Porsche Cayenne GTS (2012) first official pictures

For those who prefer to take their sporting SUV strictly turbo-free, Porsche has unveiled the racier GTS variant of its benchmark Cayenne.

Weighing in at a hefty £67,147 before you've tackled the infamous Porsche options list, the Cayenne GTS lands in UK showrooms in July 2012.

Well, the colour will hardly have escaped your attention - Peridot Green is the same hue which debued on the Cayman R. Under the eye-searing skin however, there's more to the GTS than just another Porsche special edition.

Lurking behind the Turbo-inspired grille is an uprated version of the normally aspirated Cayenne S 4.8-litre V8, kicking out 420bhp to all four wheels via an eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission.

Nope. The Cayenne is still denied Stuttgart's double-clutch count, but there's plenty of sporting equipment included on the GTS to enhance its on-road behaviour. Ride height has been dropped by 24mm and includes Porsche Active Suspension Management to tailor the damping on the lowered, stiffer suspension.

Inside, sports seats complement the leather and Alcantara-trimmed cabin. Paddleshifters on the SportDesign steering wheel also feature.

All of this should further enhance the Cayenne's physics-defying abilities as the definitive hot-rod off-roader. The 0-62mph sprint passes in 5.7 seconds, while the top speed is 162mph, though don't expect to enjoy such performance while matching Porsche's claim of 26.4mpg.

The GTS coughs out a fairly respectable 251g/km of CO2 from its standard-fit sports exhaust.

Sitting between the 395bhp Cayenne S and all-conquering Cayenne Turbo in the range, the Cayenne GTS gives away 93bhp to its blown sibling, but commands a saving of over £17,000 next to the Turbo. We'll see if the naturally aspirated GTS is the pick of the bunch when it touches down on these shores in July.

Although purists still decry the Cayenne, there's no denying its success for Porsche: last year in the UK, it sold 2500 versus 1600 of the 911 that made it famous.

Tellingly, the new Porsche Cayenne GTS will be unveiled at the Beijing motor show later in April 2012.

By Ollie Kew