There are some emotions that sport-utes just aren't allowed to touch — the elation induced by the spooling turbo of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, or by the shriek of a flat- crank Ferrari V8. Perhaps, for you, bliss is brought on by the hypersensitive, unmolested feedback of a 911's steering, or by the stomach-twisting torque of some '60s American muscle car. Regardless, this inner core of the enthusiast heart has protected itself well from the tall, heavy minivan substitutes of the world, despite valiant efforts from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, Jeep, and even, long ago, Lamborghini. With the Cayenne GTS, Porsche may have just found a way in, and, remarkably, as these words shoot out into the Interwebnets, not a single chunk of the sky has come crashing down.

The GTS uses the Cayenne S as its starting point, but the addition of its two extra letters required more than just plastic molds and superglue. The new model's front and rear fascias are boosted from the more powerful Turbo model, but the wheel arches that are widened by just over a half-inch are unique to the GTS, as is the no-cost (but also non-functional), optional, double-wing rear spoiler. Rounding out the GTS's cosmetic tweaking are new, lower side sills, and blacked-out b- and c-pillars. Twenty-one-inch wheels wrapped in massive 295/35R21 Michelin rubber are available in two different styles, and two new colors — Nordic Gold and GTS Red — are exclusive to this latest Cayenne.

Inside, every surface is wrapped in either leather or sweet, sweet Alcantara, and the steering wheel is padded for extra grip-friendly thickness. The driver and front passenger get 12-way adjustable sport seats that are supportive and comfortable on long drives. Three seatbelts still line the rear bench, but the two outlying positions have been shaped and bolstered to match the fronts, so this Cayenne is better suited to four than five passengers.

Blowing down the A1 along the south coast of Portugal, the mechanical differences between the S and GTS aren't immediately noticeable, since at a constant speed the 5-percent power increase and a final-drive ratio that's 15-percent shorter don't mean much. Drop a gear to pass, though, and the adrenaline begins to flow. To achieve the gain of 20 horsepower over the S model's 385, Porsche engineers reworked the V8's intake manifold and increased the throttle butterfly's diameter by about one quarter of an inch. A new sport exhaust system can take credit for some of the horsepower increase as well, and judging from the tailpipe note, it seems the engineers have managed to squeeze a pissed-off polar bear inside each muffler housing.

Porsche touts this model as offering "the first Cayenne to combine steel springs with PASM Porsche Active Suspension Management," a suspension concept that was so far reserved exclusively to Porsche sports cars. But the shorter, stiffer GTS springs don't comply with U.S. light truck regulations, so models arriving at our ports will be fitted with a self-leveling air suspension system that drops the GTS 20 millimeters lower than a Cayenne S, but still 4 millimeters higher than the steel-sprung GTS models found in the rest of the world. At highway speeds and with the air suspension set to "comfort," the vehicle feels just as relaxed as the less expensive S model with the same system.

That changes as we turn off and head into the Monchique mountains. As a subtle indicator of the GTS's sporting intentions, there's a small "sport" button in the center console's air-suspension adjustments. And next to that small "sport" button, there is another, larger "sport" button, because if pushing one is great, engaging "sport sport" must be like turning an amplifier to 11. Pressing the second, GTS-exclusive button is like sending a strong zap of electricity through the Cayenne's body. Its muscles instantly tighten thanks to the automatic activation of PASM's sport damper settings, and the exhaust screams louder due to a sharpened throttle response and variable exhaust flaps. In Cayennes equipped with Tiptronic, the second sport program also raises the shift points, allowing each gear to gobble up a bit more of the powerband's juiciest bits.

