The North Georgia Mountains aren’t the European Alps. But these lushly forested peaks offer some of the sweetest switchbacks you’ll find east of the Mississippi—including long two-lane passing zones that ensure you’ll never get stuck behind slowpokes in lumbering SUVs. Fortunately, the 2025 Cayenne GTS is anything but lumbering. The latest ‘Goldilocks’ GTS version neatly splits the difference in price and performance between the basic-dish Cayennes below, and the sizzling hot Turbo E-Hybrid and Turbo GT up top.
Like my last memorable GTS drive in these parts—in a 911 with a manual transmission—the Cayenne GTS makes a reasonable case for a showroom splurge. Our GTS Coupe stormed around the 867,000-acre Chattahoochee National Forest with jaw-crushing pace and a body that stayed flatter than a Marine sergeant’s haircut. That included a launch-assisted 4.2-second romp to 60 mph that tops the previous-gen GTS by 0.4 seconds. That’s just 0.7 seconds behind the 591-horsepower Turbo E-Hybrid, and 1.1 seconds behind the 650-horsepower Turbo GT. The GTS will rip through a quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds, versus 11.7 seconds for the hottest E-Hybrid, and 11.6 for the Turbo GT.
That thrust is delivered to the tune of 493 horsepower from an upgraded, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that also does duty in the Cayenne’s Euro cousins, the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley Bentayga. The 25-horsepower bump over a Cayenne S also brings a brawny 486 pound-feet of torque, with max torque available anywhere between 2,100 and 4,500 rpm. That continues a decisive progression over four GTS generations, from 405 horses in the 2007 model to just-shy-of 500 today.
A water-cooled all-wheel-drive transfer case, a key hand-me-down from the Turbo GT, keeps temperatures in check during steep uphill climbs and other high-load situations. And sophisticated camshaft sensing is another innovation for the Zuffenhausen-built beauty: A magnetic sensor monitors camshaft position to optimize cylinder fuel delivery and combustion while controlling particulate emissions.
Elmar Willersen, the GTS’ engineering manager, explains the workings of a new monoscroll turbocharger with electric waste gates. On paper, you’d assume a dual-scroll turbo is the superior tech. And Willersen confirms the previous compressor had the advantage in low-end performance, with separate cylinder paths to smooth power pulses from the V8’s irregular firing order. But that dual-path turbo also generated more thermal fatigue that reduced overall efficiency and performance. More importantly for owners, perhaps, the new turbo dials up boost pressure to deliver that 25 horsepower gain over a Cayenne S. Fuel injection pressure rises from 250 to 350 bar (3,625 to 5,075 psi).
An adaptive air suspension drops ride height by 10 mm (0.4 in.), with firmer anti-roll bars standard and active bars an option. (The body will stoop another 40 mm, or 1.6 in., for easier loading, via buttons in the cargo area). New, firmer two-valve dampers bring separate control over compression and rebound; air springs can focus on adding cream to the ride without overly aggressive spring rates.
For such a buttoned-down SUV, the GTS does a stellar job at dampening impacts over potholes or chunky pavement on our drive from upscale Alpharetta into this beautiful swath of the Blue Ridge Mountains. An additional half-degree of negative wheel camber up front helps keep tires in contact with the pavement when the Porsche flirts with nearly 1.2 Gs of peak lateral acceleration.
Our Cayennes are German-market spec, equipped with 22-inch Pirelli P-Zero summer tires versus the standard all-seasons that Americans will see in showrooms. (Germany doesn’t allow cars to be sold with all-season tires, only summer or winter). We Yanks are also denied the cool, full Matrix LED headlamps that can spotlight road signs or mask oncoming traffic from its high beams. And a fixed center armrest will step in for the sliding version on these models.
Naturally, the GTS adopts the key goodies from the Cayenne’s 2024-model facelift, in a luxury SUV that’s steadily become the swan to Porsche’s ugly-duckling original from 2003. Glossy black trim replaces many body-colored bits of a standard Cayenne, including wraps for window frames and fender flares. Dark-finished, multi-spoke GT Design wheels are a worthwhile upgrade, among the usual encyclopedic list of Porsche options.
