Tested: 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Brings the V-8 Thunder
A question pops into my wife's head about 30 minutes after she climbs into the 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS: "Does this car make you want to drive faster?" (Oh, no. Here it comes.) But then she continues: "Because I would. I mean, just listen to that exhaust." (Wait, what?) Well, yeah, sometimes I look down at the speedo and find I'm going much faster than I intend to. But do you think that exhaust sound is a bit too much? "No, not at all," she replies. "It's got a good growl."
Sound On
She's right. The new Cayenne GTS has a most excellent growl. It starts when you fire up the car, and it really brings the thunder when you stand on the loud pedal. And unlike the last Cayenne GTS we tested, a 2021 Coupe, this vehicle wasn't equipped with the tuned exhaust that was optional on Coupe back then. No matter. A rorty exhaust is now standard on the 2025 GTS, and it's one reason why the base price has crept up.
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James Lipman
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Car and Driver
Matting the throttle now uncorks 86 decibels, as opposed to 82 decibels with the tuned pipes back in 2021. When you're cruising at 70 mph, it still settles into a very civilized 66-decibel hum, just like before.
The extra noise at wide-open throttle just might have something to do with the tweaks to the V-8 engine. It now makes 493 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque, which is 40 horses and 29 pound-feet more than the previous version. Changes include a higher-pressure fuel-injection system, electronically controlled wastegates to speed up throttle response, mono-scroll turbos instead of twin-scroll units to increase resistance to higher exhaust temperatures, and a new variable-lift intake cam that improves high-rpm performance while still allowing for mid-rpm fuel economy. Highway fuel economy is up some 3 mpg to 22 mpg. Some of these changes are shared with the new V-8 Cayenne S, but the GTS has been calibrated to run more boost. There are also quicker gearchanges in Sport and Sport Plus modes.
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James Lipman
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Car and Driver
Faster Acting
All of this amounts to superior acceleration times. The new GTS gets to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, continues on to 100 mph in 9.2 seconds, and completes the quarter-mile in 12.1 seconds at 112 mph. Compare that with the 2021 Cayenne GTS Coupe, which did 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, 100 mph in 10.2 seconds, and the quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds at 110 mph. This is despite that the new model is heavier, measuring 5145 pounds to the old Coupe's 5014 pounds.
HIGHS: V-8 thunder, composed ride, grippy handling and braking.
It doesn't end there. All new Cayennes use a larger tire diameter than before, 31 inches instead of the prior model's 30 inches. The new rubber essentially rolls over cracks that the last car seemed to fall into, although an extra inch isn't that significant. The GTS certainly does ride more smoothly than you'd expect, even in Sport mode. Credit also goes to the change to two-valve adaptive dampers, with separate control of compression and rebound, and two-chamber air springs, which are set to make the GTS ride 0.4 inch lower. Our car was also fitted with the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control's active anti-roll bars ($3580) and rear-axle steering ($1280).
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James Lipman
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Car and Driver
As before, the tires are Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 (sized in 285/40 front and 315/35 at the rear to fit our new test car's 22-inch wheels instead of the previous gen's 21-inchers). The GTS's front end also has an additional 0.6 degree of negative camber compared with other Cayennes, thanks to the adoption of upper pivot bearings from the Cayenne Turbo GT. The result: a directness and a degree of control that are unmatched yet don't stray into the realm of hyperactivity. The chassis takes a balanced set through corners and holds the line resolutely. On the limit at the skidpad, it grips just a wee bit better than the previous model, 1.01 to 1.00 g's, despite being 131 pounds heavier.
With larger brake rotors, particularly in front—16.1 inches versus of the 2021 model's 15.4 inches—the GTS sees improved brake performance as well. The iron rotors hauled our Cayenne down from 70 mph in just 144 feet, versus 153 feet for the previous model. The difference is even more dramatic in stops from 100 mph: 294 feet for the new version versus 313 for the old one. And this is with zero drama, zero brake fade.
LOWS: Wonky start-stop tuning, no quiet mode for early-morning starts.
One thing we didn't like as much revealed itself at low speeds around town. Just puttering around in Normal mode, the auto start-stop system was too eager to shut down the engine, even when in a rolling stop. Sport mode is an easy remedy because it disables start-stop, but we don't mind this feature if it's done well. Porsche clearly has some work to do here.
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James Lipman
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Car and Driver
Money Matters
Inside, our Cayenne GTS was thoughtfully appointed yet didn't go overboard with Porsche's options list. The most extravagant addition here is the color-matched interior, which was $2980 for Carmine Red accents that match the exterior. The $2450 Premium package is a grouping of essentials that you probably want anyway: a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, heated rear seats. Finally, for $1720, there are the utterly fantastic adaptive 18-way power sport seats (with memory, thank goodness). That's it for the interior bits, unless you want to include the $580 thermally and noise-reducing front glass or the ubiquitous $1100 Sport Chrono package, which brings along a push-to-pass button, Sport Plus mode (for the most aggressive launch-control starts), and an intermediate Sport setting for the stability control.
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James Lipman
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Car and Driver
All of this made our test car amount to $145,185, which isn't crazy when you consider that our 2021 GTS Coupe stickered for $142,171. Sure, at $126,895, the base price is higher than before, but many of the items on the 2021 options list are now included because, well, everyone bought them. These include a Bose surround-sound stereo, a surround-view camera system, lane-change assist, keyless entry, soft-close doors, wireless phone charging, and auto-dimming mirrors, features amounting to $6180 worth of now-standard equipment. Heated front seats, which previously came in a front/rear package for $1060, are also now included. And let's not forget the tuned pipes of the Sport exhaust, newly standard as well.
Porsche has made it clear which non-GT-spec Cayenne is the driver's model. It's the one with the extra oomph, the slightly lower ride height. The one with the bigger brakes and tweaks that give it a little more grip. The one that'll make your passengers take notice of the glorious exhaust note. And it's all in the name. The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS essentially means Get This Spec.
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James Lipman
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Car and Driver
VERDICT: GTS stands for Get This Spec.
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $126,895/$145,185
Options: Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, $3580; GTS Interior package in Carmine Red, $2980; Premium package (panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, heated rear seats), $2450; adaptive 18-way sport seats with memory, $1720; 22-inch Turbo Design wheels, $1630; Carmine Red paint, $1430; rear-axle steering, $1280; Sport Chrono package, $1100; black-painted brake calipers, $910; ultra-high-performance tires, $630; thermally and noise-insulated front glass, $580
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 244 in3, 3995 cm3
Power: 493 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 486 lb-ft @ 2100 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 16.1-in vented disc/14.4-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4
F: 285/40ZR-22 (110Y) NC0
R: 315/35ZR-22 (111Y) NC0
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.0 in
Length: 194.1 in
Width: 78.6 in
Height: 65.9 in
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 60/26 ft3
Curb Weight: 5145 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.5 sec
100 mph: 9.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 12.1 sec @ 112 mph
130 mph: 17.3 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.4 sec
Top Speed (mfr's est): 171 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 144 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 294 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.01 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 18 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 18/15/22 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Reviewed by
Dan Edmunds
Technical Editor
Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department.
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