New Porsche Cayenne GTS breaks cover

Porsche on Monday unveiled its sporty new Cayenne GTS model lineup. 

Available in SUV and Coupé body styles, both vehicles feature a unique front end home to larger cooling intakes and a pair of dark-tinted headlamps. Other notable tweaks include black "GTS" lettering on the sides and rear, dark-tinted taillight clusters and 21-inch RS Spyder-design wheels finished in anthracite grey. The latter shroud red brake calipers. 

Body attachments such as the side skirts, front inlays, side window trims and wheel arch extensions are finished in high-gloss black on the Cayenne GTS models, while the four tailpipes of the sports exhaust system present a striking new dark bronze lustre.

Inside the cabin Porsche has amped things up with a Bose surround sound system and ambient lighting. Other niceties come in the form of a heated GT sports steering wheel and Race-Tex (artificial suede) applied to the roof lining, armrests, door cards and centre panels of the eight-way-adjustable sports seats fitted with more aggressive side bolsters. 

The Coupé model boasts a fixed panoramic glass roof and an adaptive extending rear spoiler. The model can be upgraded with the fitment of a sports exhaust system with centrally positioned tailpipes and one of three different lightweight sports packages. The latter includes a lightweight roof, carbon rear diffuser and reduced insulation. Depending on the equipment, Porsche claims the lightweight packages can reduce mass by 25kg.

Under the bonnet of both vehicles lurks a potent 4.0l twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine producing 368kW and 660Nm of torque. Meshed to an eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, this impressive muscle is distributed  to all four paws via a Porsche Traction Management all-wheel drive system promising tenacious grip in all conditions. Porsche claims both models will race from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 275km/h. 

For improved handling the new Cayenne GTS twins are equipped with a bespoke chassis riding 10mm closer to the asphalt. A fully adaptive, two-chamber air suspension system is standard, as are two valve dampers designed to offer increased responsiveness and enhanced ride comfort. The front axle pivot bearings are the same as those used on the flagship Cayenne Turbo GT, meaning negative camber is increased by 0.58º. 

Porsche South Africa confirmed both models are available to order. With a five-year drive plan the Cayenne GTS is priced at R2,475,000 and the GTS Coupé at R2,547,000.