Inside, door panels, seats and other trim are slathered in Race-Tex material, with GTS stitching on the headrests. Unfortunately, the Race-Tex treatment extends to the small-circumference GT Sport steering wheel: The faux-suede fabric offers an unpleasant tactile connection and the likelihood of getting grimy with sweat and schmutz over time. An optional leather wrap will afford the superior touch point.
As on the facelifted 2024 Cayennes, the new electronic shifter is awkwardly located on the dash, as though Porsche couldn’t quite figure out where the knurled toggle should go. But an owner will get accustomed to reaching up behind the steering wheel soon enough. And like Mercedes, Ferraris, and other models with passenger touchscreens, the GTS’ optional unit seems largely a fingerprint magnet and a waste of dashboard space.
Issues aside, the Cayenne’s cabin might make anyone feel secure about their position in life. A striking yet compact driver’s screen snugs into the dash, its slim upper edge seeming to hover before your eyes.
For Coupe versions only, a Lightweight Package offers seat inserts in Porsche’s familiar “Pepita” fabric, the herringbone-like pattern first offered as a special order on the 356 sports car. That Lightweight package trims up to 55 pounds, not that you’ll ever notice, since the Coupe already plops 5,027 pounds at the curb—71 more than the squarer-backed version. Credit a carbon-fiber roof for much of those weight savings, but at the expense of the Cayenne’s enormous panoramic roof.
The most compelling reason for going Lightweight seems the striking center-exit dual exhaust, a nod to the fantasy-level Turbo GT, versus a split four-outlet treatment. The weight-saving package also includes a Sport Exhaust that can pump digitized engine sounds into the cabin via the audio system, even as it opens internal baffles to crank up V8 volume outside the car. However you feel about the Porsche club track playing inside, the GTS’ engine note is decidedly lustier than the Cayenne S’.
The same goes for handling. On the tempting undulations of these mountains north of Atlanta, the GTS catapults through corners and steers with the fluid grace that’s a Porsche signature. The eight-speed Tiptronic transmission ably manages gear changes, including via sculpted metal paddle shifters, without too much back-slapping aggression.
The Cayenne can drop gears automatically when you really nail the gas, even in manual transmission mode. Porsche justifies the move by saying the car should always respond to full throttle, regardless of driving mode. A Sport Plus setting noticeably firms up steering and body control, and amps up throttle response. Like most modern high-performance SUVs, the Porsche is full of cheat codes, here including Porsche Active Stability Management, the electronic limited-slip differential known as Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus, and Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control.
Optional Rear-Axle Steering pivots rear wheels up to 3.5 degrees, palpably improving the GTS’ ability to stick its nose into these finely cambered corners and resist understeer. Those active rear wheels also trim a few welcome feet from the Cayenne’s turning circle and make for easier parking.
The GTS really highlights its advantages during a back-to-back drive with the Cayenne S. The S feels roughly as fast as the GTS in a straight line. At these V8 power levels, it’s not easy to detect a difference of 25 horses. But the Cayenne S’ steering feels light and even relatively flabby in comparison, with slower reactions to driver inputs.
This GTS also featured carbon-ceramic brakes, a largely pointless addition on an SUV built for civilian duty, aside from reducing unsightly brake dust. Those brakes can be a bit grabby around town, until you get the hang of them, but I do appreciate their decisive initial bite.
As noted, the GTS is another ‘Goldilocks’ Porsche, albeit at prices that may exceed the reach of the average bear. The Cayenne GTS starts at $126,895, including a $1,995 destination charge. That’s a roughly $40,000 jump over a basic Cayenne, and a $23,000 hike over a Cayenne S at $103,595. Since it’s all relative in Porsche land, a Turbo E-Hybrid starts from $158,995, and the Turbo GT from $205,795. If we’re quibbling, it’s hard to say why the four-seat Coupe costs $4,600 more than a five-passenger GTS. Americans don’t seem to mind, since the Coupe’s jaunty roofline already tempts 42 percent of U.S. buyers, versus just 28 percent in Europe.
More than ever, the GTS is about having your plus-sized cake and eating it too. The Cayenne fulfills its family mission, including private-school dropoffs, while letting mom or dad run rings around common SUVs on the way to work. Emphasis on “dads”: Men are expected to make up 75 percent of GTS buyers, although clearly, many fathers share the driver’s seat with significant others. Something tells me those Cayenne GTS couples will be fighting over the keys.
