So I say to myself, “self, if they want you to work on a Saturday, they must give you a Porsche.” So they did. This, the Cayenne Coupe GTS.
What is it?
The GTS or Gran Turismo Sport badge is a special one. Sure, you can find it across Porsche’s entire range now but it was incredibly special when it was first conceived in 1963. It represented the purists’ choice, and still does even in something as large as the Cayenne. But this isn’t your average Cayenne. Rather it’s the newly sculpted Coupe model and that brings me joy because now more than ever before, does that Stuttgart shield make sense here. Now the 911 DNA is proudly on display in this slipperier skin. I’ve got to tell you, I really like this.
Let’s talk power
The original E1 Cayenne GTS boasted a naturally-aspirated V8 with 298kW and this was very good. The model that followed it, the E2 made 309kW with a turbo V6 and that was even better. With this new GTS model, power has risen ever more to a lofty 324kW thanks to Porsche going “let’s go back to the V8 shall we? Oh, but keep the turbos.” Yes, a doubly-boosted four-litre eight-cylinder heart thumps here beneath my test car’s crimson bonnet, cranking out 620Nm of torque. And in conjunction with an 8-speed Tiptronic Sports transmission will conquer the zero to hundred in 4.4 seconds with the Sport Chrono pack. It features cylinder deactivation, plus according to the brochure something called emotional acoustics (it’s true, I’m still weeping) from its sports exhaust. What this boils down to is a massive pregnant teardrop that roars like thunder and goes like a red lightning bolt. Hang on for your dear life and you’re rewarded with a meaty helm full of information and a tenacious, un-unstickable footprint that you’ll swear belonged to something considerably closer to the tarmac. Snap, crackle, pop with nary a squeal.
That visual drama
Further marks of distinction include 21 inch RS Spyder alloy wheels in black. Yes black- it’s a GTS hallmark with darkened tail lights and badges, pipes and lettering and more. Drop your bum into its hide-covered cabin and you’ll encounter tactile surfaces such as brushed alluminium and Alcantara, while the dashboard is dominated by a 10.9 inch infotainment screen. The Coupe comes with additional standard equipment including the aforementioned Sports Chrono pack, as well as Steering Plus, plus Park Sensors and cameras.
The contoured carbon roof is optional as are 22″ inch GT design wheels, checked seat centre fabric, centre oriented sports oval exhaust tips and more. But the car at its car, the GTS badges Cayenne in Coupe profile has almost at once become one of my favourite cars of 2020. This within the same week of driving the Cayman GT4 and 911 Turbo S. It’s not better than those of course, but it’s an absolute treat all the same and perhaps I feel a kinship towards the Cayenne’s dad-bod and grumbly noises. It’s certainly the easiest to live with and the more practical of the three. But, on any given Sunday, should you require it to, it’ll rummage through your viscera as much as you could hope for. And then some.
Quick spec: Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupé
Biturbo 4.0l V8, 8-Speed PDK auto, AWD, 324kW/620Nm, 0-100kph in 4.4 seconds
PRICING:
Porsche Cayenne GTS R1,749,000
Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupé R1,839,000
