Yahoo Autos 2018 Porsche Cayenne Turbo / Turbo S
Overall Rating:
Boasting lofty horsepower ratings and prices that could be mistaken for mortgages, the Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S are two SUVs reserved for the rich and famous. While their bulky proportions and raised ride heights place them at the opposite end of the spectrum from the sports cars prized by Porsche purists, these Cayenne siblings nonetheless embody the company’s trademark design elements and thrilling driving character. Their herculean V-8 powertrains provide both astonishing acceleration and substantial towing capacity. Inside, each version treats occupants to opulent surroundings and seemingly endless personalization options. These excessive crossovers are mostly unattainable; they please the affluent and tease the rest of us.
What’s New for 2018?
With an all-new Cayenne Turbo making its debut for 2019, Porsche skips updating the current-generation models for 2018, their final production year. Still, buyers can expect the same premium quality and incredible performance that cemented the 520-hp Cayenne Turbo and 570-hp Turbo S near the top of the ultraluxury-crossover pyramid back before such vehicles were in vogue.
Trims and Options We’d Choose
Those fixing to spend six figures on a hi-po crossover absolutely need to consider the Cayenne Turbo (starting at $119,150) or the more powerful, more thoroughly equipped Turbo S (starting at $162,650). Both base prices are higher than those of two comparable SUVs, the 567-hp BMW X5 M ($102,695) and the 577-hp Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S ($110,695). Still, the Porsche nameplate and performance pedigree are without peer. To justify its $43,500 premium versus the Turbo, the S adds more of everything, including:
• Sport Chrono package (dashtop stopwatch and aggressive Sport Plus drive mode)
• Carbon-ceramic brakes with 10-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers
• An extra 50 horsepower and 37 lb-ft of torque
Of course, the Cayenne Turbo is a Porsche, so its abundant options list allows for ample customization. However, many features that cost extra here are standard on garden-variety crossovers. Despite that fact, we can’t fathom buying something this expensive without passive entry ($890), a heated steering wheel ($370), blind-spot monitoring ($850), and Apple CarPlay and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot ($1250 with Porsche Connect Plus). We’d also select the sport exhaust system ($3220) to amplify the car’s mighty power and sinister sounds-but that’s just us. These options inflate the cost of our Cayenne Turbo S to a rather dizzying $169,230-an admittedly excessive total that only serves to increase the exclusivity of this one-of-a-kind SUV.
For details about the 2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S, see our in-depth review.
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