Porsche has given the Cayenne Coupe SUV a race-inspired makeover, and ruffled a few feathers within the Volkswagen Group in the process.
The 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT has toppled the Audi RS Q8 from its perch as the fastest SUV around the Nurburgring, and accelerates to 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds – 0.3 seconds faster than the Lamborghini Urus can manage.
It’ll be in Australia during the fourth quarter of 2021, priced from $336,100 before on-road costs.
How is the Porsche so quick? It’s been given a power boost, naturally.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine pumps out 471kW of power, up 67kW on the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, and 850Nm of torque (up 80Nm).
Power is put to all four wheels through a faster-shifting eight-speed torque-converter transmission, and Porsche has added a new water cooler to the transfer case to stop it overheating when you’re really pushing.
The engine should make more noise, thanks to a lightweight exhaust system made of titanium, and lacking its centre silencer.
Flat out you’ll be doing 300km/h, and a (very) talented driver will be able to lap the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 7:38.9 minutes.
This being a Porsche with a GT badge on its boot, there’s more to the hot Cayenne than a power boost.
It sits 17mm lower than the regular Turbo, and the air suspension is up to 15 per cent stiffer than before. There’s a unique tune for the adaptive dampers, the anti-roll system, and the power steering as well.
Porsche says the nose has been reworked to turn in more sharply, with more aggressive torque vectoring and 0.45 degrees of extra negative front camber combining with 22-inch wheels wrapped in unique Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres.
Behind those wheels, which borrow plenty from the design fitted to the Porsche Cayman GT4, hide monstrous carbon ceramic brakes. The wheels are finished in gold, and the calipers are yellow.
Inside, there’s Alcantara on the eight-way powered front seats, steering wheel, and door trims, and the rear bench has a two-seat setup rather than a three-seat one.
There are contrasting inserts in the seats, and gold highlights on the rev counter and Sport Chrono dial. It also debuts the latest infotainment system, complete with Android Auto, in the Cayenne.
Standard equipment in Australia will include:
- Keyless entry and start
- Privacy glass
- Parking sensors, front and rear
- Reversing and surround-view camera
- Head-up display
- Adaptive cruise control
- Rear side airbags
- Four-zone climate control
- Ambient lighting
- Digital radio
- 20-inch collapsible spare wheel
