Wednesday 5th November 2014

Updated Porsche Cayenne GTS

Bye-bye booming V8, hello twin-turbo V6, a bit more power and the familiar love 'em or loath 'em looks

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As the least apologetic variant of an already determinedly unapologetic vehicle the Cayenne GTS is the ultimate Marmite test of your opinion on Porsche SUVs. The GTS has always stood for one of two things. Either you bought it because descriptions like 'shy and retiring' or 'Porsche purist' don't apply to you. Or, perhaps more charitably, you think 'sod it, if I'm going to drive an eff-off Porsche 4x4 there's little point in half measures.'

Fewer cylinders but a bit more power

With a bodykit and colour schemes that'd make even a Cheshire-dwelling premiership footballer blush, the GTS has always been a bit of an oddity within the Cayenne range too. Diesels do for the school run and Waitrose shopping trips, the amusingly monstrous Turbos for those who like to dust sports cars from the lofty perch of a 4x4 and generally flick vees at everything else on the road. Yet with its blingy looks and booming naturally aspirated V8 the GTS made a curious case for being the most focused from a driving perspective, the lone steel-sprung manual on the launch event for the first generation version a surprisingly delightful device. From behind the wheel at least.

So to the facelifted second generation Cayenne GTS, now down two cylinders but up two turbochargers and running a further enhanced version of the twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 from the Macan Turbo. It gains 40hp over the 'baby' SUV to 440hp, a 20hp improvement on the previous V8 Cayenne GTS with torque increased by 63lb ft to 442lb ft. Enough to hack half a second out of the 0-62mph time, now just 5.2 seconds or 5.1 with the optional Sports Chrono pack. Fuel consumption improves from 26.4mpg to 28.8mpg (best case) with CO2 of just 228g/km.

Not a car for the shy and retiring then

Visually it keeps the decidedly in your face combination of Turbo front end, bodykit and black painted 20-inch RS Spyder wheels. You can have it with steel springs and PASM (with - natch - a 'sporty set-up') running 24mm lower than standard or with optional air suspension. Bigger brakes from the Turbo also feature.

Where does this leave the GTS? In danger of losing its identity a little, the previous combination of Turbo enhanced looks but beefy sounding normally aspirated V8 its stand-out feature in the Cayenne range. There's a standard sports exhaust and experience of the Porsche twin-turbo V6 shows that it's a pleasant sounding device but, performance gains or not, when downsizing comes to a car like the GTS you know the days of the big V8 truly are numbered. Saying that it's still a £20K leap from the £72,523 asking price of the GTS to the full-fat Turbo, the fact that it has much of the same visual presence (see, that's us being tactful) but at a significantly lower price offering further proof that 'GTS' is often the pick of the respective Porsche range in which it dwells.

[Oz83]

Saw one of these at the weekend in dark green. I thought it looked great for an SUV.

[GTEYE]

I've always thought the second generation was relatively tasteful for this type of vehicle, it was the first gen (pre-facelift) that was a complete minger.

This one looks much less bulky on the road.

[PhantomPH]

I just love that I live in a world where things like this get built. It will be a very sad day when this all has to stop....because when it does, they will be coming after your car next....

[Escort Si-130]

Oh boy, there goes Dan's "waitrose" joke again

[Fire99]

So it's now a Turbo with the bodykit and looks of a errr Turbo...
I like turbo's but there's no way its gonna feel like a N/A V8 and the V8's demise will have no impact on polar bears or bunny rabbits so I think it's a shame.

[RobinBanks]

The proportions are awful!
The doors are so tall up to the bottom of the windows...

I think that the first generation looked better, although still not good. This just looks dull.

[fatboy b]

[oldtimer2]

Porsche need to update the jelly mould from which this emerged.

[Mawsleycarvalet]

Just love um. We look after the BTCC official cars and one is a Cayenne Turbo and I have to say they are amazing. We are lucky enough to get hot laps around every circuit and for a 4/4 they can really hustle. Gets the thumbs up from us.

[hondansx]

I personally think they look great for an SUV. Have a grey diesel one; it's only when in a garish colour that you wonder what kind of person drives it.

Just don't get the GTS, personally. Ours has every suspension option yet it still handles like you would imagine; it ain't no Porsche drive. However, it is a FANTASTIC all round daily driver; the naysayers clearly haven't driven one.

[yellowyellow]

Mawsleycarvalet said:

Just love um. We look after the BTCC official cars and one is a Cayenne Turbo and I have to say they are amazing. We are lucky enough to get hot laps around every circuit and for a 4/4 they can really hustle. Gets the thumbs up from us.

Had an example of that at Brands a few weeks ago! Me and a few others were stood along the back straight at the start of the Ginetta race, and an audible wow was heard after the field of Ginettas shot past on the 1st lap but just a couple of seconds later the cayenne medics car blitzed past almost catching up with the tail enders. Genuinely more impressive than the race cars. Wowzers!

[PGNCerbera]

Great car.

We need more of these on our roads.

[NXXN]

I wonder if this engine will find its way into a certain rapid estate car.

[morgrp]

oldtimer2 said:

Porsche need to update the jelly mould from which this emerged.

They need to stop making every single one of their cars look in some way like a 911, That said, I quite like this

[Dollyman1850]

I'll stick with my old pug ugly version of the tug and its 4.8

I compare them to Boxer dogs..they're ugly but very loveable.

Anyone who says they don't handle hasn't driven one..
A great car if you need an off road capable 3 ton tow capacity Executive Chariot… Fortunately I do.



N.

Edited by Dollyman1850 on Thursday 6th November 15:48

[Dan Trent]

Escort Si-130 said:

Oh boy, there goes Dan's "waitrose" joke again

My local supermarket is Waitrose. I see a lot of Cayennes there. And Golf Rs!

Dan

[Durzel]

I guess the point is that it's a bit of a churlish and well worn observation. Expensive car likely to be seen at notably upmarket supermarket. News at 11.

[EricE]

I'm not a fan of the looks but I can't deny that these cars are much better than people give them credit for. I found the handling excellent, not just by SUV standards.

They also released the updated base version. Looks more dated than the pre-facelift to me. Maybe because of the the wheels.

[pSyCoSiS]

Of all the Cayennes, I still prefer the first generation model.

Funny how everyone thought it was butt ugly when it came out (and it still kind of is ugly!), but looks beefier and more purposeful than these new models.

2004 Turbo for me please.

[Dan Trent]

Durzel said:

I guess the point is that it's a bit of a churlish and well worn observation. Expensive car likely to be seen at notably upmarket supermarket. News at 11.

A fair point, it has arisen in two articles in the last few days and should therefore be put back in the box of lazy cliches! It is, inevitably, a fact of life round my way though.

Cheers!

Dan