It could be argued that the Porsche Cayenne has represented one big compromise its whole life. Back in the early '00s, Porsche devotees believed all-wheel drive extending to a 911 Turbo was just about enough, thank you very much. Those who liked a 4x4 couldn’t see the sense in such an overtly sporty off-road car. So it didn’t immediately find favour with either camp. But here we are, more than 20 years and a million cars later, with the Cayenne as arguably the most complete SUV out there. It’s hard to think of a more capable, desirable and rigorously engineered 4x4. Perhaps compromise is good after all.
Yet even with the idea of the fast SUV very well established, the Turbo E-Hybrid with GT Package does look jolly conflicted. Here’s a car with a 600hp turbo V8 that Porsche says does about 23mpg, but with a 26.9kWh battery and 176hp electric motor that can help on that score (while also making for an SUV more powerful than a GT2 RS). A carbon roof has been fitted to save weight and lower the centre of gravity on a 2.5-tonne car. There’s more negative camber on the front axle as part of the package - and a range of Porsche ISOFIX child seats on the configurator.
Standard are PCCB ceramic brakes and extra is what we’ll call RSB (Rear Sun Blind). Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus is also included, albeit with PDCC and rear-wheel steer to make the most of it optional. This is no longer a Porsche GT car (the only badges are ‘turbo’ and ‘e-hybrid’) though will still come as standard with gold wheels and Pirelli P Zero Corsas as a no-cost extra. Maybe now, 25 years on from the Mercedes ML55 AMG, the uber SUV has finally jumped the shark. Perhaps the whole thing is now just too silly for its own good or that of the car-buying public.
The first thing to note about the Cayenne GTP is that in a world of BMW XMs, Lamborghini Urus Performantes, and Ferrari Purosangues, the derivative with a titanium exhaust and wing from a touring car really doesn’t look that outrageous at all. A fairly restrained spec helps, of course, though no longer does it seem especially (or excessively) large. Or, for that matter, particularly OTT, which is the broader surprise. Perhaps thanks to Sport Design Packages and whatnot elsewhere in the range, this could almost be an £80k Cayenne Coupe rather than a £160k one. Because everything else has become bigger and ghastlier, so a 700hp Cayenne seems much more agreeable. Let's call that progress.
Speaking of agreeable, there ought to be no complaints from anyone about the inside of a GT Package, precisely because it’s the new Cayenne cabin, albeit RaceTex'd to the nines. If still not the most flamboyant of surroundings, it’s hugely well built, a pleasure to use and locates you right at the centre of the action. Simple CarPlay and easy-to-dismiss active assists are definitely preferable to 64 ambient lighting colour options you can’t access.
Even before the V8 has fired (the Turbo E-Hybrid always starts on electric) there’s a seriousness and intent to the way the Cayenne goes about things. It turns in without any sense of hesitation or delay but maybe with a little fizz of feedback, and the wheel control over drain covers and the like is spookily good. If a car of this size and bulk on 22-inch wheels can really be called deft, this is the one.
Not so long ago, the GT was a whole heap faster than any other Turbo thanks to 640hp. Now we live in a weird world where the GT Package has 100hp more, but that’s identical to the standard model. Porsche will point to the stats that show how shedding 100kg saves precious tenths, but there’s not realistically going to be a lot in it. This newly electrified V8 is an absolute monster at least, hurling an Arctic Grey Cayenne along with abandon, like a pebble skimmed across a lake; EVs have diminished the shock and awe of combustion-powered acceleration, though not eroded it entirely. This will take your breath away with the accelerator pinned and the V8 bellowing, then your licence soon after. Porsche says it’ll reach 100mph in eight seconds, and 124mph in 12. Monster might be selling it short.
That Porsche has proclaimed the GTP to be the ‘new top model for maximum road performance’ is interesting given that, in Europe at least, it replaced the car that claimed the Nurburgring SUV lap record and would appear to offer much of the same track-focused experience. The fact that Porsche hasn’t yet attempted to beat the record with this car is interesting as well, probably because it wouldn’t be any faster. And that might be perceived as a backwards step. But Porsche, surprise surprise, really is onto something with its claim, as this might be the best Cayenne yet for road driving.
The ride quality is supreme; even a little bit of jostle in Sport Plus is nowhere near the level that may once have been endured, perhaps even on the sports cars. Here the standard ceramic brakes help over a standard E-Hybrid, although it’s hard to recall even the old Turbo GT riding with quite such aplomb. This Cayenne attacks corners like it’s a huge hot hatch, diving for every apex apparently regardless of entry speed and only too happy to shove power rearwards to aid exit. The clarity of the controls is remarkable given the weight and the complexity this car carries. There’s genuine communication through the steering wheel, and an ability to subtly tweak the cornering line - of a 2.5-tonne 4x4! - with the throttle and the brakes is borderline astonishing. It’s an exciting and engaging Porsche sports car that just so happens to be a family SUV as well; a familiar refrain over the past couple of decades but, honestly, this raises the bar again. It’s like more weight and technology were added just so Porsche could show off how those hurdles could be overcome and a stellar driving experience still delivered.
