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Remember that mysterious high-performance Cayenne that crushed the SUV Nürburgring lap record before it even got a name? Well, it has one now: the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT. Using the most powerful Porsche V8 engine on sale today, it’s the quickest and fastest factory Cayenne ever.
Sitting comfortably at the top of the Cayenne range and only available in the Coupe bodystyle, the new Turbo GT borrows the twin-turbo V8 from the regular Turbo. It then adds 90 horsepower and 59 pound-feet of torque thanks to a new crankshaft, new pistons, new connecting rods, a new timing chain, and new torsional dampers. The turbos were optimized for this variant, as was the fuel injection system. Coupled with better cooling and a quicker-shifting eight-speed automatic, the Turbo GT makes 631 hp, 626 pound-feet, and gets from zero to 60 mph in a frankly ridiculous 3.1 seconds. It’ll do the quarter mile in 11.6 and hit a top speed of 186 mph.
That zero-to-60 time is a league quicker than its contemporaries like the Lamborghini Urus, which manages the feat in 3.6 seconds, or the BMW X6 M Competition, which sprints to 60 in 3.7. The Cayenne Turbo GT is even quicker, in fact, than Porsche’s brand new PDK-equipped 911 GT3, which logs a time of 3.2 seconds—0.1 seconds slower than this big SUV.
As impressive as this Cayenne is from a dig in a straight line, though, it doesn’t sound like Porsche slacked off when it came to making the Turbo GT corner. It sits 17 millimeters lower than the Turbo Coupe and features air suspension that’s 15 percent stiffer. Active suspension dampers have been recalibrated as have the rear-axle steering system and the regular front-axle steering system. Dynamic chassis control and torque vectoring systems were retuned to mitigate body roll, sharpen high-speed turn-in, and ultimately, improve handling while the traction management system gains a water-cooled transfer case.
A standard, center-mounted Sport exhaust made of lightweight titanium cuts 40 pounds of weight and was developed specifically for the Turbo GT. Also made specifically for this car are the Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires which are wrapped around some gloriously gold, 22-inch wheels. Those tires are an inch wider than those that come on the Turbo Coupe and surround standard ceramic brakes with either yellow or black calipers.
Speaking of aesthetics, the Turbo GT makes itself known by way of a unique front fascia, a front lip, bigger side intakes, a carbon fiber roof, carbon rear diffuser, and an adaptive rear spoiler with carbon side plates and a two-inch gurney flap.
Order books on the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT are open now and examples will arrive at U.S. dealers in early 2022. Prices start at $182,150.
Got a tip or question for the author about the new Cayenne Turbo GT? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com
