Scores High: Great drivetrain sounds, amazing performance for an SUV, functional family utility
Scores Low: High price, poor fuel economy
Total Car Score Analysis
The 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS may not be the most powerful and most expensive Cayenne in the model range, but it is arguably the most engaging to drive. Based on the Cayenne S, the 2013 Cayenne GTS uses the same 4.8-liter V8 engine, but this version is tuned for 20 additional horsepower. The GTS also gets a shorter final gear ratio, a lowered ride height, a more intimidating exhaust note and a distinctive look, all of which are meant to make the 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS the most emotional and performance-oriented version of this luxury SUV. We drove the Cayenne GTS in the Austrian Alps and learned that Porsche has done an excellent job of adding zest to its exclusive family hauler.
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Exterior Design
Starting with a Cayenne S, Porsche incorporated several exterior changes to make the Cayenne GTS sportier – if not downright aggressive – in appearance. The changes start with a 20-millimeter lower ride height as well as the front fascia, hood, and LED headlights from the Cayenne Turbo. The fascia also includes larger air intakes, but they're blocked off because the GTS doesn't need as much airflow. The headlights bezels are rendered in black.
Along its flanks the 2013 Cayenne GTS features wider wheel arches to sit flush with the standard RS Spyder wheels. These use backspacing to provide a wider footprint, increasing the front track by 13 mm and rear track by 17 mm. The Cayenne GTS also gets the Porsche Design side skirts and black trim around the windows. Out back, the GTS features flat black exhaust pipes, a gloss black trim strip on the tailgate, and a split rear spoiler.
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Driving Experience
The latest generation of the Cayenne dropped some 700 pounds from the first generation in the name of performance. With the GTS Porsche aims to improve performance – and the emotion that performance elicits even further. Engine response and acceleration are improved thanks to a new intake camshaft, revised engine tuning, quicker shifts with shorter gears, along with a shorter final drive ratio. These modifications raise peak horsepower from 400 to 420 and max torque from 369 to 380 pound-feet. On the street, the result is a more willing and ready engine, with right-now responses and a zero-to-60 mph time that has been cut by two tenths, to 5.4 seconds. The Cayenne GTS is certainly quick and it can reach a top speed of 162 mph, but it's still a far cry from the Turbo, which rockets to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and tops out at 173 mph. The Cayenne GTS comes with seamless start/stop technology that works well with the 8-speed automatic transmission, but don't expect stellar fuel economy (15 mpg city, 22 mpg highway). This tranny provides smooth, immediate downshifts to deliver the extra oomph needed for passing whenever your right foot asks for it. The shifts are up to five percent quicker than in other Cayennes, but they aren't as quick or crisp as those of the PDK automated manual transmission offered in other Porsches.
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The engine is fairly quiet at idle yet it emits a pronounced growl during acceleration. Want more aural feedback? Press the magic “Sport” button on the Cayenne’s center console and two things happen, both of which make engine noise a big part of the driving experience. First, two flaps open in the exhaust system, which makes the sound more prominent from outside. Second, a contraption Porsche calls its Sound Symposer opens a channel in each A-pillar to allow the engine's intake pulses into the cabin. Floor the throttle and the resulting sound is akin to what you hear while watching a NASCAR race (though it's not quite as loud as being there). The rumbling growl is music to a car guy's ears, but odds are the wife will tell you to turn it off so she can hear herself think.
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Scores Low: High price, poor fuel economy
Total Car Score Analysis
The 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS may not be the most powerful and most expensive Cayenne in the model range, but it is arguably the most engaging to drive. Based on the Cayenne S, the 2013 Cayenne GTS uses the same 4.8-liter V8 engine, but this version is tuned for 20 additional horsepower. The GTS also gets a shorter final gear ratio, a lowered ride height, a more intimidating exhaust note and a distinctive look, all of which are meant to make the 2013 Porsche Cayenne GTS the most emotional and performance-oriented version of this luxury SUV. We drove the Cayenne GTS in the Austrian Alps and learned that Porsche has done an excellent job of adding zest to its exclusive family hauler.
Exterior Design
Starting with a Cayenne S, Porsche incorporated several exterior changes to make the Cayenne GTS sportier – if not downright aggressive – in appearance. The changes start with a 20-millimeter lower ride height as well as the front fascia, hood, and LED headlights from the Cayenne Turbo. The fascia also includes larger air intakes, but they're blocked off because the GTS doesn't need as much airflow. The headlights bezels are rendered in black.
Along its flanks the 2013 Cayenne GTS features wider wheel arches to sit flush with the standard RS Spyder wheels. These use backspacing to provide a wider footprint, increasing the front track by 13 mm and rear track by 17 mm. The Cayenne GTS also gets the Porsche Design side skirts and black trim around the windows. Out back, the GTS features flat black exhaust pipes, a gloss black trim strip on the tailgate, and a split rear spoiler.
Driving Experience
The latest generation of the Cayenne dropped some 700 pounds from the first generation in the name of performance. With the GTS Porsche aims to improve performance – and the emotion that performance elicits even further. Engine response and acceleration are improved thanks to a new intake camshaft, revised engine tuning, quicker shifts with shorter gears, along with a shorter final drive ratio. These modifications raise peak horsepower from 400 to 420 and max torque from 369 to 380 pound-feet. On the street, the result is a more willing and ready engine, with right-now responses and a zero-to-60 mph time that has been cut by two tenths, to 5.4 seconds. The Cayenne GTS is certainly quick and it can reach a top speed of 162 mph, but it's still a far cry from the Turbo, which rockets to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and tops out at 173 mph. The Cayenne GTS comes with seamless start/stop technology that works well with the 8-speed automatic transmission, but don't expect stellar fuel economy (15 mpg city, 22 mpg highway). This tranny provides smooth, immediate downshifts to deliver the extra oomph needed for passing whenever your right foot asks for it. The shifts are up to five percent quicker than in other Cayennes, but they aren't as quick or crisp as those of the PDK automated manual transmission offered in other Porsches.
The engine is fairly quiet at idle yet it emits a pronounced growl during acceleration. Want more aural feedback? Press the magic “Sport” button on the Cayenne’s center console and two things happen, both of which make engine noise a big part of the driving experience. First, two flaps open in the exhaust system, which makes the sound more prominent from outside. Second, a contraption Porsche calls its Sound Symposer opens a channel in each A-pillar to allow the engine's intake pulses into the cabin. Floor the throttle and the resulting sound is akin to what you hear while watching a NASCAR race (though it's not quite as loud as being there). The rumbling growl is music to a car guy's ears, but odds are the wife will tell you to turn it off so she can hear herself think.