Then, at the twirl of a dial (on the first sight of traffic), this can be a silent EV with enough range for a week of errands. Or a hybrid that can replenish the battery as you go with the V8 murmuring, sometimes gurgling, along in the background. E-Charge mode will keep adding miles, or E-Hold can hang onto a set amount for more unassuming progress around people. Then it can sit on the motorway in consummate comfort, stereo thundering and overtaking potential limitless (even if it’s sometimes too keen to drop out of top gear and less willing to go back). Not being the fastest SUV around the Nordschleife really doesn’t matter a jot when presented with a Porsche of such preposterously broad talents. It’s a more than acceptable compromise. Even a 911 Turbo can’t do as much as this.
The level of cohesion achieved really leaves an impression, too. In certain hybrid modes the Cayenne will be keen to shut the engine off at every opportunity, but it’s immediately on hand again when required - no delay, no awkward lurch as power sources are juggled. The throttle response is perfect on combustion or electric. You’ll never second-guess a steering input. Only those jammy enough to have driven non-hybrid GT Porsches will notice a slight deadness at the top of the pedal - otherwise it’ll feel like a supreme braking system. Because it pretty much is.
Even without thinking about fuel conservation, the Turbo averaged out at 26mpg over 100 miles. Not the claimed 140+mpg obviously, though pretty damn good for almost 750hp and 2.5 tonnes. Now clearly, buying £150,000 Porsches isn’t really a solution to any of the problems faced by the world right now, electrified or otherwise. So let’s be honest - this is about green credentials as much as crisps are about being a healthy vegan snack. It’s missing the point. Perhaps making a Cayenne Turbo GT Package with a battery is a tad disingenuous. But it's hardly like Porsche is alone.
If those issues can be sidelined, it’s extremely difficult not to be impressed by how far the Cayenne Turbo experience has been improved by E-Hybridification this time around; where previously ranges were nominal and the driving experience hampered, adding the latest generation of battery and motor has broadened the appeal of one of the best mega SUVs out there. Perhaps the most significant gripe is that the 176hp motor doesn’t provide enough power on its own once accustomed to the full barrage. But it suits electric driving, it suits the V8 hellraiser, it suits a big Porsche cruiser - the Cayenne suits everything.
Whether the £22,000 GT Package improves the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid experience is trickier to say. Or rather, it most certainly does - but do you really need it? In everyday use, rather than a brief loan period, it’d probably be easy to go without an increase to 0.58 degrees of negative camber up front or a five per cent weight saving. Ceramic brakes and rear-wheel steering optioned onto a Turbo with 21-inch wheels would probably get a lovely ride and handling balance, too. With apologies for being so overtly matter-of-fact about it, but when a GT Package doesn’t bring any additional power the comparison has to be made. For very nearly everyone, a regular Turbo E-Hybrid is going to do everything and more required of it for years to come. Only for those who want to be staggered every time they’re behind the wheel, is the GTP intended. And you can guarantee that’ll be the demonstrator Turbo in the OPC - good luck trying to accept anything less than this after a test drive.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO E-HYBRID COUPE WITH GT PACKAGE
Engine: 3,996cc, V8, twin-turbo, plus 25.9kWh battery and 176hp electric motor
Transmission: 8-speed auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 599@6,000rpm (engine only; total system output 739hp)
Torque (lb ft): 627@ 2,400-4,500rpm (engine only; total system output 700lb ft)
0-62mph: 3.6 seconds
Top speed: 190mph
Weight: 2,495kg (DIN)
MPG: 148.7-156.9 (WLTP; electric range 44-45 miles WLTP Estimated All-Electric Range)
CO2: 40-43g/km
Price: £154,000 (price as standard; price as tested £167,082 comprising Arctic Grey for £1,851, 22-inch GT Design wheels in Vesuvius Grey for £426, Rear-Axle Steering for £1,325, Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) for £2,546, Acoustically insulated laminated glass (front) and privacy rear glass for £839, Porsche InnoDrive including Active Lane Keeping for £2,042, Surround View with Active Parking Support for £1,116, Head-Up Display for £1,001, Soft-close doors for £546, Air Quality System with ioniser for £329, Passenger Display for £1,061)
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