The Porsche Cayenne That Lost Its Back Half and Found a New Purpose as a Pickup Truck

Photo credit: Christchurch European
New Zealand roads now include one vehicle that started life as a normal 2011 Cayenne S and ended up with an open cargo area where the rear seats used to sit. An owner there bought the diesel-powered SUV for roughly 30,000 US dollars, then spent more than 80,000 New Zealand dollars on a full conversion plus all the engineering checks required to keep it street legal. The finished truck sits at Christchurch European with an asking price of 49,995 New Zealand dollars and a clear message on the listing that nothing like it will appear again.

The base car was equipped with a 3.0-liter turbo diesel V6 engine, which nevertheless produces a decent 240 horsepower and 550 Newton-meters of torque. Power is still routed through the original eight-speed transmission and Porsche’s tried-and-true all-wheel-drive system. Not bad for a car with 204,000 kilometers and a full New Zealand service history. Take a look at the front end and you’d never guess the car had been in a workshop; black metallic paint, factory alloy wheels, and that unique Cayenne front-end are all there, looking as good as new.

People have completely removed the back doors and drastically reduced the roof length, but most importantly, they have not used any questionable aftermarket parts. A new bulkhead has been installed with a window that views out from behind the front seats, and a short cargo bed has been constructed from the same sheet metal. They also managed to rebuild the tailgate so that it opens and closes properly. Cooper all-terrain tyres have been installed on the factory wheels, providing a bit more bite on uneven ground, but the rest of the suspension and chassis remains same. The overall length has increased to 4,846 millimeters, although the wheelbase stays same at 2,895 millimeters.




Inside, the cabin retains all of its original charm, with heated, power-adjustable front seats clad in black leather, as well as dual-zone climate control, a navigation system, a reversing camera, parking sensors, and all of the usual suspects, including the built-in radar detector. The titanium trim and factory Porsche PCM radio remain unchanged, with the exception of the modification. As a result, the vehicle has been converted to a two-door extended-cab form, sacrificing rear passenger capacity in exchange for a little more load space.


Getting the car certified has been a costly process, as every structural change required official approval, but the owner was willing to put their hand in their pocket to create a vehicle that can haul gear without sacrificing the front-wheel driving experience. The diesel engine is still suitable for light hauling chores due to its powerful low-end torque, and the all-wheel-drive system provides the same secure grip as a normal Cayenne. In terms of fuel economy, it averages roughly 8.5 liters per 100 under normal testing.


The bed may be a little short by full-size truck standards, but it can still manage some decent loads, and the rest of the car drives like a typical Cayenne, which isn’t a terrible thing. From the side, the proportions appear strange, but they work. The front half appears like any other second-generation Cayenne, but once you go past the B pillar, it begins to resemble a utility vehicle. The external panels are entirely from the original car, so the lines flow quite smoothly, and there are no weird gaps that you frequently see with custom work. The end product is something unique, somewhere between a premium daily car and a light-duty hauler, and something Porsche never contemplated producing.
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