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Car and Driver
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
Tested: 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Brings the V-8 Thunder
A question pops into my wife's head about 30 minutes after she climbs into the 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS: "Does this car make you want to drive faster?" (Oh, no. Here it comes.) But then she continues: "Because I would. I mean, just listen to that exhaust." (Wait, what?) Well, yeah, sometimes I look down at the speedo and find I'm going much faster than I intend to. But do you think that exhaust sound is a bit too much? "No, not at all," she replies. "It's got a good growl." Sound On She's right. The new Cayenne GTS has a most excellent growl. It starts when you fire up the car, and it really brings the thunder when you stand on the loud pedal. And unlike the last Cayenne GTS we tested, a 2021 Coupe, this vehicle wasn't equipped with the tuned exhaust that was optional on Coupe back then. No matter. A rorty exhaust is now standard on the 2025 GTS, and it's one reason why the base price has crept up. View Exterior Photos James Lipman | Car and Driver Matting the throttle now uncorks 86 decibels, as opposed to 82 decibels with the tuned pipes back in 2021. When you're cruising at 70 mph, it still settles into a very civilized 66-decibel hum, just like before. The extra noise at wide-open throttle just might have something to do with the tweaks to the V-8 engine. It now makes 493 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque, which is 40 horses and 29 pound-feet more than the previous version. Changes include a higher-pressure fuel-injection system, electronically controlled wastegates to speed up throttle response, mono-scroll turbos instead of twin-scroll units to increase resistance to higher exhaust temperatures, and a new variable-lift intake cam that improves high-rpm performance while still allowing for mid-rpm fuel economy. Highway fuel economy is up some 3 mpg to 22 mpg. Some of these changes are shared with the new V-8 Cayenne S, but the GTS has been calibrated to run more boost. There are also quicker gearchanges in Sport and Sport Plus modes. View Interior Photos James Lipman | Car and Driver Faster Acting All of this amounts to superior acceleration times. The new GTS gets to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, continues on to 100 mph in 9.2 seconds, and completes the quarter-mile in 12.1 seconds at 112 mph. Compare that with the 2021 Cayenne GTS Coupe, which did 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, 100 mph in 10.2 seconds, and the quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds at 110 mph. This is despite that the new model is heavier, measuring 5145 pounds to the old Coupe's 5014 pounds. HIGHS: V-8 thunder, composed ride, grippy handling and braking. It doesn't end there. All new Cayennes use a larger tire diameter than before, 31 inches instead of the prior model's 30 inches. The new rubber essentially rolls over cracks that the last car seemed to fall into, although an extra inch isn't that significant. The GTS certainly does ride more smoothly than you'd expect, even in Sport mode. Credit also goes to the change to two-valve adaptive dampers, with separate control of compression and rebound, and two-chamber air springs, which are set to make the GTS ride 0.4 inch lower. Our car was also fitted with the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control's active anti-roll bars ($3580) and rear-axle steering ($1280). View Exterior Photos James Lipman | Car and Driver As before, the tires are Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 (sized in 285/40 front and 315/35 at the rear to fit our new test car's 22-inch wheels instead of the previous gen's 21-inchers). The GTS's front end also has an additional 0.6 degree of negative camber compared with other Cayennes, thanks to the adoption of upper pivot bearings from the Cayenne Turbo GT. The result: a directness and a degree of control that are unmatched yet don't stray into the realm of hyperactivity. The chassis takes a balanced set through corners and holds the line resolutely. On the limit at the skidpad, it grips just a wee bit better than the previous model, 1.01 to 1.00 g's, despite being 131 pounds heavier. With larger brake rotors, particularly in front—16.1 inches versus of the 2021 model's 15.4 inches—the GTS sees improved brake performance as well. The iron rotors hauled our Cayenne down from 70 mph in just 144 feet, versus 153 feet for the previous model. The difference is even more dramatic in stops from 100 mph: 294 feet for the new version versus 313 for the old one. And this is with zero drama, zero brake fade. LOWS: Wonky start-stop tuning, no quiet mode for early-morning starts. One thing we didn't like as much revealed itself at low speeds around town. Just puttering around in Normal mode, the auto start-stop system was too eager to shut down the engine, even when in a rolling stop. Sport mode is an easy remedy because it disables start-stop, but we don't mind this feature if it's done well. Porsche clearly has some work to do here. View Interior Photos James Lipman | Car and Driver Money Matters Inside, our Cayenne GTS was thoughtfully appointed yet didn't go overboard with Porsche's options list. The most extravagant addition here is the color-matched interior, which was $2980 for