Cayenne Turbo Electric driven, £20k hot hatch

... and instantly-recognisable exhaust notes

By Cam Tait / Tuesday, 31 March 2026 / Loading comments

A lot has changed since the EU drastically diluted its effective ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, with manufacturers now rethinking how EVs fit into their product portfolio. Among the most vocal is Porsche, shelving its new EV platform due to lack of demand and mulling a new flagship sports car that’ll sit above the 911, presumably powered by pistons.

That doesn’t mean the company will be ditching all of its EVs, of course. It still has mighty strict emissions targets to meet, which is why the new Cayenne Electric will remain (for now) battery-powered for the foreseeable. So we’re kicking off today’s episode of The Gassing Station podcast with a deep dive into our review of the Turbo Electric and it’s many big numbers: up to 1,156hp, 388 miles of range and a whopping 2,645kg to lug around. While it’s mighty fast and mighty heavy, Sam came away impressed with the handling and that signature Porsche steering feel. You can read his full review here, and you’ll find even more juicy titbits in the pod.

As popular as the new Cayenne will likely be, there’s still an appetite for a small, light hot hatches, as today’s buying challenge proves. PHer hrc77 is looking to replace their Mk6 Golf TDI with something with a bit more poke, and is going about it with a budget of £20,000. A manual is an absolute must, and Sam’s come out swinging with this Renault Megane RS 280. It’s a 2019 car with two previous owners, a full service history and, as he rightly says, the same engine from the Alpine A110, only paired here with a six-speed manual, all for £18,489. A stellar choice, that, but given hrc77 seems to like a fast German hatch, I’m staying within the VW Group with this Seat Leon Cupra 300 (it’s a Golf!) for £17,485. Or I would if it hadn’t sold since we recorded the podcast, so here’s a slight left-field alternative. If none of those float your boat, you can submit your own picks in the topic here.

Rounding out the episode is a topic we can all relate to: instantly recognisable engine sounds. Triumph Man kicks things off with the Land Rover 200/300tdi, while finlo lists the Morris Minor, MGB, Triumph Stag and VW Beetle. Quhet can still hear their nan’s Metro, as can McGee_22 with a BMW V12 started motor whine. Sam and I chuck our own into the mix, but, admittedly, we struggled to match the brilliant geekery of PH. Get stuck into the topic here, and make sure you come armed with something suitably obscure.

Listen here