Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT test drive: one for speed fiends


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As recently as 15 years ago, the notion of a full-size SUV that could hit 300 kilometres per hour would have seemed downright absurd. How could a lofty chariot that stands more than 1.6 metres tall and weighs well over two tonnes be that fast? And why?

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It’s clearly a sign of progress that there are now no fewer than five high-riding wagons that can crack the triple-century speed limit — Lamborghini’s Urus, Bentley’s Bentayga Speed, Aston Martin’s DBX 707, Audi’s RS Q8 and Porsche’s ballistic new Cayenne Turbo GT.

It’s no coincidence that the Cayenne Turbo GT shares most of its hardware with the Lamborghini Urus and Audi RS Q8, as all three brands fall under the umbrella of the Volkswagen Group and can therefore access many of the same core components.

Be that as it may, each has its own personality and visual presence, with the Porsche offering a different flavour to its Audi and Lamborghini counterparts. Where the Urus is in your face and shouty, and the RS Q8 is a tad understated, the Porsche sits between the two in terms of its stylistic aggression and demeanour.

The new Cayenne spearhead isn’t a GT in name only, as it’s been turned out by the same go-faster Porsche department that has given us cracking sportsters such as the Cayman GT4 and recently launched 911 GT3.

Rather than merely remapping the engine management software, Porsche’s boffins have comprehensively re-engineered the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, fitting it with a new fuel injection system and new internals for the turbos and crankshaft. The con-rods, pistons and timing chain are also either bespoke or thoroughly redeveloped for the Turbo GT.

The results are obvious, as a 0-100kph sprint in 3.3 seconds and top speed of 300kph puts the 640hp/850Nm Cayenne Turbo GT in the thick of the hyper-SUV segment. By comparison, the Lambo Urus bolts from 0-100kph in 3.6 seconds and hits 305kph flat out, while Aston’s DBX 707 dispatches 0-100kph in 3.3 seconds and tops out at 310kph.

The GT’s added grunt vis-a-vis the standard Cayenne Turbo means the ZF eight-speed auto and four-wheel drive system had to be thoroughly overhauled, and there’s now an additional cooler for the gearbox’s transfer case to keep temperatures in check.

The Cayenne Turbo GT’s chassis has also been revamped as it sits 17 millimetres lower than the standard Cayenne Turbo, while the air springs and active dampers are retuned to offer 15 per cent greater stiffness. There’s also new software for the active anti-roll bar system and the carbon-ceramic brakes are upgraded. In addition, the 22-inch gold rims and Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres are bespoke to the GT.

The car is fitted with bespoke tyres. Photo: Gautam Sharma
The car is fitted with bespoke tyres. Photo: Gautam Sharma

So much for the ingredients. The National’s test confirmed the Cayenne Turbo GT is not only mind-numbingly rapid in a straight line, but also remarkably agile and composed under heavy cornering loads for such a hefty vehicle. The 2.3-tonne SUV’s backroad pace isn’t too far adrift of its low-slung sportscar stablemates, so it somehow manages to virtually defy physics.

Drive the Turbo GT sedately in Normal mode and it’s decently refined, too. Its stiffened suspension and low-profile rubber mean ride quality is firmer than lesser Cayennes. Even so, only the sharpest road-surface imperfections are transmitted through to the cabin. The exhaust gets pleasingly raucous in Sport and Sport+ drive modes, but minus the crackling pyrotechnics you get in the Lambo Urus when you lift off the throttle.

Hugely rapid and capable the Cayenne Turbo GT may be, but you’d still have to ask yourself whether an SUV with only four seats and 549 litres of luggage capacity makes it a better purchase than a Panamera Turbo S sedan. After all, the latter can do pretty much everything the Cayenne Turbo GT can and has the dynamic advantages of being lighter and lower.

Low-profile road-biased tyres and modest ground clearance mean the pricey Cayenne Turbo GT wasn’t conceived to go off-road, but many buyers will nevertheless be lured by its searing pace, lofty driving position and perceived all-terrain capability.

Porsche Cayenne: 20 years on and it still won't slow down — in pictures

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Pakistan Super League

Previous winners

2016 Islamabad United

2017 Peshawar Zalmi

2018 Islamabad United

2019 Quetta Gladiators

 

Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286

Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65

The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

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FA Cup semi-finals

Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)

Matches on Bein Sports

THE SPECS

BMW X7 xDrive 50i

Engine: 4.4-litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed Steptronic transmission

Power: 462hp

Torque: 650Nm

Price: Dh600,000

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Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 290hp

Torque: 340Nm

Price: Dh155,800

On sale: now

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

House-hunting

Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland 
  2. Westminster, London 
  3. Camden, London 
  4. Glasgow, Scotland 
  5. Islington, London 
  6. Kensington and Chelsea, London 
  7. Highlands, Scotland 
  8. Argyll and Bute, Scotland 
  9. Fife, Scotland 
  10. Tower Hamlets, London 

 

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

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What is graphene?

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.

It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.

But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties. 

 

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

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Updated: November 04, 2022, 4:36 AM`