An SUV With More Than 1,139 Horsepower

The title of Porsche’s most powerful road car may soon be claimed by another model.

Announced last November, the Cayenne Turbo Electric boasts an astonishing 1,139 horsepower and 1,500 Nm of torque with Launch Control engaged. It can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds. Its 113-kWh battery runs on an 800-volt architecture and supports ultra-fast charging at up to 400 kW. It’s the most powerful production car Porsche has ever built.

But Porsche apparently isn’t satisfied yet. According to reports from overseas media, spy shots have revealed a Turbo GT version of the Cayenne Electric Coupe. It appears to feature a fixed rear wing, more aggressive aerodynamic components, and larger brakes. Power is expected to exceed 1,139 horsepower, while the price could approach the roughly $214,800 sticker for the gasoline-powered Cayenne Turbo GT. Are we entering an era in which SUVs venture into hypercar territory?

The Limits of Big Power in Gas-Powered Cars

As the owner of a Taycan Turbo GT with the Weissach Package, there’s something I’d like to say about that.

The Taycan Turbo GT produces up to 1,092 horsepower with Launch Control. Plenty of people hear that figure and think, “There’s no way I could handle a car like that.” But that reaction comes from assumptions shaped by gas-powered cars. 1,000 horsepower in an EV reaches the driver in a very different way than 1,000 horsepower in a combustion-engine car.

I think back to my former 991.2 GT3 Touring and Panamera Turbo. To experience the full power of a gas-powered car with more than 500 horsepower, you have to wait for the engine to climb into its higher rev range. Meanwhile, the car keeps accelerating and the speed quickly builds. That’s fine on a racetrack. On public roads, by the time you begin to feel the power, you’re already over the speed limit. And because a transmission is involved, 500 horsepower in first gear feels completely different from 500 horsepower in second. The delay as revs rise, the effect of the gear ratios, and the risk of exceeding the speed limit during acceleration: together, these three obstacles make a gas-powered car’s full potential difficult to enjoy in everyday driving.

1,000 Horsepower, at Your Command With a Press of the Accelerator

An EV removes all of those obstacles.

An electric motor delivers maximum torque from its very first rotation. If you want just 10 horsepower out of 1,092, you get 10; if you want 100, you get 100—all instantly, simply by adjusting the accelerator with your right foot. There’s no waiting for the revs to climb as there is in a gas-powered car. And there’s no need to select a gear. The power you want, when you want it, in exactly the amount you want—that’s the essence of an electric motor.

The Taycan is an exception in that it has a two-speed transmission, but it shifts into second at around 100 km/h. That means almost all everyday driving happens in first gear. In other words, you can feel the direct response of more than 1,000 horsepower from the moment you pull out of your garage. Even my wife’s Taycan 4S Cross Turismo surprises me every time with its smooth, forceful acceleration—but the Turbo GT takes things to another level entirely. The harder you press the accelerator, the more power you get—and it arrives instantly, pushing you back in your seat with force beyond what you imagined.

Looking Ahead to the Cayenne EV Coupe Turbo GT

That’s exactly why I can’t wait to see the Cayenne Electric Coupe Turbo GT arrive.

With power expected to exceed 1,139 horsepower, plus the space and practicality of an SUV, it promises a compelling combination. The fixed rear wing hints that Porsche intends this to be more than just a luxury SUV: the company appears to be shaping it into a machine capable of delivering hypercar-level performance in everyday driving. As an owner who has experienced what more than 1,000 horsepower in an EV can really feel like in the Taycan Turbo GT, I see enormous potential in bringing that experience to an SUV.

The belief that more power makes an EV harder to handle remains widespread.

In reality, it’s the opposite. Because you can access exactly as much power as you need, precisely when you need it, greater total output can actually make the car feel more effortless. I hope the Cayenne EV Coupe Turbo GT helps more drivers discover that for themselves. Electric power at this level isn’t just for the racetrack—it can come into its own on the roads we drive every day.