- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 4 seats
- Engine
4.0TT, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
471kW, 850Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 12.6L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT review: International first drive
Another week, another new Porsche model – or that’s the way it seems at the moment. At the top of its game, Porsche continues the onslaught of new models and variants, and the Cayenne Turbo GT is a prodigiously powerful SUV.
- Incredible balance at pace on any road
- Impressive interior execution, comfort and quality
- Blistering engine and performance
- Appreciable tyre noise at speed
- Sport and Sport Plus modes definitely not for the road
- Hardened character might not be for everyone
Introduction
The new 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT arrives at a time when the German carmaker is very much at the top of its game. With 471kW, it is the most powerful pure-combustion-engine Cayenne model yet, beaten in overall output only by the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid, whose combination of a combustion engine and electric motor delivers 500kW.
There is history here, of course. Porsche has been producing a more powerful version of the Cayenne Turbo since 2006. Rather than being called the GT, though, it has traditionally worn the Turbo S badge. The change in name is accompanied by a noticeable change in engineering philosophy.
The Cayenne Turbo GT gets a clearly more hardened character than earlier Cayenne Turbo S models. It is aimed at the likes of the Audi RS Q8, BMW X6 Competition and Mercedes-Benz GLE63 S Coupe, coming exclusively in coupe body style in a move aimed at emphasising its sporting intentions.
Those sporting intentions were recently put on display when Porsche-contracted race driver Lars Kern piloted the Cayenne Turbo GT to a 7min 38.9sec lap of the demanding Nürburgring circuit in Germany, in the process beating the 7min 42.3sec record established by Frank Stippler in an Audi RS Q8 back in 2019.
So what do you get? Exterior-styling-wise, there’s a new front bumper with larger air ducts and a more prominent carbon-fibre splitter element than that used by the Cayenne Turbo. Further back are black wheel arch extensions, carbon fibre for the upper section of the mirror housings, a standard carbon-fibre roof, and carbon-fibre winglets on either side of the roof-mounted spoiler.
The tailgate spoiler has also been increased by 25mm to provide an added 40kg of downforce, while the diffuser has been redesigned and is made of carbon fibre too. It is the standard golden Neodyme wheels you notice, though. They’re larger than those used by the Cayenne Turbo, measuring 10.5 by 22 inches up front and 11.5 by 22 inches at the rear.
Key details | 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT |
Price (MSRP) | From $336,100 plus on-road costs |
Rivals | BMW X6 M | Mercedes-AMG GLE 63S Coupe | Audi RS Q8 |
Inside
Inside, the Cayenne Turbo GT receives a four-seat layout exclusively. There are eight-way hard-shell sport seats with 18-way adjustment up front and two individual sport seats in the rear. All come with centre panels upholstered in Alcantara and embossed ‘turbo GT’ lettering on the headrests.
The black multi-function sports steering wheel gets an Alcantara-trimmed rim with a yellow 12 o’clock marking. There is also Alcantara for the upper dashboard, roofliner and inner pillars among other elements.
There’s also a sixth-generation version of Porsche’s Communication Management system, which will be brought to other Cayenne models later this year.
Along with a more powerful navigation system, and a conversational speech function developed to understand more natural language commands as part of a new Voice Pilot system, it also brings over-the-air software update capability, as well as Apple Music and Apple Podcast streaming services and the inclusion of Android Auto for the first time.
2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT | |
Seats | Four |
Boot volume | 482L / 1464L |
Length | 4942mm |
Width | 1995mm |
Height | 1636mm |
Wheelbase | 2895mm |
At a glance | 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT |
ANCAP rating & year tested | Untested |
At a glance | 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT |
Warranty | Three years / 10,000 km |
Service intervals | 12 months / 15,000km |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | NA |
Fuel cons. (on test) | NA |
Fuel type | 98 RON |
Fuel tank size | 90L |
Driving
The twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine retains the same fundamentals as the unit used by the existing Cayenne Turbo Coupe, but a series of modifications have liberated an additional 67kW and 80Nm. This gives the Cayenne Turbo GT headline figures of 471kW at 6000rpm and 850Nm of torque between 2300 and 4500rpm.
This compares to the 441kW and 800Nm of the RS Q8, 460kW and 750Nm of the X6 M Competition, and the 450kW and 850Nm of the GLE63 S Coupe.
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It also provides the new 2220kg Porsche with a weight-to-power ratio of 4.7kg per kW. There’s a new crankshaft, connecting rods, pistons, timing chain drive and vibration damper, among other detailed changes.
The exhaust system has also been extensively modified. It does without a rear silencer and features a rear section made from titanium, including the inner section of the centrally mounted tailpipes, which glow in a blue hue when heat is worked into the system.
The standard eight-speed torque converter gearbox has also been reworked with new software mapping for shorter shift times across three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. The four-wheel-drive system also been tweaked with changes to the Porsche Traction Management system. In addition, Porsche has increased the cooling measures for the transfer case.
The Cayenne Turbo GT rides on a uniquely tuned three-chamber air suspension featuring adaptive damping via Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and anti-roll stabilisation through Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control.
Changes here include a 17mm reduction in ride height over the Cayenne Turbo in Sport and Sport Plus driving modes, as well as a general stiffening of the air spring and damping rates as well as the anti-roll stabilisation.
The ZR-rated tyres, meanwhile, are the largest to ever feature on a Cayenne model with a profile of 285/35 up front and 315/30 at the rear.
