The Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe Really Drives Like a Sports Car: Review

Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe: The Best of the Best

The Cayenne is the biggest SUV Porsche makes, available in standard or Coupe form. In this case, “Coupe” doesn’t mean fewer doors, but a different roof shape, sloping toward the rear of the SUV to create a sportier silhouette. You lose a few square feet in the trunk area and the middle seat in the second row.

Porsche offers the Cayenne Coupe in seven different flavors, from a base model all the way to the giant-killing Turbo GT. But the GTS might just be the cream of the crop. Updated for 2025, it develops more horsepower from its twin-turbo V-8 and receives a handful of chassis improvements borrowed from the aforementioned Turbo model. The result is an SUV that drives more like a tall sports car.

Engine & Drivetrain: A More Powerful Twin-Turbo V-8

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Under the hood sits a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 making 493 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque. That’s 40 more horses and 30 more lb-ft than the V-8 in last year’s model. Power routes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic, making it the only gas-powered Porsche not available with the company’s iconic dual-clutch PDK. Air suspension comes standard, delivering a 0.4-inch drop over standard Cayenne models. You can also option Porsche’s fancy active roll stabilization system, though our tester didn’t come with it. 

For 2025, the GTS also gets new front axle pivot bearings and a separate water-cooled circuit specifically for the all-wheel drive system, both lifted from the Turbo GT. The bearings improve handling, while the separate cooling system ensures the AWD system functions optimally even in continuous high-load scenarios.

Technology & Infotainment: Among the Best

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Every Porsche Cayenne comes standard with a 12.3-inch central infotainment screen responsible for stuff like music, navigation, and vehicle settings. The Cayenne also comes with a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver, sitting just forward of the steering wheel. Additionally, buyers can option a third screen measuring 10.9 inches for the passenger. Porsche calls the system Porsche Communication Management, or PCM. There’s standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, like you’d expect in a car this expensive. 

Other standard tech includes HD-Matrix Design LED headlights, 3D surround-view parking assist, a Bose surround sound system, four USB-C charging ports, a wireless charging pad, and a slew of active safety systems, such as rear cross-traffic alert and braking assist. Our tester was further optioned with a Lightweight Sport package, which adds 18-way seats, four-zone climate control, and heated seats for all four occupants.

Design: Sleeker and Sportier

Photo by: Brian Silvestro / Motor1

The Cayenne’s optional Coupe body style has been a point of controversy for the brand since its introduction in 2019. It’s still here six years later, though, so it must be yielding positive returns for the brand. Personally, I prefer the standard Cayenne’s looks, and wouldn’t want to give up the fifth seat and cargo area for the design.

It’s easy to appreciate the Cayenne Coupe’s shape, though, especially in GTS form. It looks low and tough, with an especially nice rear end. The front fascia is revamped for the GTS, too, with more aggressive-looking vents and blacked-out headlight housings. We highly recommend optioning the Sport Exhaust system; it replaces the quad exhaust for a center-mounted dual exhaust setup, and allows the V-8 to bark as intended. 

Passenger & Cargo Space: Purposefully Compromised

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The normal Cayenne measures up competitively with other SUVs in its class, though obviously, the coupe loses some interior space due to its lower roof height. Legroom is roughly the same, though clearance for taller individuals seated in the back is compromised. The rear luggage compartment can accommodate up to 20.9 cubic feet of stuff, or 53 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. 

Driving Impressions: Is This An SUV?

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Under normal driving conditions, the Cayenne GTS Coupe feels like any other Cayenne. It’s a chill, pleasant place to spend time. While the ride isn’t as comfortable as, say, a BMW X5, it’s entirely serviceable for most road conditions. 

Throw it into Sport or Sport+ mode, and the chassis comes alive. Where most 5,027-pound SUVs would fall over themselves on a twisty back road, the GTS is eager to chomp through corner after corner. Steering feel is abundant, thanks in part to a wheel that feels lifted directly from the 911. The all-wheel drive system sends most of the power to the rear wheels, leading to a far more balanced delivery.

Turn off all the traction systems, and the Cayenne GTS can even get sideways. The torque from that twin-turbo V-8 comes on early in the rev range, making it easy to stab the throttle for some big slides out of slower corners. Push it hard enough, and that neutrality begins to show itself on the quicker bends, too. Whoever says real driving pleasure can’t be derived from a big SUV should drive one of these.

Despite not being a dual-clutch, the eight-speed auto responds amicably to inputs from the wheel-mounted paddles. It never denies a shift or makes me wonder why cog changes are taking so long. The optional carbon-ceramic brakes, similarly, will hold up to two straight days of constant twisty back road pounding—as they should, for $9,980.

The cabin is well-built, with a solid feel and good materials. While I don’t enjoy the piano black trim or the touch capacitive buttons, they’re easy to get used to. Like in all new Porsches, the seating position is excellent and highly adjustable. 

Fuel Economy: Thirsty Engine

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If you want to hear the magnificent bellow from the Cayenne’s lovely V-8, be prepared to pay up. The GTS Coupe is rated by the EPA for 16 miles per gallon city and 22 highway, for a combined rating of 18 miles per gallon. After around 1,500 miles of city driving, highway cruising, and back-road carving, the onboard computer reads approximately 20 mpg. Not exactly fuel efficient, but for the performance you’re getting, it’s a worthy compromise.

Payload & Towing: More Than You Think

It might look more like a sports car than a utility vehicle, but because of that V-8 and a torque converter transmission, the Cayenne GTS coupe can pull some serious weight. It’s rated to tow 7,716 pounds, more than some competitors (and plenty for a race car and trailer). 

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GWVR) is 6,338 pounds, meaning you can load 1,311 pounds worth of people and cargo into the Cayenne before reaching its weight limit. You can even put up to 165 pounds on the roof, provided you use Porsche’s official roof transport system. That’s pretty good for a tall rig that corners like a slot car. 

Pricing & Verdict: For the Enthusiast Who Needs Everything

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With a starting price of $131,495 including destination, the Cayenne GTS Coupe is incredibly expensive for its segment. This is typical of Porsches, as they usually deliver the most impressive driving experience. 

Our tester had a staggering $27,000 in options, including a Premium Package Plus, which adds adaptive cruise control and ventilated front seats. There was also Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), a must-have if you plan to drive the GTS as it was intended. That Carmine Red paint? A cool $1,430. And, of course, the aforementioned carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Cayenne GTS Coupe manages to meld the utility and presence of a luxury SUV with the performance of a super sedan. Not everyone will love its looks, but anyone with a knack for driving will love how it feels from behind the wheel.

Competitors

2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe FAQs

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe can sprint from zero to 60 mph in just 4.2 seconds, according to the manufacturer. It can run the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds. Top speed is 171 mph, though according to Porsche, that speed can only be achieved with summer tires.

Yes, the 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS is offered in two body styles. Buyers can choose between the standard SUV body, or a “Coupe” body style, which has four doors but a sloping, fastback-style roof. The standard GTS starts at $126,895, while the coupe starts at $131,495.

The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Coupe makes 493 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque, according to the manufacturer. That’s 40 more horsepower and 30 more pound-feet of torque than the outgoing model.