Carmine Red accents that match the exterior. The $2450 Premium package is a grouping of essentials that you probably want anyway: a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, heated rear seats. Finally, for $1720, there are the utterly fantastic adaptive 18-way power sport seats (with memory, thank goodness). That's it for the interior bits, unless you want to include the $580 thermally and noise-reducing front glass or the ubiquitous $1100 Sport Chrono package, which brings along a push-to-pass button, Sport Plus mode (for the most aggressive launch-control starts), and an intermediate Sport setting for the stability control. View Interior Photos James Lipman | Car and Driver All of this made our test car amount to $145,185, which isn't crazy when you consider that our 2021 GTS Coupe stickered for $142,171. Sure, at $126,895, the base price is higher than before, but many of the items on the 2021 options list are now included because, well, everyone bought them. These include a Bose surround-sound stereo, a surround-view camera system, lane-change assist, keyless entry, soft-close doors, wireless phone charging, and auto-dimming mirrors, features amounting to $6180 worth of now-standard equipment. Heated front seats, which previously came in a front/rear package for $1060, are also now included. And let's not forget the tuned pipes of the Sport exhaust, newly standard as well. Porsche has made it clear which non-GT-spec Cayenne is the driver's model. It's the one with the extra oomph, the slightly lower ride height. The one with the bigger brakes and tweaks that give it a little more grip. The one that'll make your passengers take notice of the glorious exhaust note. And it's all in the name. The 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS essentially means Get This Spec. View Exterior Photos James Lipman | Car and Driver VERDICT: GTS stands for Get This Spec. Specifications Specifications 2025 Porsche Cayenne GTS Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE Base/As Tested: $126,895/$145,185 Options: Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, $3580; GTS Interior package in Carmine Red, $2980; Premium package (panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist, heated rear seats), $2450; adaptive 18-way sport seats with memory, $1720; 22-inch Turbo Design wheels, $1630; Carmine Red paint, $1430; rear-axle steering, $1280; Sport Chrono package, $1100; black-painted brake calipers, $910; ultra-high-performance tires, $630; thermally and noise-insulated front glass, $580 ENGINE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection Displacement: 244 in3, 3995 cm3 Power: 493 hp @ 6000 rpm Torque: 486 lb-ft @ 2100 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink Brakes, F/R: 16.1-in vented disc/14.4-in vented disc Tires: Pirelli P Zero Corsa PZC4 F: 285/40ZR-22 (110Y) NC0 R: 315/35ZR-22 (111Y) NC0 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 114.0 in Length: 194.1 in Width: 78.6 in Height: 65.9 in Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 60/26 ft3 Curb Weight: 5145 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 3.5 sec 100 mph: 9.2 sec 1/4-Mile: 12.1 sec @ 112 mph 130 mph: 17.3 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 4.8 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 3.4 sec Top Speed (mfr's est): 171 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 144 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 294 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.01 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 18 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 18/15/22 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED Reviewed by Dan Edmunds Technical Editor Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by (no relation) to build a testing department.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet The Mid-Engine V8 Honda Supercar That Almost Was
Meet The Mid-Engine V8 Honda Supercar That Almost Was originally appeared on Autoblog. In the mid-1970s, when the oil crisis had brought much of America to its knees, Honda was on the cutting edge of efficiency innovations. Its now-famous Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion system allowed the 1975 Civic and subsequent models to pass emissions tests without an expensive and power-sapping catalytic converter, prompting Ford and Chrysler to license the technology. GM executives, however, dismissed the technology as only being suitable for motorcycles and very small cars, not a V8. "Well, I have looked at this design, and while it might work on some little toy motorcycle engine... I see no potential for it on one of our GM car engines." Dr. Soichiro Honda disagreed, and to prove a point, he had a Chevrolet Impala with a 5.7-liter V8 shipped to Japan, fitted it with the CVCC tech, and sent it back to the EPA for testing, showing the world that the invention cleaned up the emissions from any engine. Around the same time, in 1973, the automaker was considering a mid-engine supercar with a V8 of its own (shown in a video of the new exhibit at the Honda Collection Hall on the モンベル好きS660乗りYouTube channel), way before the first-gen NSX arrived in 1990. After all, Honda was clearly ahead of the curve, so why not redefine it? Little is known of Honda's contemporary plans for the engine, but we doubt it would have been as humongous as the 5.7-liter beast in the Impala because, although front-engine supercar layouts were being considered by Honda's design team, a mid-engine design made it all the way to a full-size clay model. The sketches show a styling strategy that was typical of the time, blending smooth curves with sharp lines. Despite some clear British influence, it also had a distinctly Japanese look. