Yahoo Autos 2022 Porsche Cayenne GTS Road Test | Rumbling up Highway 1
MALIBU, Calif. — I pull the upshift paddle near redline on this 2022 Porsche Cayenne GTS, and a ripping snarl bounces back off the cliff faces, sounding as if the transmission is actively lunching on itself. The 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 blats out its menacing tune as the speedometer quickly climbs with little care for the steep mountain I’m winding my way up. A tight, blind corner is next, and my foot breathes a slight pressure onto the stiff brake pedal, causing the Cayenne to drop speed quickly with seemingly very little effort. A quick flick of the well-weighted steering wheel sends the Cayenne into the corner with the sensation of something far lighter and shorter. Inspiring loads of confidence in me, I drive my foot into the throttle through the corner, and the Cayenne springs forward with heaps of traction and torque to yank its way up the next uphill climb and never-ending series of left-right-left-right.
These are the canyon roads north of Malibu, and they’re one gorgeous way to test how nimble and competent Porsche’s biggest SUV can be. The verdict on how it performs, as it typically tends to be with Porsche products, is better than any of its competitors can achieve. This first test is only the beginning of a days long test to come, though, as after I stop playing in the canyons, I’m pointing the nose north for a long trip up Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
Before then, the hooning continues. While the Cayenne Turbo GT may be the highest performing version of Porsche’s big SUV now, the GTS is the second-most-serious variant money can buy. For the Cayenne’s current generation, Porsche put a V8 back under the GTS’ hood (the previous one had a V6), ensuring that the enthusiasts who opt for one would be treated to the best soundtrack possible. It comes standard with Porsche’s Sport Exhaust, but it’s been uniquely tuned for the GTS model to be even more emotive. Power is more than sufficient at 453 horses and 457 pound-feet of torque. That’s plenty to never make you want for more, but not too much that it’s unusable on fun roads — Porsche claims a 0-60 mph sprint of 4.2 seconds when equipped with the Sport Chrono Package, as this one is.
The options sheet on this Carmine Red tester lists every possible performance extra you can get, which isn’t long considering Porsche includes a number of extras as standard with the GTS, like PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management), Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, a 30-millimeter lower ride height versus an S and big 21-inch RS Spyder wheels. Of course, this Cayenne GTS is also equipped with Porsche’s Ceramic Composite brakes, rear-axle steering and the electromechanical roll stabilization system termed PDCC.
That lowered, roll-stabilized chassis stays flat when you’re scything through corners — the air suspension automatically lowers when you put it into Sport Plus mode. I can physically feel the rear-axle steering helping this big car pivot around tighter corners, and, my god, those brakes. I don’t find much joy in barreling down a canyon road downhill, but this Cayenne GTS has all the braking power to facilitate such an endeavor. The GTS is heavy at 4,954 pounds, but these massive brakes don’t even begin to sweat after constant beating.
The beauty of having a Cayenne up here in the mountains is that it’s just as happy to pull off onto a rocky outcropping to take in the ocean views as it is to keep up with sports cars when you want to. Even with a 911’s nose lift, there’s no way it would’ve facilitated the sort of inclines or drop-offs I subjected the Cayenne to.
Once the fun is over, I get a chance to see how the Cayenne does as a mile-muncher on the highway. While fitted with adaptive cruise control, this GTS lacked any kind of lane-following tech, for Porsche makes most of its driver assistance features optional. If you want a feature, you can likely afford it, though, as the lowest bar for entry on a Cayenne GTS is $110,350 — this particular example totals $143,320. Luckily for me, the sort of driving ahead is largely winding ocean-viewing roads that I’d rather be in full control of the steering wheel for anyway.
