2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT First Drive Review: Rocket 'Yenne

A waterlogged Atlanta highway during rush hour is not an ideal test setting for a 631-horsepower uber-SUV.

That’s where I find myself, protected from the elements within the very red interior of the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT. After a day of dissecting some fantastic rural roads in northern Georgia, in the latest 911 variant, two flavors of 2022 Macan, and the pared-back Cayman T, it was a calculated decision to end up in Porsche’s larger SUV. As the skies finally delivered on the day-long threat of rain, surely the Cayenne would make for a comfy, drama-free drive back to camp?

Yes and no. The range-topping Cayenne is very much about drama, the kind that dismantles your feeble preconceptions of things like “physics” or “sport utility vehicle.” The Turbo GT sharpens the edges of Porsche’s original SUV, yet keeps its abilities as a comfortable, cosseting everyday driver intact. Buyers will have to cough up quite a lot for it, but this is the driver’s choice trim of the driver’s choice SUV.

Think of the Turbo GT as the closest Porsche’s four-door models will come to a GT4 or GT3 equivalent. Quicker, sharper, more exclusive—you get the idea. Available only in the “coupe” body shape, the Turbo GT takes the Cayenne Turbo and turns up the wick. The 4.0-liter, turbocharged V8 spits out 90 more horsepower, for a total of 631 hp at 6,000 rpm. Torque is up too, with a thick slug of 626 pound-feet from 2,300 to 4,500 rpm. Those figures slot the Cayenne in the middle of the sprawling VW empire’s V8-powered hi-po SUV lineup: above the 591-horsepower Audi RS Q8, but 10 ponies down from the Lamborghini Urus.

Outside, the Turbo GT sits 0.7 inches (18 millimeters) closer to terra firma, on a uniquely tuned air suspension setup. Spindly 22-inch alloy wheels are wrapped in ultra-sticky Pirelli P Zero Corsa summer tires. Peer behind them and you’ll see the standard (and enormous) ceramic composite brake discs, with 10-piston calipers clamping down up front, and 4-piston items out back. Swing around to the rear of the Cayenne and it’s hard to miss the two big centrally-mounted exhaust tips—sorry, no towing here—and carbon fiber roof spoiler, complete with endplates made of the weave. The deployable lip spoiler is now an extra inch (25 mm) larger, resulting in genuine downforce (88 lb / 40 kg) at top speed. You’ll need a good stretch of autobahn to test that 186 mph (300 km/h) maximum.

Let’s press rewind. Before the gridlock and downpour outside Atlanta, the Cayenne and I are exploring the still-dryish roads in northern Georgia. Tucked away in the nook between the Carolinas, the area is the best mix: full of driving roads, (mostly) free of other drivers. The Cayenne has long been one of the best-handling SUVs on the market, and the Turbo GT improvements only reinforce that. Turn-in is sharp, this big and heavy high-rider zipping into corners as if it’s shed a few hundred kilos. The rear-biased AWD system and rear-wheel steering work together to seemingly shrink the Cayenne, a whole lot of tech working in perfect unison to keep it feeling pointy and agile.

Porsche has widened the gap between the Cayenne’s selectable drive modes. The default mode is honestly pretty tame, allowing for smooth, fuss-free progress. Twist the wheel-mounted dial for Sport or Sport+, however, and the Cayenne tenses up, like a runner on the starting blocks. The suspension is stiffer, the throttle response sharper, yet still the Turbo GT remains composed. Dip into the throttle and the sound from the titanium exhaust is sweet, the eight-speed auto offering only the briefest of pauses as the Cayenne shoves you back in your seat.

Those specially developed Pirellis are a mixed blessing. They allow for frankly ridiculous levels of roadholding, but like Gizmo from Gremlins, they don’t mix well with water. It’s a little unnerving that out of the collection of cars available to us on the day, it’s the big SUV that requires the most care in inclement weather. The Turbo GT never feels out of control, of course. Just avoid big puddles—something the Cayenne’s elevated driving position makes all the easier to do.

Porsche treated the whole Cayenne lineup to an interior refresh for this model year. The center console is cleaned up, with touch-sensitive controls in place of the rows of buttons from before. The capacitive feedback when pressed is nice, but this is still sprawling fingerprint magnet. Everything else is typical Porsche ergonomic goodness.

This German-spec tester features the red-and-black leather interior. An Alcantara-heavy option is standard fare on this side of the Atlantic. Either way, the 18-way adjustable seats make it a cinch to suss out the proper driving position. They’re plenty comfortable enough to wait out the gridlock, too, especially with the optional ventilation. I like the chunky grab handles framing the transmission tunnel, and they serve an entirely functional purpose considering the lateral gs this thing is capable of.

Porsche couldn’t resist the “coupe-over” movement forever, but the Cayenne is one of the best designs of the breed. The roofline doesn’t change much until after the second row, so sitting in the back seat doesn’t feel like a penalty for some perceived aesthetic improvement. The carbon fiber roof’s lack of a moonroof helps, too. The Turbo GT is a strict four-seater, however.

Porsche has fit PCM 6.0 into the 2022 Cayenne. The updated infotainment system doesn’t dramatically shift the visuals of Porsche’s user interface, but it is quicker and easier to use than before. More important, Android users can finally pair up their phone, wirelessly, the same way Apple folks have been using CarPlay for a few years now.

The five-dial gauge cluster remains a paragon of usability, easy to read, and just customizable enough to keep pertinent info in view. This tester lacks the optional head-up display, which makes it even easier to keep your eyes on the road. It does feature night vision, however—though even when the rain clouds are darkest, I can’t say I was able to properly put it through its paces during the day. Same goes for the uprated Burmester sound system. I could have listened to more than a song or two, sure, but that would’ve eaten into precious V8 soundtrack time.

Befitting its range-topping status, the Cayenne Turbo GT rings in at a chunky $182,150 ($202,200 CAD), including destination. That’s before owners even take a walk down Porsche’s famously long options list. Most of the items that swell this car’s sticker to an as-tested $182,150 ($230,495 CAD) make sense, like the night vision ($2,420 / $2,750 CAD), Porsche InnoDrive ($3,610 / $4,110 CAD), and sweet Burmester sound system ($5,810 / $6,620 CAD).

Charging extra for a mobile phone compartment with wireless charging ($690 / $780 CAD)? The surround-view ($1,200 / $1,360 CAD) camera? That seems a little unnecessary on a vehicle deep into six figures. Personally, I have a hard time justifying the soft-close doors ($780 / $880 CAD) on something so sporty, but that’s just me.

Still, you’re looking at a pretty hefty discount over the entry price of a Urus. The Aston Martin DBX starts right around the Turbo GT, too.

Is the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT’s performance wholly overkill for the road? It sure is. So is a regular Cayenne Turbo’s, for that matter.

What those two important letters add is a sense of occasion. A bit of drama. For those who enjoy the experience of pummeling the laws of physics into submission, but want only the very best to do it, the Turbo GT is a ‘Ring-ruling, titanium-exhaust-blaring masterclass. And if you do get caught out in traffic, as I did, it won’t punish you because of it.

FAQs

How much does the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT cost?

This range-topper rings in at a suitably high $182,150 ($202,200 CAD), including destination. 

How fast is the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT?

Porsche says its uber-SUV will top out at 186 mph (300 km/h).

Is the Cayenne Turbo GT the fastest SUV?

With a quoted 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) time of 3.3 seconds, the Cayenne is one of the very quickest SUVs out there.