Porsche lifts the veil on the 631-hp Cayenne Turbo GT, promising new levels of performance, dynamic ability, and driver engagement from its most powerful gasoline-engine CUV yet.
Set for North American delivery in September, the new model builds off the Cayenne Coupe Turbo with a raft of specific developments already proved at the Nürburgring circuit in Germany, where the Cayenne Turbo GT recently established a new lap record for production-based CUVs with an official time of 7 minutes, 38.9 seconds.
In the process, the new Cayenne undercut the previous record CUV time of 7 minutes, 42.25 seconds set by the Audi RS Q8 around the same circuit in 2019.
Conceived to combine the outright performance capability of the Cayenne Turbo Coupe and Cayenne Coupe GTS, the new range-topping Cayenne differs visually from its more standard siblings by a series of styling changes, all of which are described as functional measures for more efficient engine and brake cooling, as well as added stability and downforce.
Included is a new lip spoiler at the base of a redesigned front bumper with enlarged cooling ducts, a modified roof spoiler with new carbon-fiber wing elements and a larger rear spoiler – the latter of which is claimed to provide the Cayenne Turbo GT with an added 88 lbs. (40 kg) of downforce compared to the standard Cayenne Turbo Coupe, at its limited 186 mph (300 km/h) top speed when the spoiler is fully deployed from the tailgate.
The exterior mirror caps and lower part of the rear diffuser also are made of carbon fiber, while the twin tailpipes are mounted inboard in a central position to provide freer flow of air underneath the new CUV.
The Cayenne Turbo GT also receives 22-in. wheels – 10.5 ins. wide at the front and 11.5 ins. wide at the rear in either Neodyme gold or black. They are shod with standard 285/35 front and 315/30 rear profile Pirelli P Zero Corsa performance tires designed specifically for the new model, Porsche says.
Inside (pictured, above), a new sports steering wheel houses a so-called Sports Response button as seen on all of Porsche’s more performance-orientated models. There also are electronically adjustable sports seats up front; two individual seats in the rear; upholstery with contrasting stitching; and seat belts in the same Neodyme gold as the wheels or the color Arctic Gray, plus new Alcantara accents.
There’s also a new sixth-generation Porsche Communication Management system with enhanced functions for the infotainment system, a development which will be brought to other Cayenne models later this year, with compatibility for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Power for the new über-Cayenne comes from a reworked version of Porsche’s twin-turbocharged 4.0L gasoline V-8. It gains an added 89 hp and 52 lb.-ft. (71 Nm) over the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, developing 631 hp and 627 lb.-ft. (850 Nm) of torque.
Changes to the engine used by the Cayenne Turbo Coupe include the adoption of a modified crankshaft, additional turbocharger boost pressure and subtle tweaks to the fuel injection, induction and intercooler systems.
It’s not the most powerful Cayenne Coupe model, though. That honor continues to rest with the Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe, whose gasoline-electric drivetrain delivers 670 hp and 663 lb.-ft. (899 Nm) of torque.
The increased reserves are sent through a reworked 8-speed, torque converter-equipped Tiptronic automatic gearbox featuring new software that is claimed to shorten response times.
The Cayenne’s 4-wheel drive system also gets what Porsche describes as an optimized cross lock for the Torque Vectoring Plus system, which provides an individual amount of drive to each of the rear wheels depending on traction and yaw angle.
Porsche claims a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of just 3.3 seconds for the Cayenne Turbo GT in combination with an optional Sport Chrono package, 0.6 second faster than the Cayenne Turbo Coupe.
The added performance potential is allied to a reworked chassis with a 0.6-in. (17-mm) reduction in ride height and front wheels boasting an additional 0.45 degrees of negative camber over the setup used by the Cayenne Turbo Coupe.
Additionally, the spring rates for the three-chamber air suspension have been firmed up by 15%, the Active Roll Stabilization system has been retuned to provide greater resistance to body roll and the Rear Axle Steering is tweaked with specific mapping as part of a Power Steering Plus upgrade.
The new Cayenne model runs 17.3-in. (44-cm) front and 16.1-in. (41-cm) rear carbon-ceramic brake discs as standard.
The Cayenne Turbo GT will be sold in Coupe body style only at a North American price of $180,800.