I'll have to take Porsche at its word for that last part, because the Cayenne I drove wasn't equipped with a Tiptronic at all. A huge part of what makes the Cayenne unique in this segment, which is occupied by the BMW X5 4.8i, the Range Rover Sport, and the ML63 AMG, is that it comes standard with a ZF six-speed manual transmission. And while Porsche doesn't expect to sell a large percentage of manuals in the States, it's certainly good to know that the company hasn't stopped catering to the fringes. The manual GTS's 0-62 mph time of 6.1 seconds betters the Tiptronic's by 0.4 seconds, and it's more involving along the way, too. It's like having yet another sport button. (If you're keeping track, we're up to "sport sport sport.") Along the mountainous route to the coastal Portuguese town of Arrifana, I can't get over the fact that I'm heel-and-toe downshifting a 4906-pound sport-ute, and having so much fun doing it. Although the peak torque output of 369 lb-ft doesn't come until 3500 rpm, a great percentage of that churn is available from about 2500 on up. For much of the drive, there's no reason to leave third gear, other than the highly addictive sound of rev-matched downshifts shaking up the animals in the exhaust pipes. The shifter's throws could stand to be a bit shorter and more precise — the unit does go unchanged from that offered in lower level Cayennes — but clutch take-up is smooth and predictable.

It takes more than wonderful exhaust tones and a do-it-yourself gearbox to make a Porsche special, though, and thankfully the GTS is a completely thought-out package. Teleporting the steering feel of the empty-nosed 911 into the helm of a front-engine truck is an impossible endeavor, but the Cayenne's engineers got close. The oh-I-just-hit-a-penny feedback isn't there, but the steering is as tactile and direct as it gets in this class, and makes quick work of a series of descending switchbacks without feeling like the GTS is fighting various laws of physics. In addition to PASM, the superheated Cayenne also benefits from the option of Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, which uses two anti-roll bars with hydraulic motors that infinitely adjust to prevent body roll. According to the German guys with the calculators, that roll is snubbed out up to 0.6 gs, at which point a progressive amount of lean is allowed in, thereby making the Cayenne's adhesion limits safer and more predictable. I believe them. By the end of the drive, I'm constantly reminding myself that am, in fact, not driving a sport sedan. "I can think of a few sports cars that are less fun that this," my driving partner surmises. "Yeah. More than a few."

The Cayenne GTS can't claim a full victory in the war against weight, and this truth surfaces under heavy braking. Despite upgraded discs measuring 13.78 inches in front and 12.99 inches at the rear — and the bite of six- and four-piston calipers, respectively — bringing the GTS down from speed is a lesson in patience and caution. The Porsche does, at least, stay perfectly stable in quick stops, something that can't be said of quite a few high-performance sport-utes. There are currently no plans to offer Porsche's carbon-ceramic brake option on any level of Cayenne.

For the self-proclaimed purists out there, the Cayenne won't be a real Porsche until Stuttgart finds a way to cut 1000 pounds, delete the rear seat, remove the front differential, and move the engine back to where luggage currently resides. For those of us with a more liberal definition of the brand, the GTS is the best Cayenne yet. It isn't the most powerful, but it is plenty quick, and, more importantly, it's incredibly well balanced. At $69,300, it isn't a bad deal, either. Like the Mercedes-Benz CLK Black Series, the GTS is proof that enough engineering effort can make even the heaviest vehicles a pleasure to drive. Is an SUV that drives like a sports car ridiculous? Sure it is, but so is an engine that's mounted behind the rear wheels. Same goes for a big-block muscle car with nine-inch drum brakes, or a car with ten more cylinders than it has seats. Sometimes, passion forsakes all logic.
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That color makes eyes bleed and kittens die.

I kinda like the color, but I this is no doubt my favorite Cayenne of the lot.

M

I like the colour too. Reminds me of the orange copper they use on the Infiniti FX.

Don't like Cayenne and GTS is no exception,ML or X5 anyday!

I'm in love with this car, especially the colour. This is the ultimate sport activity veichle. I would love to play around in a manual one.
Porsche made a home run with this car, but it's a pity they waiting this long to launch it.

The paint color I can stand but that interior combo has to be the most boring available.

Love Cayenne, since she was born & now the respect is even more ...!

Is this the only modern SUV with a proper manual? Kudos to Porsche for giving it one.

Audi Q7 3.6 FSI can be ordered with a 6-speed manual transmission in Europe. If you include the lower categories then we have X3, Landrover Freelander & low-end Discovery models, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, VW Tiguan. Those are some that I can think of.