Review: 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS splits the V-8 difference

• New GTS version kicks in 493 hp, 486 lb-ft of torque

• Porsche claims 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds, top speed of 171 mph

• It’s $126,895 for the Cayenne GTS SUV, $131,495 for the Coupe

Porsche took its scalpel to the wildly successful Cayenne just last year. And while it updated the SUV extensively for 2024, with an eye toward even more plug-in versions, it saved a little time and space for the thumping V-8 engine that’s easing into its sunset years with uncommon dignity.

That V-8 brings us here—well, more precisely, to the Truman Show-like suburban utopia north of Atlanta, where we were able to almost simultaneously shop for a new MacBook Pro, nibble tapas, and slingshot out of the parking lot in a 2025 Cayenne GTS.

The GTS splits the V-8 lane between the milder Cayenne S and the barn-burning Cayenne Turbo and Turbo GT. The Gran Turismo Sport (GTS) edition has been around since 2007, when it posted up 405 hp and a 0-60 mph time of 6.3 seconds. With each revamp it’s turned up the V-8 wick; this new edition’s dropped more than two seconds from that original 0-60 mph time, while the SUV in toto has become easier to live with on a daily basis. 

But it hasn’t ditched its hormonal V-8. Given all the battery-powered performers that can handily whip it in acceleration, the engine might seem in imminent danger of extinction. 

That would explain why it makes threatening noises when cornered.

2025 Cayenne GTS: Low rumble, high expectations

Under all its shrink-wrapped sheet metal, the 2025 Cayenne GTS barely contains a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 that spits at 493 hp and 486 lb-ft of torque. (That’s 40 hp more than inthe previous GTS, you already know.) To get there it straps on a single-scroll turbo, beefs up to a high-pressure fuel-injection system, and grafts on two-stage variable valve lift and electric wastegates. From the moment it fires up, its low rumble sets high expectations: the sharp snarl could startle a pedestrian crossing traffic-calmed streets, but only if you time it just so.

Porsche reflashes its 8-speed automatic here for quicker shift times when it’s dialed into Sport and Sport+ modes. It’s also relocated the shift toggle—a flappy-nubbin affair—to the steering column. Three on the tree? Yes, and then some. Pair it with that barking engine and all-wheel drive, and the Cayenne GTS slips through a 0-60 mph run in 4.2 seconds while it hunts down a top speed of 171 mph.

While it splits lanes between the Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo GT, it generally gets the benefit of more GT hardware—specifically, that SUV’s pivot bearings at the front axle, which dial in more negative camber and give the Cayenne GTS some of its well-honed turn-in feel. Air springs and dual-valve dampers come along for the ride, and the Cayenne GTS drops ride height by 0.4 inch compared to cheaper versions. 

Top it all off with active anti-roll bars that apply counterpressure in deep-dive corners and rear-wheel steering that can unknot a string of 25-mph kinks without a crochet hook and pure luck, and the Cayenne GTS proved hugely fun but fallible. Cruising north of Alpharetta to the roads where I usually only take close friends and smaller sportscars, it ironed out most of the wrinkles and creases without losing the steering storyline. Torque-vectoring across the rear axle gets the back-pat there.

It’s a rush to hustle the GTS through the north Georgia mountains while traffic remains shy of psychotic. Slowly, quietly, softly—these are the three things this Cayenne can’t do, and that I don’t want it to do. Perched as high as it is, it shouldn’t feel this well-sorted, but it does. Even in Sport+ mode, the chalk-painted GTS SUV I drove only showed some gentle pistoning on smooth roads, and mild lateral softness that got quelled quickly by the active-roll hardware. It swept through knotty mountain roads with such precision, I decided it must be Canadian, and in search of a curling medal.

The downside: That great steering can feel dodgy off-center until it becomes familiar. Then there’s the grab of this Euro-spec model’s carbon-ceramic brakes. It paid to pre-load the pedal with foot pressure when I could, mostly on downhill esses. U.S.-destined GTS Cayennes won’t carry the system, and will instead get steel brakes that’ll be easier to service, cheaper, and likely less handsy.

Taken to an extreme, the Cayenne GTS can adopt the Coupe roofline and lightweight options that flip the glass roof into carbon fiber, and drop some of the sound deadening. That can cut weight by 55 pounds—and dump more of that sweet V-8 rasp into the cockpit.

2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS goes all-in on digital

The GTS also benefits from all of the updates introduced to the Cayenne range for 2024. These affect the styling, cabin technology, chassis, and more. One of the most notable changes was made to the LED headlights; they have a more squared-off shape and deliver improved illumination. The hood has a slightly higher dome, the SUV wears more gloss-black trim (which, ugh), and also takes on big 21-inch Spyder wheels, arch extenders, painted brake calipers, and a diffuser. 

Inside, the Cayenne has adopted a fully digital dash similar to what’s used in the Taycan. Gone are the previous analog gauges in favor of a 12.7-inch digital instrument cluster. There’s also a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and an available 10.9-inch passenger screen for the front passenger, where they can watch grip levels and speeds climb. There’s no function for heart rate or MedicAlert bracelets yet, we’re told.

This remains a cockpit devoted to precision rather than flamboyance. High-bolstered seat bottoms and chunky grab handles aid passengers. The doors close with soft thunks. The cabin bristles with high-luxe features from a heated steering wheel to ambient lighting and Bose sound, with a choice of synthetic or full leather upholstery. It doesn’t skimp on cupholders or wireless Apple CarPlay, either.

The Cayenne GTS lands in dealerships this fall as a 2025 model, both in SUV and Coupe editions. Prices for the SUV start at $126,895, and at $131,495 for the Coupe. 

Porsche paid for travel so that we could bring you this test drive review.

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