Sorry to start with a cliche, but the Porsche Cayenne Coupé really is one of those cars that appears to be an answer to a question you thought nobody was asking. Yet like all manufacturers, and German premium ones in particular, Porsche is getting ever keener to make sure no niche goes unfilled. So what we have here is, as it says on the tin, a coupé version of its large Cayenne SUV.
Effectively a rival for high-end versions of the BMW X6, Mercedes GLE Coupé and, arguably, the Range Rover Velar, the Cayenne Coupé at the very least should inject some driving dynamism into a class where generally speaking there is none. And it does that by being based on the best big SUV of the lot for those of us who love driving. Mechanically, you see, the Coupé is pretty much identical to the standard model.
Obviously the big changes are external, where designers have grafted on a sloping roofline that chops around 20mm from the Cayenne’s height, plus added a few extra millimetres of length and width. Credit where credit’s due, though, because the Stuttgart stylists have done a rather neat job, the changes helping shed some of the standard car’s not inconsiderable visual bulk. It’s not a jarring shape like the BMW X6; instead, it’s much more subtle, giving the Coupé more than a hint of slightly scaled-up Macan.
Perhaps aware that this could be mistaken as a mere marketing exercise, Porsche has attempted to add some eye-catching engineering. For starters, there are two roof options - a full-length panoramic glass job or a carbonfibre panel. The latter saves 21kg and gets a distinctive ‘double bubble’ finish similar to that of the 911 GT3 RS, which perhaps isn’t the sort of connection that car’s creators would like made.
How does the Coupé compare to the standard Cayenne?
The carbonfibre roof is part of a number of ‘Lightweight Packages’ that can be specified, each designed to reinforce the point that the Coupé is a more serious driving tool than the normal Cayenne. Each gets some carbonfibre interior and exterior trim inserts, a reduction in sound deadening material and natty checked cloth trim and Alcantara trim for the seats. All in, with the roof panel, these add up to a saving 22.4kg. To minimise mass further, there are some forged aluminium 22in alloy wheels that shave around 17kg from the unsprung mass. In total, that’ll be around £7500. Mind you, the Coupé needs all the help it can get because without the diet parts, the Turbo tips the scales at 2200kg, which is 25kg more than the five-door model. Less really is more in this case.