Porsche Cayenne GTS

The article was originally produced on February 18, 2009, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Porsche Cayenne GT

The Cayenne is one of Porsche's real bestsellers, and thus one of the reasons why things are going so terribly well for Porsche now. However, this is not something that the genuine Porsche enthusiast likes to talk about out loud. Now Porsche chooses to go completely against what it promised a couple of years ago: it releases a Cayenne with diesel. That, in combination with the new model Panamera, means that the classic company has now really left its basic concept and set course in a completely different direction. Whether it is good or bad is for everyone to decide, but it is crystal clear that it generates clover. Porsche now owns the VW group, for example. That purchase was hardly in the low budget class.

In light of this, it is of course extra exciting to put the new Cayenne GTS to the test. This is a veritable pork tenderloin for the car. In short, it has extra everything. The Cayenne V6 is already relatively well equipped in the standard version. But if you now want that last little extra and also avoid artificial breathing in the form of a turbo, the GTS is an obvious choice. The GTS is equipped with a V8 of 4.8 liters that produces 405 horses at 6500 rpm. It is sufficient to say the least, and you rarely feel that there is a lack of power. In order to stop this kind of primal force, it is of course important to have brakes. DMH's test specimen is equipped with ceramic brakes. On the Porsche, you can tell the difference if they are standard brakes or if they are ceramic on the brake caliper. The standard brakes are red and the ceramic ones are yellow. And this little color detail gossips the doubter about whether the buyer is dense. In order to get a pair of ceramic brakes with stylish yellow calipers, you have to cough up as much money as for a smaller car, SEK 94,800, to be precise. However, you get a pair of brakes that will never fall asleep or dull. They bite as hard and as long as a pit bull terrier.

When you stand and admire the GTS, you notice that it is the sporty details that distinguish it from other Cayenne models. It feels much more resilient and tougher in its coat. A large aerodynamic spoiler sits above the rear window, as does a fat skirt package all around. At the back there are four large exhausts, which when you start the car bleed with a really beautiful sound à la typical German V8.

Inside the cabin, you can quickly find a comfortable driving position thanks to the electronically adjustable seats. Standard in the GTS is Alcantara, which not only the seats but also the entire roof is covered in. If you were to order the extravagant upholstery as an option on a regular Cayenne, we're talking quite a large sum of money. In addition to the delicious alcantan, it's a lot of carbon fiber panels and easy-to-grip handles. Porsche's design is extremely tasteful and there is nothing that squeaks or gaps, everything fits as if it were cast.

When you turn the key, which in classic Porsche fashion sits on the left side of the steering wheel, the V8 engine hisses into action. It is distinct, but not brittle for that matter. There are three different settings on the air suspension: comfort, normal and sport. There is quite a marked difference between comfort and sport. In the sports camp, you feel every grain of gravel and the car is rock hard in its suspension. In comfort, you slide forward and the suspension swallows fairly large holes in the ground without you noticing. Next to the settings for the air suspension, there is a button marked "sport", in short. If you press it, the car not only sets the suspension to sport, it also adjusts the settings on the engine and how the gearbox works. And the Cayenne GTS is very truly sporty, in a way that a normal sports car cannot be. Because it has off-road capabilities, you can drive quite recklessly and fast where you would never have even dared to think of driving a regular sports car. And if the road is really bad, all you have to do is raise the suspension to the off-road mode, which gives a ground clearance of a full 27 centimeters, and lock the diff. Then, however, you can only drive at 30 km/h.

The Cayenne GTS is a mile eater of rank. I can really understand German businessmen pumping their Cayennes on the autobahn. This monster seems completely unaffected by speeds of up to and over 200 km/h. Then the car lowers to the lowest position and sucks itself into the ground. This is undeniably a radiator grin that you have to keep an eye on in the rearview mirror when driving on the Autobahn.

Of course, the Cayenne GTS is a very expensive car, but what you get for the money are also the details that cost a car. And the fact that it will be able to go far if you service it well is not something you need to worry about. Porsche is Porsche and will remain so.