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Sadly, it never went further than a clay model, but now, some volunteers in the Honda design department have come together to build a static model complete with paint and wheels. Since it's much too late to waste resources on building a working prototype, this is just a one-fourth-scale model, but the original designers were consulted to ensure that the lines and proportions are just as they originally envisaged. View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article Like this forgotten supercar concept, the NSX that eventually did arrive had pop-up headlights, though its design was more directly influenced by the Pininfarina-designed HP-X concept from 1984. The NSX name stood for New, Sportscar, eXperimental, and had Honda chosen to press on with its V8 supercar, it certainly would have fit the bill. Back then, the oil crisis dictated most decisions in the automotive space, and a supercar was seen as too great a risk. But there's no doubt that the NSX we did eventually get was born in the minds of those mid-1970s designers, and although a V8 Honda supercar never happened, the idea of pushing the brand beyond what others think is possible has been a hallmark of its success. With the automaker working on everything from reusable rockets to hydrogen-powered cars these days, any new idea it has in the pipeline is always worth keeping an eye on. Some may not make reality in their initial form, but the seeds planted by Honda's experimental cars certainly inform future production. Meet The Mid-Engine V8 Honda Supercar That Almost Was first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Car and Driver
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
View Photos of the 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed
Bentley has brought the Speed nameplate back to the Bentayga SUV. The 2026 Bentayga Speed is now powered by a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine instead of the W-12 powertrain featured in the previous model, which was last sold in the 2023 model year. Read the full story
Car and Driver
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
641-HP Bentley Bentayga Speed V-8 Skips the Hybrid, Adds a Drift Mode
The 2026 Bentley Bentayga Speed packs a 641-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, skipping the hybrid setup seen on the Continental GT Speed. The V-8 engine in this luxury SUV produces 627 pound-feet of torque, and Bentley claims the Speed can zip from zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds. The Bentayga Speed also features a new ESC Dynamic mode that lets the hulking SUV swing out its tail for controllable drifts. After a two-year hiatus, the Bentley Bentayga Speed has returned. Unlike the latest Continental GT Speed and Flying Spur Speed, however, the fastest version of the British automaker's SUV skips the 771-hp hybrid powertrain in those cars, instead turning up the wick on the existing twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 to produce a 641-hp punch. 641 HP and a Drift Mode The last Bentayga Speed was motivated by a W-12 engine, which brought a unique character but carried a weight penalty. But Bentley killed off the W-12 at the time of the limited-production Batur, so the new Speed utilizes a beefed-up version of the Bentayga's V-8, which produces 15 more horsepower than the W-12. View Photos Bentley Torque, however, is down from 664 pound-feet with the W-12 to 627 pound-feet with the V-8. Bentley claims the Bentayga Speed will rip from zero to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds, a five-tenth improvement over the automaker's estimate for the previous Speed, while the top speed is listed at 193 mph. The 2026 Bentayga Speed also has a party trick: the new ESC Dynamic mode will allow this giant SUV to drift. This setting scales back stability-control intervention to allow the Bentayga to get sideways, using torque vectoring to create sharper turn-in and then allowing you to put the power down on corner exit to execute a slide. ESC Dynamic is paired with an upgraded Sport mode, which Bentley says provides better steering response and a 15 percent increase in suspension damping stiffness. Accessing ESC Dynamic appears to require opting for the optional carbon-ceramic brakes. The ESC Dynamic setting also brings a Launch Control function, a first for the Bentayga. View Photos Bentley The 2026 Bentayga Speed also gains rear-wheel steering, helping the SUV feel nimbler at low speeds by turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels to reduce the turning circle. At higher speeds, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front wheels for better stability. Bentley also attached a new Sports exhaust system which it says emits a "rich, powerful engine note." You can spot this new setup by the dual oval tailpipes protruding from the rear bumper. Customers can also upgrade to a titanium exhaust from Akrapovič that brings quad tailpipes. Sportier Design, Inside and Out The Bentayga Speed is distinguished by darkened exterior trim, a dark tint to the