The Ultimate 3 Porsche Garage - (None of which is a 911)
A sports car, a performance EV, and an SUV roll into a race paddock—it sounds like the opening to a strange joke or limerick, but I recently had the opportunity to test three of Porsche's most popular cars back to back on the surrounding roads of the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, and it got me thinking: Might I have found the ultimate 3-Car Garage?
First things first, you might be surprised and possibly even disappointed to learn that the haloed 911 has not made my list, but hear me out; you might forgive me...
My three cars are The Cayman GT4 RS—the hottest, loudest, and most track-focused Cayman ever—the Taycan Turbo S, Porsche's most powerful EV so far, and the Cayenne S, Porsche's iconic SUV, which also celebrates the return of the mighty turbo-charged V8.
The three cars couldn't be further apart in terms of design, category or powertrains, yet they all share one very significant factor: being the best at what they do.
Car 1: Taycan Turbo S - 'The Everyday'.
I'm a big fan of the Taycan in all its forms due to its low, sleek, and good old-fashioned car-shaped design language. For so many brands, EV seemingly needs to mean enormous pebble-shaped blobs, but Porsche, being Porsche, has managed to offer its range-leading EV with performance styling that is in keeping with its sports car heritage.
The Taycan Turbo S is Porsche's fastest EV on offer - until the new GT models come to market in 2025. Taking a seat inside a Taycan is as familiar in terms of Porsche comfort and dynamism as one could ever ask for despite being A) a family saloon and B) an EV. The interior speaks the language of performance, and thanks to the exceptionally comfortable seats and driver positioning, you instinctively want to experience the model's party trick - speed.
The Taycan moves from a standing start sedately; the gradual movement is sleek and quiet, fitting with the car's graceful design. At 2,295 kgs, the Turbo S is not a lightweight performance car, yet movement feels effortless thanks to the twin motor powertrain. Once out on the road with the opportunity to unleash the power, things take a dramatic turn, and the Taycan transforms from sedate, calm and quiet to something more resemblant to savagery.
With launch control engaged, the Taycan delivers a shock-inducing 1,110 Nm of torque from 700kW (~950 hp) of power. The result is 0-60mph in 2.3 seconds, 0-100mph in 5.2 seconds and 0-125mph in under 8 seconds. Perhaps the most significant figure beyond launching from 0-60 is the acceleration time from 50-75mph, which works out to be 1.5 seconds. Whilst out on the road, a tractor stopping and turning into a field allowed the perfect opportunity to engage launch control on a quiet 60 mph road.
The only other visible car, a dramatically large Rolls-Royce Spectre, which had done a fabulous job of filling my entire rearview mirror as it sat patiently behind me. My left foot is on the brake, my right foot is on the throttle, and the launch is engaged. My left foot releases the brake, and the force of the acceleration attempts to push my entire left leg backwards as if it were a now loose and unnecessary spare part. My head, shoulders and back are thrust into the seat amidst a whoosh and whine from the electric motors. The only real familiar audible sound comes from the tyres as they roar into life as the speed increases. Less than three seconds from the point of launch, I glance down at the clocks to check my speed and then up at the rearview mirror to discover that the previously dominating Rolls-Royce isn't much more than a tiny green spec in the reflection. The marvel beyond the launch speed and power is the sheer silence at 60mph. Wind and tyre noise have been engineered into near silence, giving an unusually sedate environment at speed.
Thanks to its maximum 320kW charge ability, charging the 105kWh battery is easy and fast, with 10-80% possible in as little as 18 minutes. However, even with a typically average 150kW public charger, a 10-80% charge can be achieved in 33 minutes. Home wall chargers at 11kW will reward an overnight charge from 0-100% in 11 hours. A full charge results in 350-390 miles on a combined drive or as much as 429 miles with exclusively city driving.
Nothing is compromised due to the Taycan's drive train or platform; it feels as special and sporty as any other performance saloon with a Porsche badge with all the comfort, quietness, and elegance anyone could wish for in a daily driver.
Car 2: Cayman GT4 RS - 'The Toy'
Almost all drivers who aspire to own a collection of cars must have something designed exclusively for driving performance, and the Cayman GT4 RS ticks every box in this category.
The Cayman GT4 RS is the hardest, fastest, and most driver-focused Cayman ever to exist, and the best part is that it's 100% road-legal. For many, the experience of driving or owning an RS model Porsche will be as close to driving an actual racing car as they may want or need to get. The GT4 RS takes what is already a celebrated, refined, and dedicated driver's car, except with all the dials turned up to 11.
Once sat in the driver's seat and with the turn of the key, the GT4 RS barks into life with the air intake drawing in the air like a snarling beast hiding somewhere just behind your head. The perfect driving position, peddle position and visibility are apparent before you've engaged a gear and got moving. Once you do, there's no going back. You'll never think of sports cars in the same way again from this point onwards.
