ALGARVE, PORTUGAL - TARZAN has come out of the jungle. He's pulled on a suit, gelled his hair and stepped out as Lord Greystoke. He may look elegant in that get-up but, beneath the fabric, you can still see his muscles rippling and his brows are knitted with a brooding intensity that signals his wild roots.

Yes, yes... I know this article is about the Cayenne GTS - the sporty, muscular version of Porsche's sports-utility vehicle. But I just can't shake the feeling that the GTS is the 'Lord Greystoke' of the SUV world. And, under its beefy wheel arches and chunky steering lies the true 'Tarzan' - the Cayenne S Transsyberia.

Having spent almost three weeks with the latter - training for and participating in the Transsyberia Rally - it is a beast I know well. It is a lean, mean two-seater that is capable of fording waist-deep rivers and clambering over washing machine-sized boulders.

The GTS looks genteel in comparison, is loaded with every creature comfort one can wish for and seats five. And, despite my probing at the media conference, Porsche says development of this car started way before it unleashed 26 Transsyberias in the rally. It says the GTS is a sporty version of the Cayenne S and slots right between it and the top-of-the-line Cayenne Turbo.

Accepted. After all, one doesn't roll finished products off the assembly line just months after completing research and development. The Transsyberia Rally was in August, and the GTS was presented to the media early this month. But - call me stubborn - the GTS reeks of the same DNA.

The engine is exactly the same: the 4.8-litre V8 that powers the Cayenne S and the Transsyberia. But, in the GTS, it produces 405bhp (at 6,500rpm), 20 more than the other two cars. Porsche says this was done by ensuring an even smoother flow of air into the intake system.

Even the gearbox is identical: a six-speed Tiptronic S auto transmission. Of course, unlike the Transsyberia, you can get the GTS with a six-speed manual too. But check this out: While the final drive on the Cayenne S is 3.55:1, the final drive on the GTS has been shortened to 4.10:1 for a more sporty drive. That, ahem, is almost identical to the 4.11:1 on the Transsyberia.

As for the suspension, the GTS is the first Cayenne to team a steel spring suspension with Porsche's Active Suspension Management (PASM) system. But, unlike the Cayenne S, this car sits 24mm lower. Of course, if you opt for the air suspension with PASM and Porsche's Dynamic Chassis Control system - standard equipment on the Transsyberia, by the way - you start off 20mm lower than the S and drop another 9mm when you select the low-ride setting. Hit 210kmh and the car drops another 5mm.

This is money well spent, as experienced on the twisty roads of Portugal's Algarve region. Leave the car in Comfort mode, and it soaks up the little bumps and rumbles without complaint. Hit the Sport button and the car firms up and lowers its centre of gravity, letting you throw it into corners with much more confidence.

The rest of the GTS is very different from its rally-bred sibling. Not only does it have two sports seats in front, it even has two in the back. Of course, the flip side of these wonderfully supportive seats is that it makes things a little cramped for the fifth passenger.

It rides on huge 21-inch sports rims shod with rubber that measures 295mm in width. And the car has stainless steel door strips that remind anyone getting into the car that it's a GTS.

Porsche has taken the bling factor even higher by introducing two new colours specially for this model. So look out for flashes of GTS Red and Nordic Gold Metallic when the car arrives in Singapore by early March next year.

So, sporty Cayenne S or toned-down Transsyberia? Somehow, I can't help thinking that the GTS wants to strip off its fancy trim and growl its way back into the real jungle. Just like Tarzan.

PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS
Price: $358,888 with COE
Engine: 4,806cc 32-valve V8
Transmission: Six-speed Tiptronic with shifting tabs on steering
Power: 405bhp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 3,500rpm
0-100kmh: 6.5 seconds
Top speed: 251kmh
Fuel consumption: 20.6 litres/100km (city)
Agent: Stuttgart Auto