New Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT revealed

Porsche has revealed its most rapid SUV ever and the first to wear the GT badge normally reserved for its sports cars: the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT.

The Cayenne Turbo GT will crown a 13-variant Cayenne line-up when it lands in Aussie showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2021 priced at $336,100 plus on-road costs.

Sitting $36,200 upstream of the current Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe flagship ($299,900 plus ORCs), the new Cayenne Turbo GT – which is only available in ‘coupe’ form – employs a 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 boasting strengthened internals, tweaked turbochargers, injectors and intercooler for a scintillating 471kW of power and 850Nm of torque.

That’s 29kW less than the hybrid but 67kW and 80Nm more than the regular Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and the bent-eight channels drive to all four wheels via an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission which has also been re-programmed for faster shifts.

What’s more, the deletion of plug-in hybrid and battery components means the lighter GT will be sharper handling and quicker than the top-shelf Cayenne PHEV.

Porsche says the Cayenne Turbo GT can hit 100km/h in a staggering 3.3 seconds, making it quicker than its Turbo (3.9sec) and Turbo S E-Hybrid (3.8sec) siblings – and indeed the quickest SUV available, apart from the Tesla Model X Performance with Ludicrous mode.

And with a top speed of 300km/h, the Cayenne GT is fast than the Turbo (286km/h) and almost as fast as the Lamborghini Urus (305km/h).

Straight-line speed isn’t the Turbo GT’s only claim to fame though. Sitting 17mm lower than the Turbo Coupe, the GT’s three-chamber air suspension system is 15 per cent stiffer and augmented by retuned dampers, a tweaked active roll stabilisation system and torque vectoring systems.

Rear-wheel steering and Power Steering Plus systems are also said to imbue the GT with faster steering and handling.

Contact to the ground is facilitated by grippy Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres with 285/35 front and 315/30 rear profiles. The 22-inch alloy wheels shroud monstrous 440mm front and 410mm rear brake discs.

Porsche engineers also took the opportunity to revisit the Cayenne’s aero credentials, fitting GT-specific carbon-fibre end plates for the roof-mounted spoiler and installing a 25mm larger gurney flap on the active rear spoiler that is said to increased down force by up to 40kg.

The result of all this fettling? According to Porsche, the GT clocked a certified 7:38.9sec lap time at the torturous Nurburgring Nordschliefe, setting a new SUV record.

When it arrives in Aussie showrooms later this year, the Cayenne GT will debut a new infotainment system offering a fresh user interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Eight-way adjustable sports seats and a sport rear seat system comprising just two rear pews will be standard, each dressed in Alcantara and embossed with Turbo GT monikers on their head restraints.

Visually, the new model is differentiated by a unique front bumper with larger air intakes and a new lower lip spoiler, plus a new rear carbon diffuser housing titanium rear silencers.

In Australia, the Cayenne Turbo GT will be equipped with Comfort Access, Privacy Flass, Lane Change Assist, ParkAssist (front and rear) including Surround View and reversing camera, Head-Up Display, Adaptive Cruise Control with Emergency Assist, four-zone climate control, ambient lighting, digital radio and a 20-inch collapsible spare wheel as standard.

How much does the 2022 Porsche Cayenne cost?
Cayenne – $128,200
Cayenne Coupe – $139,100
Cayenne S – $167,400
Cayenne E-Hybrid – $148,000
Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe – $156,400
Cayenne S Coupe – $176,900
Cayenne GTS – $198,300
Cayenne GTS Coupe – $202,100
Cayenne Turbo – $250,600
Cayenne Turbo Coupe – $262,300
Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid – $296,200
Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe – $299,900
Cayenne Turbo GT (coupe) – $336,100
* Prices exclude on-road costs