Our first drive of the Cayenne Turbo GT came in two vastly different surroundings. Firstly, on some narrow and often bumpy roads on the Swedish island of Gotland. Secondly, on the newly updated and smooth-surfaced 7.2km-long Gotland Ring racetrack.
It manages to excel in both driving environments. There is a broad spread of talent here – an ability to cover the nuances of everyday driving every bit as well as rapid running on a demanding circuit.
As for the engine, it’s terrific. Smooth yet hugely potent. It is mild-mannered when you want it to be at lower revs in Normal mode, and as brutish as any other engine Porsche produces at the top end in both Sport and Sport Plus, where it proves very determined on a loaded throttle.
The increase in reserves is accompanied by some added turbocharger lag, but there is still a good deal of flexibility to the delivery. Overall drivability is excellent, making the Cayenne Turbo GT every bit as capable out on the road as at the circuit in terms of overall performance.
The fast-acting eight-speed automatic gearbox is the perfect companion to the upgraded engine, and provides fast and determined upshifts as well as a hearty blip of the throttle on downshifts.
Porsche claims a 0–100km/h time of just 3.3 seconds – supercar quick and a full 0.6sec inside the time quoted for the already potent Cayenne Turbo Coupe. No less impressive is the 0–200km/h time of 12.2sec. With a limited 300km/h top speed, the Cayenne Turbo GT is also the first Cayenne model to hit the triple tonne, according to Porsche.
Quick and very fast, then. It is the handling, though, that really sets the new Cayenne model apart from its siblings. Up until now it was the Cayenne GTS that led the range on the dynamic front. I’d suggest the Cayenne Turbo GT goes one step higher, delivering even greater response and overall control. It is terrifically involving and exciting in the right conditions.
It is the steering that immediately impresses when you set off. It is quite weighty but supremely accurate, immediately providing the driver with plenty of confidence in its action.
Changes to the steering software and the fitment of wider front tyres, as well as the addition of greater camber and other changes to the geometry of the front suspension, contribute to providing added feel and considerably more feedback over other Cayenne models too. The speed-sensitive system delivers great response and an impressive enthusiasm to self-centre. The involvement is off-the-scale for an SUV.
Together with a standard rear-wheel-steer system, it endows the new performance-leading Cayenne with great agility, especially through slower corners where the rear wheels turn in an opposite direction to those up front to enhance overall manoeuvrability.
The turn-in is very sharp, the new Porsche pivoting around its centre line with great athleticism as you brake to wipe off speed and then wind on steering lock. It changes direction with real zeal, doing exactly as the driver commands with real keenness.
There is body roll, but with the ride height reduced over its less powerful siblings in Sport and Sport Plus modes, it is minimal and tremendously well-controlled thanks to some very firm damping. The balance is finely struck, allowing you to carry great speed up to and beyond the apex.
You’d never imagine a car of this size and weight could ever feel so composed when taken to its limits. It wasn’t giving much away to a rapidly driven 911 Turbo through certain sections of the looping and undulating Gotland Ring.
It is forgiving too. When you arrive in a corner with excess speed and need to alter your line, the Cayenne Turbo GT accepts steering corrections with impressive coolness.
The handling is truly exceptional, aided in no uncertain terms by a surfeit of grip from those specially developed Pirellis and huge traction from the four-wheel-drive system. This has been specially tuned to provide unique torque-vectoring qualities for phenomenal purchase during periods of high lateral forces.
The apportioning of drive is predominately rear-biased when you’re pushing hard on a circuit, but the central differential smoothly increases drive to the front wheels when grip begins to fade. This gives the new Porsche reassuring neutrality together with outstanding ability to deploy its heady reserves, and with it exceptional speed and drive out of corners.
Ride comfort doesn’t feel to have suffered greatly in the creation of the Cayenne Turbo GT, though you wouldn’t want to make the adjustable dampers any firmer than that experienced in Normal mode in everyday driving.
Both the Sport and Sport Plus modes are considerably more purposeful. They’re fine for a smooth-surfaced circuit, but too firm for anything but short distances on the road, where they contribute to quite a lot of unnecessary vertical movement and a lot of tyre noise.
The brakes? In a word – brilliant. They’re the same as those used by the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe, with 440mm front and 410mm rear ceramic-composite discs. They’re hugely powerful and deliver instant retardation, a surprising amount of feel, and great resistance to fade when worked hard on the circuit. There’s no premature cycling of the ABS, either.
Key details | 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT |
Engine | 4.0-litre eight-cylinder turbo petrol |
Power | 471kW @ 6000rpm |
Torque | 850Nm @ 2300-4000rpm |
Drive type | All-wheel drive |
Transmission | Eight-speed automatic |
Power to weight ratio | 170.3kW/t |
Weight | 2765kg |
Turning circle | 11.5m |
Conclusion
The Cayenne Turbo GT is compelling both for its sheer speed and overall handling control. It is unashamedly a driver’s car – rapid point-to-point and truly involving when shown a winding road. It is not only the world’s most accomplished performance SUV, but also the most engaging. Better than the X6M Competition, RS Q8 and GLE63 S Coupe for overall ability.
Despite its hardened character, though, it can also be mild-mannered and brilliantly relaxed in its more forgiving driving modes. The four-seat layout won’t be to everyone’s liking, and at 549L the nominal load capacity isn’t up to the level of the competition. But there are other Cayenne models to fulfil the need for greater versatility.
If you want the best of the line-up, this is the one you'd choose.