New Porsche Panamera – familiar looks, more speed

The first models to be launched will be the 4, the 4S E-Hybrid, the GTS and the Turbo S. Starting at the top, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S is a new one – previously there has only been a Turbo or the bonkers Turbo S E-Hybrid. It has a twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8 engine with 630PS (463kW) and 820Nm (607lb ft) of torque, an 80PS and 50Nm hike over the old Turbo. 0-62mph takes 3.1 seconds and the top speed is 196mph. If you’re a company executive who happens to you live near the Autobahn, you will never be late for a meeting again.

The Turbo S should be comfortable, too, with three-chamber air suspension to soak up the bumps. On the flip side, the suspension can be firmed up, which goes some way to explain how Lars Kern, the man who set the GT2 RS Nürburgring records a couple of years back, managed a 7 minute 29.81 second lap of the Nordschleife in the new Panamera Turbo S. Can you imagine being a passenger in the back seat for that lap?

The 4S E-Hybrid is next in the pecking order, but do not misinterpret the word ‘hybrid’ here – hybrid it might be, but slow it is not. The 420PS (324kW) 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6 works alongside a 136PS (100kW) electric motor in the eight-speed PDK ‘box for a combined output of 560PS (412kW), as well as a whopping 750Nm (555lb ft) of torque. Zero to 62mph takes 3.7 seconds and the top speed is 186mph, “where permitted,” says Porsche. What’s impressive too is that Porsche has increased the size of the battery compared to previous E-Hybrid cars, up from 14.1kWh to 17.9kWh, meaning an electric-driving range of 34 miles.

There’s also the GTS, which in many ways is the simple driving tool of the range. There’s no hybrid system, just the 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8, here producing 480PS (353kW) and 620Nm (459lb ft) of torque, but Porsche has tuned the GTS’ engine to offer up more power with more revs, “to be like that of a classic sports car with a naturally-aspirated engine,” says Porsche. Peak power for the GTS is delivered at 6,500rpm and peak torque from 1,800–4,000rpm, whereas the Turbo S delivers peak power at 6,000rpm and peak torque from 2,300–4,500rpm.

Propping up the Panamera range are the least expensive and the least powerful all-wheel-drive Panamera 4 and the rear-wheel-drive Panamera, although both still have a decent kick to then. Both have the same 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6 producing 330PS (243kW) and 450Nm (333lb ft).

Across the board there have been tweaks to the Porsche Active Suspension Management to “deliver greater damping comfort” and to the electric roll stabilisation system Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport to, as you might have guessed, reduce roll. And as you might have noticed if you’ve looked at the photos carefully enough there have been a number of updates to the Panamera’s body, too. All Panameras get the sporty nose job that only Sport Design models got in the past, with the grilles on the front bumper. The rear lights have been redesigned as well, with GTS models getting slightly darker covers.

The price? Well the Panamera starts at £69,860, the Panamera 4 at £72,890, the 4S E-Hybrid at £101,690, the GTS at £107,180 and the Turbo S at £135,610. If you want the Sport Turismo wagon, and frankly why wouldn’t you, you’ll need to add on an extra £2,150.

Fingers crossed that, when we do get behind the wheel, we’ll be a few miles from an autobahn and able to explore the Panamera’s high-speed commuting ability…