Porsche is following up on the success of the Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 and the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 with the fully individualized Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3. And Porsche understands what “limited edition” means offering just 100 models through the U.S. (Canada will receive just 12).

Powered by the standard GTS 4.8-liter V8 engine with 405hp and 369 ft-lbs of torque, the Porsche Design model also gets a sports exhaust system and can hit 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds and blast on to a top speed of 156 mph. It will come with Porsche’s Tiptronic S transmission.

Outside the rare SUV gets a Lava Grey Metallic paint job with three black stripes running up the hood and a black stripe running across the doors. And in place of chrome accents, this new model gets black detailing for the window surrounds, door handles and door trim. Bi-xenon lights are standard and come with black housings.

Both the miniscule fender flares and and 21-inch SportPlus wheels will come paint-matched to the body in the same dark grey.

Porsche will also offer an optional extended double roof spoiler as a no-cost option.

There are plenty of special edition details outside with the Cayenne GTS logo featuring a red “S” and a similar logo appearing on the doors.

The Porsche Design folks also did a serious number on the interior of the Cayenne GTS with a black leather interior with red stitching on the dash, door trim, floor mats and cargo area. Even better, the power adjustable sport seats feature Alcantara inserts, and Alcantara also coats the center console, door inserts, door handle inserts and headliner.

Porsche Design Edition 3 logos are plentiful inside, being stamped on the door sills and tachometer. Each vehicle will also feature a numbered plaque displaying which number the specific vehicle is. Other interior highlights include Porsche crest embossed headrests and a 410-watt, 14-speaker Bose 5.1 surround sound system.

The Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3 will come standard with Porsche’s ParkAssist system and a 0.78-inch lower ride height for the air suspension (an optional extra on standard Cayenne models and standard on the Turbo models).

Pricing for this limited edition is set at $89,900,($109,300 CDN) and includes a long list of Porsche Design extras including the Type P’6612 chronograph and a four-piece luggage set (including briefcase).

Limited to fewer than 100 units in the United States, this high-performance SUV bears styling touches from the Porsche Design Studio in Zell am See, Austria

ATLANTA – March 25, 2009 —- Porsche will offer U.S. customers a very limited version of its Cayenne SUV, the 2010 Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3. Featuring interior and exterior styling cues that help communicate this unique Porsche’s high-performance personality, it is the first time the Porsche Design stylists have chosen an SUV rather than one of Porsche’s sports cars.

Available through authorized Porsche dealers in the second half of this year for an MSRP of $89,900, the Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3 comes in Lava Grey Metallic with special design stripes adorning the sides and the hood. Bi-Xenon™ headlights are standard, yet they are finished in black to tie in with the dark privacy glass on windows rear of the B-pillar and the monochrome black exterior package for the window surrounds, door handles and door trim.

Adding to the look is the ‘Cayenne GTS’ model designation on the rear liftgate in black with the ‘S’ in red, and the standard 21-inch SportPlus wheels and the wheel arch extensions finished in Lava Grey Metallic. Finally, customers can select an extended roof spoiler with a double-wing profile as a no-cost option.

Upon opening the door, the unique styling is immediately noticeable with the ‘Porsche Design Edition 3’ logo appearing on the stainless steel door entry guards. Exclusive black leather interior with contrasting red stitching in the seams on the upper dashboard and door trim, floor mats and cargo area mat further enhance the looks of this limited edition Cayenne.

Other interior accents include electrically adjustable sport seats with extended memory and raised bolsters for additional lateral support, the Porsche crest embossed on the headrests, and the center sections of the front and rear seats finished in non-slip Alcantara. The center console, the door linings, the inner sections of the door handles, and the entire roof lining are trimmed in Alcantara, as well. A padded rim on the three-spoke multifunction steering wheel; carbon trim strips; the ‘Porsche Design Edition 3’ logo on the tachometer face; a 410-watt, 14-speaker Bose® 5.1 Surround Sound System; and a glovebox badge bearing the series production number round out the interior package.

Performance comes via a 4.8-liter V8 engine fitted with a Sport Exhaust System as standard equipment and mated to Porsche’s six-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission. With 405 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, the Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3 can sprint to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds on its way to a top test track speed of 156 mph. Also standard is the ParkAssist system and air suspension with a ride height that is .78 of an inch lower than the air suspension system available on the Cayenne and Cayenne S and standard on the Cayenne Turbo and Turbo S.

Like its sister limited edition models — the Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 and the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 – this special model includes as standard equipment several Porsche Design accessories. For this car, the Porsche Design Studio has created a Type P’6612 automatic chronograph featuring a light titanium casing measuring 1.65 inches (42 mm) in diameter. It also has a metal strap with DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating, a special coating carried over from racing engines that gives the titanium casing its characteristic color. Finally, the exclusive chronograph face plays off of the Cayenne GTS Porsche Design Edition 3’s unique interior. Also included is a four-piece luggage set (three trolley cases in various sizes and a functional briefcase) bearing the Porsche Design Edition 3 label.