Cayenne GTS Test Drive

Matt Farah takes the new 6-speed Cayenne GTS for a spin at the Porsche Festival of Speed.

Porsche Festival of Speed, Fontana, CA Male Speaker: Brought to you by the Auto Gallery, the ultimate Porsche and Audi factory source for enthusiast. Matt Farah: Now I'm here with Cass Whitehead lead Instructor for the Porsche Sport Driving School. We got a nice autocross setup here in the parking lot and what are we driving today? Cass Whitehead: We've got an awesome car for you to drive today; this is the brand new Cayenne GTS which is the special edition of the sport utility vehicle. Matt Farah: It's between the S and the Turbo right? Cass Whitehead: That's exactly right I think it maybe a little more than halfway. Matt Farah: More than half alright. Cass Whitehead: It's a good way to think about it. Matt Farah: Alright. Cass Whitehead: The handling is unbelievable and the power is just wild for a normally aspirating car. Matt Farah: And this one's stick? Cass Whitehead: This is a stick that's right. They bring in the stick to the US, they got a lot of them around but you kind of get to drive it. Matt Farah: Well it's about time the Cayenne came in stick, even SUV was to come in a six-speed this would be the one. Cass Whitehead: This is the one, I hear. Matt Farah: So I'm going to go drive a couple of laps and you're going to show me how I should be driving a couple of laps right? Cass Whitehead: Let's see, let's see how you do. Matt Farah: Alrigth let's go take a ride. Cass Whitehead: Alright let's do it. Matt Farah: The seats by the way in this car are phenomenal. Cass Whitehead: They are. Matt Farah: They're so comfortable. Cass Whitehead: They are almost as good as the sport seats in sports car. Matt Farah: They're actually they feel like they we actually feel more like the Audi R8 seats. Cass Whitehead: Yeah. Matt Farah: They're so nice. Cass Whitehead: They alcantara thing keeps you from slipping and sliding and they're sweet. Matt Farah: It's got a nice easy clutch. Cass Whitehead: Yeah. Matt Farah: Typical. Cass Whitehead: For something this big it's got a real light clutch. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: Which is nice. Matt Farah: It's got a nice rumble to it too. Cass Whitehead: That's what I was telling him, he needs to mike that exhaust obviously. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: Okay, let's see just go in to pull it out just slowly, just to get a good clean -- alright good, we got a clean track. Matt Farah: Alright. Cass Whitehead: So off we go just get up a little speed kind of step over here and give it a little feel. Matt Farah: Oh yeah. Cass Whitehead: Now brake a little bit, just do some tight twisty, -- it should be nice smooth, big things started, look ahead. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: You notice for some this big it's very little body room. Matt Farah: It's very nimble. Cass Whitehead: Yeah. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: Big wheels and tires good brakes. And you can see for something of its size it hardly. Matt Farah: It rolls. Cass Whitehead: It hardly rolls. You'll not even hear you're not even squealing in tires yet. Matt Farah: No. Cass Whitehead: Beautiful. Matt Farah: Oh man it's just turning around. Cass Whitehead: Yeah now same thing here brake it a little bit as you turn there you go. Now touch a brake here, good let's do one more lap. Matt Farah: Alright. Cass Whitehead: Keep coming left, keep coming left. Good, that little slow here there now power through it gently, good and right here good brake right in here to get it a turn and another little dab over here. Matt Farah: Awesome. Cass Whitehead: Alright we'll get it straight here this time. Matt Farah: Oh yes. Cass Whitehead: Good job. Matt Farah: This thing handles it. Cass Whitehead: That second and third lap looked much better. Matt Farah: This thing like legitimately handles like sports car handles. Cass Whitehead: Now here's what people don't understand, we take these things on the racetrack. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: In Alabama at the Barber track that we teach at and one of these things will go around the racetrack almost the same as in Korea. Matt Farah: Really? Cass Whitehead: Korea, absolutely. Matt Farah: I mean it's like I was hammering on sharp turns. Cass Whitehead: Yeah. Matt Farah: It didn't brake loose. Cass Whitehead: No. Matt Farah: Not even, it didn't even so close to braking this. Cass Whitehead: It's got tons. Matt Farah: Alright now you need to show me how to drive properly. Cass Whitehead: Alright we'll do it. This the ride Automotive Print Media delivers. And this is a ride with Fast Lane Daily. Buckle Up. Fast Lane Daily Matt Farah: Alright I need gigglers, gigglers on my camera. Cass Whitehead: Well you might be giggling. Matt Farah: Yeah now you shouldn't be giggling I should be giggling. Cass Whitehead: We'll make somebody giggle. Pulling out of the pits, alright let's get them. Now go to second gear, alright nice and smooth. Matt Farah: Oh nice. Cass Whitehead: Get it turn power, great power, smooth over. Matt Farah: Oh man it gets so smooth there. Cass Whitehead: Watch the braking here, here we brake. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: Ease back. Now I'm just balancing. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: Just balancing. Matt Farah: Just keep it right on that line oh it's not. Cass Whitehead: Full power through that. Matt Farah: Comes through right around there. Cass Whitehead: Little brake here, brake, power. So we'll see a little drift here. Matt Farah: Oh yeah. Cass Whitehead: Rotation. Matt Farah: You can drift it oh boy! That was almost catchy. Wow! For the record we almost just got whacked. Cass Whitehead: Yeah well. Matt Farah: But the other GT -- has. Cass Whitehead: It has the ultimate combination because you've got the handling and performance of the sports car. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: And the utility of an SUV. Matt Farah: Yeah and the leg room and comfort and adjustability and. Cass Whitehead: It's really amazing. Matt Farah: Oh it's great. Alright now we've got some room so. Cass Whitehead: Like it's said you can take it to the track and it'll hang with the -- Matt Farah: Yeah I absolutely believe it. Cass Whitehead: After driving it, you cannot believe it till you see it. Alright big smooth s-turns here. Matt Farah: Nice. Cass Whitehead: Build in the speed full speed here right there, big brakes. Matt Farah: Right on the brakes. Cass Whitehead: Soften back and just gradually now you can take it for -- finesse on these big long turns. Matt Farah: I'm in the door right now; I'm like out of frame because I'm in the door. Cass Whitehead: There you go. Matt Farah: How do these brakes hold on to a full day of abuse? Cass Whitehead: No they're doing okay I mean I think anything if you run hard enough long. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: You can definitely get your thing where you started. Matt Farah: And this isn't exactly a light car. Cass Whitehead: No. Matt Farah: Yeah. Cass Whitehead: Not. It's a big vehicle so. Matt Farah: Yeah and I mean I like it a lot though. Cass Whitehead: How about that? Matt Farah: I think for 80 grand for this versus a 110 for a Turbo this is the better car. Cass Whitehead: This is. Matt Farah: This thing is awesome now. I like it. Cass Whitehead: Pretty car. Matt Farah: Yeah I know it's one. Cass Whitehead: And they put those big 21 inch wheels on it now this year for this thing so they're moving up to that and that's part of what makes it perform. Matt Farah: Cool. Cass Whitehead: So like it does. Matt Farah: Well thanks so much for having me. Cass Whitehead: You're awesome. Matt Farah: Cass Whitehead. Cass Whitehead: Good job man. Matt Farah: Lead Instructor, Porsche Sport Driving School showing me what's up in the Cayenne GTS. Cass Whitehead: I expect to see you on the racetrack in the School. Matt Farah: You'll see me on the racetrack in a GT3. Cass Whitehead: We'll build up little speed here we're up into second gear alright so, brake, smooth, power full of power coming here right there brake. Matt Farah: You got to be kidding here.