Being the first motor show of the year, every manufacturer is keen to put their latest and greatest on display. Porsche is no different, unveiling two new variants to join the 2015 model lineup: the Cayenne Turbo S and the 911 Targa 4 GTS.
New to the Cayenne Turbo S is manifold integrated turbocharging, the kind we find on modern Ecoboost engines. Thanks to new manufacturing methods that mitigated the complexity of these new manifolds, manifold integrated turbocharging is becoming a mass-market possibility. The benefit of integration is less turbo lag and better efficiency, improving response and power delivery all round. Power goes up by 20 hp and torque bumps up by 50 Nm, for a total of 570 hp and 800 Nm respectively. The century sprint is now over in just 4.1 seconds.
Stopping power is also improved with all-new 10-piston Carbon Ceramic Brakes at the front, clamping onto 420 mm discs. The rear brakes are 4-piston units clamping on 370 mm discs. Being top of the range, the Cayenne Turbo S has the full range of electronic aids and features like the Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus.
The 911 Targa 4 GTS is an all-new variant. There’s plenty of justification for it given that an eighth of all 911s sold were Targa variants. To decipher the name: Targa refers to Porsche’s removable roof-type body, which hides the rooftop but maintains the rear portion of the roof. The “4” refer to all-wheel drive, which provides added stability for drivers who want a little safety in their lives. And the “GTS” refers to the highest performance naturally-aspirated variant within the range, short of a GT3 tag.
The GTS engine kicks out a solid 430 hp- roughly 30 hp more than the standard “S” level engine. The Sport Chrono package comes standard, as do all the electronic aids as well. 0-100 in just 4.1 seconds- also marginally quicker than S variants of the 911. Styling follows that of the GTS with emphasised wheel arches and wider rear tyres- also following the nature of the 911 Turbo models. Luxuries are included as well with 4-way adjustable sport seats and additional head restraints.
