also be had on both vehicles.

The only remaining upgrades that $13,000 premium gets you, as far as we can figure, are the Cayenne S¡¦s 18-inch wheels and tires and 0.78-inch-larger discs up front. The V6 Cayenne gets 13-inch vented discs all around, with standard 235/65R-17 tires. The vehicles¡¦ chassis are otherwise identical.

Perhaps the better comparison is between the Cayenne V6 and the V8-powered Touareg. The Touareg¡¦s 4.2-liter V8 turns out 310 hp at 6200 rpm and 302 lb-ft at 3000 rpm, and stickers start at $41,315 including destination, or $2,350 less than the Cayenne V6. The V8 Touareg also comes standard with, among other things, P255/55VR tires on 18-inch wheels, all-wheel drive and stability control, a hill-descent feature and tire-pressure monitor (both extras on Cayenne). Just things to keep in mind.

Remember also that the Touareg and Cayenne were jointly developed and share platforms, although Porsche and VW undertook their own suspension tuning and styling. While Porsche tuned the Cayenne more for on-road tastes and VW gave the Touareg more off-road aptitude, they exhibit a similar character in both arenas. It¡¦s up to you to decide which speaks more to your tastes¡Xand if having that Porsche badge is ultimately most important.

Even if that Porsche is a truck.

2004 PORSCHE CAYENNE V6
ON SALE: Jan. 10
BASE PRICE: $43,665
POWERTRAIN: 3.2-liter, 250-hp, 228-lb-ft V6; 4wd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 5005 pounds
0-60 MPH: 9.7 seconds (mfr.)

Porsche¡¦s first-ever V6 comes courtesy of Volkswagen.