We were well out of downtown Dubai on a highway that cut through the desert like a seam in an endless carpet when I starting thinking about killing camels. Not that I dislike camels, but I was wondering what would happen if we hit one while traveling 168 miles per hour in a nearly 6,000-pound truck. I tried to imagine the carnage, but I was distracted by the fact that the driver of the 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S was no longer holding the steering wheel.

“See, it’s stable,” said Jürgen Kern, Porsche manager of testing and quality management. “Even at this speed.”

I glanced at the speedometer – 168 mph – and nodded appreciatively, but inside I was screaming: “Put your hands back on the wheel, Jürgen! Your freakin’ hands! Back! Wheel!” I knew Kern would push the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo S to its maximum speed, and that’s why I offered to let him drive. But I didn’t expect him to go all “Look, Ma” on me.