Yahoo Autos 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT is the highest performing Cayenne yet
There's a new top-of-the-mountain model in the Cayenne lineup as of today. Officially called the 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, it’s the highest-performing crossover to ever come out of Porsche. However, and this is a big one, Porsche tells us it was not developed by the GT department. That department engineers and develops some of our favorites, like the 911 GT3, GT2 RS and many others. The Cayenne Turbo GT adopts the name, but it hasn't been given the exact same treatment as those other GT models.
That said, we already know it holds the SUV Nürburgring lap record, and today Porsche reveals everything there is to know about the vehicle.
It’s not the most powerful Cayenne of all, but it is the most powerful Cayenne that doesn’t have help from an electric motor. Porsche took the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in the regular Cayenne Turbo Coupe, then made a ton of modifications. Output increases to 631 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of torque, up 90 and 59 respectively. That’s still less than the Lamborghini Urus version of this V8 that makes 650 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, but the Porsche is quicker. The Cayenne Turbo GT has a claimed 0-60 mph time of only 3.1 seconds, easily besting the Urus’ 0-62 mph time of 3.6 seconds. That makes it quicker than the 911 GT3 (with the PDK) to the mark by one tenth of a second, too. No matter the comparisons, a crossover like the Cayenne closing in on the three-second mark is eye-opening stuff. The quarter mile passes in just 11.6 seconds, and Porsche says its top speed is raised to 186 mph.
The engine went through numerous changes versus the standard Cayenne Turbo to get it to this mark. Porsche says it uses a new crankshaft, pistons, connecting rods, timing chain and torsional dampers. The exhaust is made of titanium and features a center-exit. Porsche says it’s significantly louder and weighs 40 pounds less than the Cayenne’s regular exhaust. Due to that center-exit design, this Cayenne loses any towing capability, so look elsewhere if you want to take advantage of the Cayenne's stout 7,716-pound towing capacity.
If you were thinking that putting the GT badge on the Cayenne might bring back the Cayenne’s manual transmission, we’re sorry to disappoint. The Cayenne’s eight-speed automatic transmission is back in business, but Porsche says it’s been modified to provide quicker shifts. Like every other Cayenne, this one is all-wheel drive. The drivetrain’s thermal capacity has been increased, too, with the addition of a water-cooled transfer case.
