Porsche has taken the wraps off their latest addition to the Cayenne Coupe line-up, introducing the new 2022 Cayenne Turbo GT. The Turbo GT seems to have dropped the “Coupe” from its official moniker, but rest assured it’s a trim level exclusive to the Cayenne Coupe. It’s also the ranger topper for the model, slotting in above both the Turbo and the S E-Hybrid. The unveiling comes just a week ahead of the Cayenne Turbo GT’s first public outing, which will take place at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from the 8th–11th of July. The new car promises to be the fastest-ever production Cayenne and one of the fastest SUVs on offer.
The Cayenne Turbo GT retains the four-liter twin-turbo V8 that powers the Turbo Coupe, but does so with a power boost of 90 PS, giving it a total of 640 PS. Torque is up by 80 Nm to 850 Nm too. The bump in power isn’t down to a simple remap, as some may assume. Instead, Porsche has created their most potent eight-cylinder on offer today by revising the crankshaft, turbo, induction, and intercooler. The Turbo GT also features a lighter titanium exhaust system.
The engine is coupled to an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, with revised software for the all-wheel drive system and additional cooling. The result is a faster shifting ‘box, but presumably not as fast as what a PDK dual-clutch unit would achieve. However, it’s not the most powerful of the Cayenne Coupe line-up. That accolade falls to the Cayenne S E-Hybrid Coupe, which outputs a combined total of 680 PS. But the Turbo GT is faster than the heavier hybrid, with a 0-100 km/h time of just 3.3 seconds, compared to the 3.8 seconds of the E-Hybrid, and 3.9 seconds of the Turbo Coupe.
Top speed is up too, with the Cayenne Turbo GT maxing out at 297 km/h, up from 285 km/h of the Turbo Coupe. All told, Porsche says it’s their fastest and quickest production Cayenne (and SUV) to date. The Cayenne Turbo GT sits 17 mm lower than the Turbo Coupe, and Porsche says that each element of the chassis and active control systems have been given fine tuned specifically for this model.
The Cayenne Turbo GT rides on specially-designed rubber from Pirelli, while the air suspension is 15 percent more firm. Other systems that Porsche employs on the Cayenne have been fine-tuned for the Turbo GT, including the Active Suspension Management (PASM), Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), Power Steering Plus, and rear-axle steering. The front wheels are an inch wider to aid handling, while negative camber has been added to the tune of 0.45 degrees. Also revised is the torque vectoring, with support for higher locking ratios.
The standard carbon composite brakes are said to be revised, although Porsche doesn’t go into specifics, merely stating that they feature increased stopping power, fade resistance, and reduced unsprung mass. The Cayenne Turbo GT has already set a blisteringly hot time around the ‘ Ring, with Porsche test driver Lars Kern setting an official SUV record of 7:38.9 — four seconds faster than the previous record-holder, the Audi RS Q8.
The new Turbo GT doesn’t introduce the Cayenne facelift, which we’ve been awaiting, but instead comes with a smattering of exterior upgrades. These include a GT-specific front end with larger cooling vents and a front spoiler. There’s also a new optionally available color seen in the pictured model called ‘Arctic Grey’. While the Turbo GT sits lower, it also rides on 22-inch GT-design alloy wheels, housed in black wheel arch extensions that cover up the added wheel width.
The roof is carbon fiber, and more carbon bits abound, with the side plates and lip fitted to the larger GT-specific rear spoiler said to increase downforce at speed by 40 kg.The rear diffuser is also made out of carbon fiber. The cabin sports Alcantara trim, sports seats and GT-specific perforated panels. The main addition, though, is the introduction of Porsche’s updated infotainment system, which debuts on the Cayenne Turbo GT. It features improved performance, including Android Auto joining Apple CarPlay functionality.
The Cayenne Turbo GT is available to order right now, with the first deliveries taking place in Autumn 2021 for the UK, and early 2022 for the US. It will be priced from £ 143,910.00 in the UK, and US$ 182,150, including delivery, Stateside.
