PorscheCayenne Turbo GT

　　

2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　, rating written byChristian WardlawVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　Picture a classic Venn diagram depicting style, performance and practicality. Where these three concepts intersect, the 2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe lives.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$291/mo  for Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT

　　Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT

　　Turbo GT 4dr SUV AWD (4.0L 8cyl Turbo 8A) (Most Popular) - $188,700 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　To create the Cayenne Coupe, Porsche takes the already rakish standard Cayenne SUV, shaves the roofline for a faster silhouette, and reduces passenger capacity to four people. The Cayenne Coupe offers less cargo room as a result, but Porsche maximizes passenger headroom by dropping the rear seat cushion nearly 2 inches. In standard specification, four people can ride in the Cayenne Coupe, but you can add a fifth position as a no-charge option.

　　Other than styling and interior packaging changes, the Cayenne Coupe is nearly identical to the standard Cayenne. That means it offers multiple gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains ranging in output from 335 horsepower to a mighty 670 hp. If you want the quickest and most expensive version of the Cayenne, you'll have no choice but to shop the Coupe lineup because it's the only one offering the riotously fast Turbo GT model.

　　With the Cayenne Coupe, Porsche competes against similar midsize SUV coupes including the Audi Q8, BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. Learn more by reading our detailed Expert Rating of the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

9.0/10

　　How does the Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT drive? With a 0-60 mph time of just 3.2 seconds, the Cayenne Turbo GT outgunned vehicles like the Lamborghini Urus and BMW XM at our test track to become one of the quickest SUVs we've ever tested. Acceleration from the turbocharged V8 is both brutal and thrilling, with exhaust wailing and barking on every upshift. The transmission is smooth and quick and always seems to know which gear to be in, and the V8's output means there's always power when you need it.

　　Braking is impressive, too. In our testing, the Turbo GT needed just 106 feet to stop from 60 to 0 mph, which is right in the mix with the best we've seen from an SUV. Our test vehicle had the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, and we found they held up to multiple braking tests without any fade or diminished performance.

　　But what's a Porsche without world-class handling? We're happy to report that the Turbo GT delights in corners. It pulled an outlandish 1.08 g on our skidpad, which is again right at the top for the best SUVs we've tested. You can really flog the Turbo GT on the track, where it feels much more like a tall sedan than a lowered SUV. You feel the Cayenne's weight, but it's well balanced and tight thanks to a retuned suspension, torque-vectoring system and rear-axle steering.

　　

Comfort

8.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Cayenne Coupe Turbo GT? The Cayenne Turbo GT offers either eight- or 18-way power-adjustable front seats as standard equipment, depending on your choice of upholstery. Our test vehicle had the 18-way seats with full leather. The padding is firm but comfortable, and we appreciated being able to tighten the bolstering in a vehicle that corners as fast as this one does. This one was set up in the 2+2 configuration with rear bucket seats; an optional bench seat is available. Ride comfort is good thanks to the standard air suspension. You feel the road, but the Cayenne does a good job of soaking up most imperfections.

　　The three-zone climate control (four-zone is optional) system is easy to use, though the temperature display can wash out if you're looking at it with polarized sunglasses. It blows cold, though the AC cuts out if the engine is off because of the stop-start system. Not great on a hot day. There's a mild amount of wind and road noise on the highway, and the engine is only really loud in Sport and Sport Plus modes.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below