The New Porsche Cayenne Coupe Puts the “Sport” Back in “Sport Utility Vehicle”
The SUV coupe is a polarizing segment. Where you fall on it generally depends on where you fall on the Sport vs. Utility spectrum. Generally, we’re happy to let this debate live on in the confines of enthusiast Reddit threads or, if you’re particularly unlucky, when your gearhead-iest friend has had one too many beers.
The Porsche Cayenne Coupe aims to settle this debate once and for all. That is, we’d argue the newest addition to the Cayenne family really is the purest expression of Porsche’s SUV ambitions. The roofline sits about an inch lower than the Cayenne’s, and the body is about an inch wider. In that sense, there’s a little bit of 911 energy imbued into the design — and that’s about the highest compliment you can pay to a Porsche (or almost any other car, for that matter).
And true to form, the new Cayenne Coupe offers a remarkably sporty experience. The S Coupe Sport model, for example, has a V6 bi-turbo engine pumping out 434 horsepower for a top speed of 263 km/h; meanwhile, the Turbo model has a V8 bi-turbo engine capable of 541 horsepower, which thrills from 0–100 in 3.9 seconds. There’s also a lightweight package that swaps out the panoramic sunroof for a carbon-fibre top and mammoth 22-inch aluminum wheels, which help achieve these impressive statistics.
The truth is, we’re not sure where the so-called utility is in numbers like that. But we’re very sure what the sport factor is. And that’s exactly why we first fell in love with Porsche in the first place.
