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The first-generation Porsche Cayenne was not the most stirring thing to look at. The facelifted 2008 edition fares slightly better (particularly the Turbo), but it's still no beauty. Aftermarketers have also met difficulty when dealing with the Cayenne's looks. For example, TechArt's Magnum is certainly a performance monster, but it still wears a love-it-or-hate-it mug.

We were stating to believe that a truly hot-looking Cayenne was simply not achievable at the hands of humans, when Greg from Cardesign.ru sent in word of the Top Car Vantage GT. Top Car is a Russian aftermarket outfit, and from the looks of things, it has its stuff in order. The Cayenne-derived Vantage GT is both a looker and a performer, and we'll say this: it's one of the best looking Cayennes we've seen -- factory or tuner-built -- period.

[Source: CarDesign.ru]


The body has been overhauled and sports new panels all around. Of key importance is the front end, which wears round lamps sourced from a 997, making all the difference in the world. In short: it's sporty and aggressive, and most of all the lights scream, "PORSCHE!" It's much better than the angry face the stock production vehicle wears. Note also the rear doors, whose handles have been shaved (they're actuated by remote control, instead) and which are adorned with a large vent ahead of the rear wheel.This, combined with the fact that the front doors retain their handles, helps give the Vantage GT more of a 3-door appearance. All the engine work is farmed out to 9ff, who can summon up to 750 horsepower behind those gaping front inlets assuming your pockets are deep enough. naturally, a custom interior is also part of the deal. Russian oligarchs take note: Top Car only plans to build 30 to 50 of these a year.