Cayenne with extra pepper

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In addition to the usual three models of Porsche Cayenne (the base, the S and the Turbo) we all know and perhaps love, Porsche has rung in 2008 with a fourth version, the GTS. That sporty moniker gives some indication of where the GTS is being pitched.

This is the first time the company has made a manual transmission available with a V-8 engine since the venerable 928. This one rumbles out 405 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque from 4.8 liters of displacement. This 5,019-pound ballerina skips from standstill to 62 mph in 6.1 seconds, before chasse-ing to 100 mph in 15 seconds, then jete-ing to a top speed of 157 mph.

The prospect of ‘sporty SUV’ may seem like an elephant in a tutu, but Porsche has lowered the standard Cayenne’s air suspension and tightened the springs a tad. For those addicted to slush, a Tiptronic automatic transmission option is available and is only marginally slower than the stick-shift-equipped model. The GTS arrives in March, with an MSRP of $69,300.

-- Colin Ryan