The realisation of the Porsche RS engineering team's talent is especially remarkable when driving their circuit-focused cars on the road. The engineers have somehow produced a car capable of setting consistent lap times and records whilst also being perfectly able (and pleasant) to drive sedately on the road. This is far from the norm in terms of cars designed for the circuit, with typical compromises being space, comfort, storage or technology.
The GT4 RS offers it all, and the performance figures for the fast stuff are incredible. A sprint of 0-62mph happens in 3.4 seconds thanks to a delightful combination of a 1,415kg weight and what is arguably one of the most significant petrol engines ever produced—Porsche's 4.0-litre flat six RS engine, which produces 500hp and 450Nm of torque delivered exclusively to the rear wheels. The gearbox paired with the engine is another engineering masterpiece from Porsche, the 7-speed PDK, which grants gear shifts in less than 0.1 seconds per shift.
Firing up through the gears with a PDK paddle box in a Porsche GT4 RS feels overwhelmingly special. It induces the sort of giggles and smiles otherwise associated with substances best reserved for activities distantly related to driving. The blips on downshifts are equally rewarding and are so fast that they give the impression you've somehow sped up time itself. Nothing should feel so fast yet so satisfying yet so manageable and predictable. Beyond the physical force from the powertrain is the symphony of noise, which all stems from inside the car. The air intake sucks and honks from up high - just behind your head, the engine zips and roars from just below your lower back and the combined fizz and rumbles of the exhaust complete the performance as if it were all being conducted by Hans Zimmer himself from the passenger seat.
The Cayman GT4 RS's drive is about as close to perfection as my creative writing licence will allow, thanks to the weight, mid-engine placement, and suspension geometry. The RS turns into corners with the sensation that a greater force has done the work for you. Everything about the driving experience feels intuitive and rewarding in equal measure. When the gear shifts are on point, and the car is hooked into a sequence of corners, it's tricky to think of what else might offer the same level of excitement and reward for a pricetag anywhere near the RS's £123,000.
I sometimes fear that I overuse the words 'perfect' and 'masterpiece' when writing about cars, but the GT4 RS has to be as close as possible to both in almost all categories. I can't think of anything else with a remotely similar price tag that would offer so much reward for a pure driving experience.
Car 3: Cayenne S - 'The Everything Else'
Porsche broke the mould for performance cars when it unveiled its first SUV, the Cayenne, in the early noughties. The model's arrival upset Porsche purists and sports car fanatics alike and unsettled the motoring press into a frenzy. We've since learned that the Cayenne wasn't as much of a market-snatching opportunist but somewhat of a saviour for the marque, with the model responsible for keeping the much-loved 911 alive.
Not long after the Cayenne conquered the performance SUV market at the turn of the new millennium, other OEMs followed suit, with unlikely SUVs now being produced by the likes of Bentley, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and even Ferrari. The critical factor in all of this is that Porsche did it first, and as a result, the latest offering, in the form of the Cayenne S I'd be testing last, proves that the engineers in Stuttgart are still doing it the best.
The headline for the latest Cayenne S is the return of the turbo-charged V8, which replaces the previous model's V6. It's an exciting move from Porsche, especially when most manufacturers are scaling engines down in preparation for the switch to EVs. The 4.0-litre turbo-V8 produces a sublime 474 hp and 600Nm of torque, delivering power to all four wheels. Being the S, the performance is delivered subtly; there is very little in the way of shouts or roars. It simply wafts through the torque band, getting the job done in the most brilliant and Germanic way.
The Cayenne's seating position and overall comfort are familiar and rewarding—an ideal balance of comfort and dynamism. The upgrades, like the Bose surround sound system, make the Cayenne a pleasant place. Even in the most ordinary driving mode, the Cayenne remains comfortable for many hours, making it ideal for long road trips with the family or even the perfect track day tow vehicle for the GT4 RS on a trailer.
As is the nature of the Cayenne, the model is designed and engineered to be engaging as a driver's car, a brief executed beyond expectations. Hitting apexes and accelerating through to the torque band on the twisty, fast country roads near Goodwood reminded me that practicality doesn't ever need to result in a dull drive. On paper, a large SUV suited for carting around family and boot-loads of shopping shouldn't be an exciting drive, and yet, in the Cayenne S, it is.
Porsche's latest trailblazing SUV starts at £84,400, but with a few options added, it would be sensible to expect that price to jump up by another £10k. It's a fair price for a spacious family car that rewards true driving dynamics and comfort combined. It is the ideal third car and possibly the one that will cover the most miles out of the three.
Three very different cars—the everyday, the toy, and the everything else—each deliver its own version of performance and practicality combined. They are all equally remarkable and the best at what they're designed to do.
words: John Marcar
pictures: Porsche Press
special thanks to Goodwood Motor Circuit
