Porsche Cayenne S Diesel breaks production car towing record

14 May, 2017

For your general SUV market, towing capacity is a nice bonus, but for some it can make or break a vehicle purchase. Recognising such a necessity, and let’s be honest, selling point, Porsche has taken the new Cayenne S Diesel and hitched it up to the heaviest aircraft they could get their hands one … a 314 ton Airbus A380. 

The mammoth piece of machinery was lent to Porsche from Air France, resulting in a towed distance of 42 metres across Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and Porsche are claiming that this torquey wonder is just a everyday feat for Cayenne’s 4.2-litre diesel V8

It marks a new Guinness World Record for the heaviest aircraft towed by a production vehicle, with the A380 weighing in at a staggering 126.7 tons more than the previous record tow.

To put it into understandable, that equates to roughly 232 Porsche 944 race cars … don’t take our word for it though, Porsche have made sure to seal the deal in video evidence.

How to switch to an alternator

Car electrics can be daunting, but upgrading from a generator to an alternator need not be complicated if you know what pitfalls to avoid.
The challenges you may face when converting a 12-volt generating system to an alternator are:
• Finding brackets to mount the alternator to your engine
• Determining the wiring you want to use for your particular set-up
• Deciding whether you want to use an ammeter, an idiot light, or a voltmeter to monitor your classic’s charging system.

NZ Classic Car magazine, November/December 2026 issue 408, on sale now

Star status for classic Porsche
A long search ends: finding the right car
Unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, the Porsche 911 heralded an iconic lineage of sports cars, known for their exceptional performance, remarkable racing reliability, and adaptability, second to none.
New Zealand Classic Car, in conjunction with Star Insure, recently conducted a photo competition to find 13 suitably impressive classics to grace the pages of the magazine’s 2027 calendar. A flood of entries showed that Kiwis recognise eye-catching designs and restorations. Many are handy with a camera, too, and have entered some outstanding results.
The choice was not straightforward, with multiple stunning entries, and Geoff Long’s immaculate 1990 Porsche 911 (964 Factory designation) took top honours. Fortunately, Geoff had Ethan Hanlon handy to take the accompanying photos while working in his office.
“I’ve got a young employee who is doing work experience in my office at the moment, and he’s a very avid photographer. So, I said, I’ll buy you breakfast and then why don’t we go and take some photos. He found the right spot, and he spent over an hour photographing.”
Originally sold new in Japan, hence the right-hand drive, the Porsche was resident there for four years before being exported to New Zealand, as Geoff recalls.
“I bought it two-and-a-half years ago, but I looked for it for over two years, because it’s just the colour scheme, interior and exterior I was after. The service file that came with it is extensive; I mean, it’s been beautifully looked after, which is what I wanted to continue, as it does get driven. It doesn’t sit in the garage.”