headlights, and a gray finish to the taillights, as well as the customary chrome Speed badges adorning the front fenders. The Speed comes standard with 22-inch wheels finished in either a silver or dark look, but choosing the carbon-ceramic brakes brings 23-inch wheels, offered in either gray satin, black, or a mix of black and bright machined finishes. Both the standard brakes and the carbon-ceramic units can be painted in an array of seven different colors, and buyers can also choose a black roof with either a gloss or satin finish. View Photos Bentley Inside, the Bentayga Speed features a Speed-specific display in the instrument cluster, a Speed badge on the dashboard and doorsills, and a Speed logo embroidered on the seats. The chrome brightwork can be finished in a dark hue, while the seats and door panels get a new "Precision Diamond" quilted pattern. Bentley has yet to announce prices, but based on the pricing of the 2023 Bentayga Speed, we expect the new 2026 model to start at around $280,000. Bentley also didn't specify when the Bentayga Speed will go on sale but confirmed that the high-performance SUV will arrive for the 2026 model year, so deliveries should start closer to the end of this year. Caleb Miller Associate News Editor Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Auto Blog
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
End of an Era? The Lexus IS 500 Ultimate Edition Hints at the Model's Farewell
The Lexus IS 500 F SPORT Performance Ultimate Edition is here with special features and the same V8 engine. Limited to just 500 units, it could be the last IS. Lexus is making an already wonderful V8 sports sedan more appealing with a final iteration The naturally-aspirated V8-powered Lexus IS 500 isn't the quickest sports sedan around, but there are few that look and sound this good. You might be sad to hear that with the introduction of the IS 500 F Sport Performance Ultimate Edition, Lexus could be signaling the end of the road for the venerable IS. The Ultimate Edition retains the IS 500's naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine, producing 472 horsepower, unchanged from stock. While Lexus hasn't officially confirmed the IS's discontinuation, the limited-run nature of this model and its debut as a 2025 model year vehicle suggest there may not be a 2026 IS. How is the IS 500 Ultimate Edition different? 2025 Lexus IS 500 Ultimate Edition Mechanically, the Ultimate Edition is unchanged from the standard IS 500, retaining the powerful V8 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive only. The Ultimate Edition retains the handsome body and sporty interior but adds some special touches. It gets a special exterior paint color called Wind, a metallic light gray finish that's probably better looking in person than in photos, where it appears as a variation on the model's Ultra White paint. It also gets 19-inch matte-black BBS wheels, red brake calipers, and special IS 500 Ultimate Edition badging. The cabin features a two-tone red and black colorway, complemented by racy red seatbelts, a numbered 1-of-500 plaque, and unique door scuff plates that signify its special designation. 2025 Lexus IS 500 Ultimate Edition The IS 500 F Sport Performance Premium is a beast in itself 2025 Lexus IS 500 Ultimate Edition — Source: Lexus The 472-horsepower V8 sports sedan will launch to 60 mph from a standstill in the mid-fours, which is properly quick, about the same as the Genesis G70 3.3T. The top trim IS 500 F Sport Performance Premium, gets a 14-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, voice command, configurable gauge cluster, a panoramic view monitor, and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson premium surround sound system with QuantumLogic surround technology. The upholstery features NuLuxe faux leather wrapped over heated and ventilated front seats (19-way power adjustable for the driver), a power moonroof, embossed door trim, and numerous physical controls for audio and climate. One vestige of the previous IS that we could do without is the wonky touchpad, which unfortunately remains in the IS 500. 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance When it comes to safety, the IS 500 Sport Performance comes standard with Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 and includes features like pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane tracing assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The IS 500 also boasts a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA. 2025 Lexus IS 2025 Lexus IS Pricing for the 2025 IS 500 F Sport Performance Ultimate Edition has not yet been announced, but the stock IS 500 F SPORT Performance starts at $60,595, while the F SPORT Performance Premium variant begins at $65,095. The Ultimate Edition will, no doubt, exceed that price point. Too bad it won't be offered in some of our favorite colors from the IS 500's palette history, like Flare Yellow and Molten Pearl. Final thoughts We don't care if the IS 500 F Sport Performance Ultimate Edition isn't the quickest, most tractable sports sedan around. The IS 500's naturally aspirated V8 offers a refreshing and nostalgic driving experience, as well as an absolutely intoxicating sound, appealing to enthusiasts who love sport and luxury. The Ultimate Edition will be totally worth the extra money, especially since the V8 will likely disappear from the Lexus stable in the next few years.
