The Porsche Cayenne has been completely redesigned for 2011. A new Hybrid model has been added to the fray, while the GTS and Turbo S models have been put on hold.

It was an insult to automotive history. It was the Fonz waterskiing over a shark. It was selling out to the worst degree. "It" was the Porsche Cayenne, an SUV derided by Porsche traditionalists when it arrived in North America in 2003 and yet also a wild financial success that secured Porsche's future. Despite the controversy, the Cayenne has proven to be one of our favorite luxury SUVs. Now the second-generation version has been introduced and the 2011 Porsche Cayenne is better than ever, though the idea of an SUV that carries the badge of Stuttgart's iconic sports-car maker is still strange.

Take a look at the 2011 Porsche Cayenne and you're likely to notice how much smaller it looks. This is actually an optical illusion inspired by the Cayenne's lower nose and raked D-pillar, as this Porsche is fractionally longer, wider and taller. Yet it is also a stunning 397 pounds lighter thanks to the deletion of its former dual-range transfer case (meant to permit serious off-roading) and the use of lightweight body panels.

The weight-loss regimen improves handling, lightens the work for the engines and improves fuel economy. This is especially good news for the base-model Cayenne with its revised V6, which now produces 300 horsepower and works with the eight-speed automatic that is now standard for every Cayenne model. Meanwhile the Cayenne S's V8 (now with 15 hp more) and the Cayenne Turbo's turbocharged V8 feel more energetic as well.