Malibu, Calif. – I pull the oar up near the red line in 2022 Porsche Cayenne GTS, and a growl bounced back from the cliff face, sounding as if the communications system was actively self-terminating. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 blasts its catchy tune as the speedometer climbs quickly without much concern for the steep mountain I’m winding my way up. Next was a tight, hidden corner, and my legs had to breathe a little pressure on the hard part brake pedal, cause Cayenne to slow down quickly with seemingly very little effort. A quick flick of the well-weighted steering wheel brings the Cayenne into corners with the feeling of something much lighter and shorter. Inspiring confidence in me, I sped the gas pedal through the corner, and the Cayenne sped forward with loads of traction and torque to push through the next uphill climb and left-right streak. -left never ends- right.
These are the canyon roads north of Malibuand they’re a great way to test agility and capacity PorscheThe biggest SUV could be. Judgment on how it performs, as it often tends with Porsche products, is better than any of its competitors can achieve. However, this first test is just the beginning of a long test to come, because after I stop playing in the canyons, I am heading north for a long ride up Highway 1. from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Before that, the hooning process continues. While Cayenne Turbo GT Possibly the most efficient version of Porsche’s large SUV line-up currently, the GTS is the second most affordable variant that can be purchased. For the current generation of the Cayenne, Porsche has put the V8 back under the hood of the GTS (the previous one had a V6), ensuring that enthusiasts who opt for one will enjoy good soundtracks. possible. It comes standard with the Porsche Sports Exhaust System, but it has been nicely tuned to make the GTS model even more emotional. Power is more than adequate at 453 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. That’s too much to never leave you wanting more, but not so much that it’s unusable on fun roads – Porsche claims a 0-60 mph acceleration of 4.2 seconds when equipped with the Sport Chrono Pack, like this one.
The options panel on this Carmine Red tester lists every extra performance you can get, which isn’t long considering Porsche includes some extras that are standard with the GTS, like PASM ( Porsche Active Suspension Management), Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, a Travel height 30 mm lower than the S version and large 21-inch RS Spyder wheels. Of course, this Cayenne GTS is also equipped with Porsche Ceramic Composite brakes, rear-wheel steering and electromechanical roll stabilization PDCC.
The chassis is lowered and the rolling stabilizer stays flat as you roll through corners – the air suspension automatically lowers when you put it into Sport Plus mode. I can feel the rear-wheel steering helping this big car turn around tighter corners, and oh my god, those brakes. I don’t find much joy in rushing down the canyon road downhill, but this Cayenne GTS has all the braking power to make such an effort. The GTS weighs in at 4,954 pounds, but these massive brakes don’t even start to sweat after the constant pounding.
The beauty of having a Cayenne up in the mountains is that it’s a pleasure to pull over to a ledge for ocean views as well as keep up. sports car when do you want. Even with a 911 rhinoplasty, it wouldn’t have facilitated the type of tilt or deviation I faced with the Cayenne.
After the fun was over, I got a chance to see how the Cayenne performed as a highway kilometer rider. Although equipped with adaptive cruise control, this GTS does not have any kind of lane-keeping assist technology, so Porsche makes most driver assistance features optional. However, if you want a feature, you can afford it as the lowest bar for entry on the Cayenne GTS is $110,350 – this particular example totals $143,320. Luckily for me, the driving style up front is mostly winding roads overlooking the ocean, but I still want complete control of the wheel anyway.
Returned to “Normal,” the Cayenne’s driving becomes compliant and forgiving, almost forgetting that it’s a serious GTS model. I can’t say the same for the 911 GTS, the car never seems to settle down if it’s only a few steps away from the GT3 in terms of ride quality. I will thank the Cayenne’s air suspension for its breadth of action and its suitability in many environments. No, you don’t feel every crack in the way through the Cayenne’s saddle like you do inside 911 GT3, but the versatility is like an everyday SUV. The exhaust frame is reduced to Normal, but even so, the GTS always rumbles like a performance V8. It seems Porsche wants to make sure you remember you chose the GTS over the S, and it does so with the sound. The only time it actually turns off is when you’re cruising at a steady speed on the highway with only the whistling wind disturbing the luxurious peace inside the car.
The interior of this Cayenne is well-suited to both canyon and long-distance running. Those signature grips at both the front and rear allow passengers to brace themselves with ease when you’re driving intensely, and the GTS Sports Seats have all you need to stay put – Race-Tex’s Porsche is in the center seat on the GTS and is particularly attractive. When it’s time to loosen up and relax, it’s easy to loosen the adjustment pins and enjoy the highly customizable 18-way adjustable lounge chairs. Between the myriad of steering wheel and seat adjustments, it’s not unusual for you to find a comfortable position in these buckets.
A few hundred miles of boring driving will eventually bring you to the good part of California’s famous Freeway 1. If you’re in for the sights, there are very few roads in America that can pass it. Don’t get into the fun of driving, though, as sight-seeing people will always pack up on the roads. The Cayenne fits the scene perfectly. Its red paintwork sparkles in the sunlight and all the GTS-specific black paint accents give it the strong contrasting look we’ve come to expect from any Porsche GTS product.
Visibility out of the car is a key element of any road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway and Porsche knows this quality well – the 911 is perhaps the most visible sports car in the world gender. The Cayenne isn’t particularly distinctive in terms of visibility compared to other SUVs, but this is the one time I’m grateful to have joined the traditional Cayenne rather than the traditional Cayenne. Cayenne Coupe.
Porsche also tends to excel at making cars that are ergonomically great, and that’s just what you get with a mostly digital infotainment system and instrument cluster. This Cayenne is rocking Porsche Latest PCM software (Android Auto included at last!), and it works great during the ride and is easy to operate. Apple CarPlay loads up wirelessly instantly, and you’ll never be able to use that “Sport Exhaust” button in the Vehicle menu. The system is simple, fast, and doesn’t overwhelm with wild graphics or unnecessary frills. You’ll encounter wide roads with no cell signal on Highway 1, and although I usually never need to rely on in-car navigation to get to places these days, road trips like this makes me grateful for the continued existence of pre-programmed maps. The same goes for traveling high up in the canyons, which is not a situation I’m used to during routine car testing from my home base in Michigan.
Finally, the beautiful part of Highway 1 disappeared and it was time for the dreary final stretch up to San Francisco. Although the route seems boring on GPS, this GTS helps make mundane life a little more enjoyable with freeway rips from ramps in, making all of that more accessible thanks to the “Physical Feedback” button. sport” is useful. Higher performance cars can benefit from this handy button that instantly puts the car into the most aggressive settings for a given period of time. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you’re looking for, whether it’s passing a slow driver or speeding up the freeway.
The city of San Francisco makes me happy once again to drive an SUV with massive level changes and groundbreaking angles everywhere – a few years before this trip I took the car out of its exhaust. Integra descended across the city on these harsh roads. This time, no problem.
Spending more than a week in this Cayenne GTS, you’ll get the feeling that there really isn’t a more satisfying SUV that will do all that for sale today to driving enthusiasts. Sure, AMG and M options maybe cheaper and more tech for less money, but no contest is fun and exciting on a great road. The argument for the Cayenne GTS is the same as for a 911 and anything else in the Porsche lineup. There are plenty of other options that are truly exceptional, but if you simply want the best possible driving experience in an SUV, you won’t do better than the Cayenne. That’s basically what’s been said for the past 20 years – yes, we’ve been 20 years since the Cayenne was introduced this year – and it’s no less true today than ever.
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