Driven: Porsche Panamera Turbo S
We go for a Highland fling in Porsche's hyper-fast four-door
I am not given, upon jumping out of a new car to be faced with an expectantly smiling PR type, to dribbling, gushing hyperbole. Even if it's good, I (attempt) to maintain at least the pretence of professional detachment. With the Panamera Turbo S, this is something I signally failed to do. And not because the Scottish Highland test route I had just finished covered some of the greatest driving roads on the British Isles.
No, the reason for my babbling over-excitement was because Porsche has surely employed some sort of alchemy to create the flagship version of its Panamera saloon. And I do mean witchcraft, rather than science, technology or engineering knowhow, because the Turbo S's pace, agility and general capability seems to defy explanation.
It does not, of course, actually defy the laws of physics, but it does seem to stretch them to their very limits, achieving feats of acceleration, handling and braking that are astonishing for a two-tonne, five-metre-long car.
Let's just look at a few of the choice numbers: 62mph comes up from rest in 3.8secs (that's McLaren or SLS territory right there), with a standing quarter-mile despatched in 11.8secs (in other words just 0.3secs off what an Audi R8 V10 can manage), while the big Porsche keeps going all the way to 190mph.
A total power output of 550hp helps with all this, as does a torque figure of 553lb ft (590lb ft is available on overboost), but the real key to the Panamera's stonking performance is its ability to make the absolute best use of all that power at any moment.
The Porsche Active Suspension Managment system, standard-fit on the Turbo S, does a fine job of tying the car's body to the road, controlling body movements without making the car unduly crashy (and thus limiting traction), while the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control brings with it something very clever called torque vectoring. This acts as a kind of limited-slip diff-plus, not only sensing traction-limited wheels, but also pushing extra power to wheels it feels have more grip. The result is an uncommonly responsive machine, and one that seems surprisingly unruffled by the rivulets of water that cross-cross our soaked Highland test roads.
Oh, and lest we forget the fact that the turbos spool up 30 per cent more rapidly than they do in the non-S Turbo, making that extra 50hp seem more like 100hp at times.
Of course, the Turbo S also does all the other stuff that Panameras do well, meaning excellent stopping power from the (optional) carbon-ceramic brakes, interactive but not hyperactive feel from the steering wheel, and the sort of relaxed, surefooted handling confidence that you can only get from a wide, long-wheelbase car.
There's also that cabin, which might make somebody used to the buttonless minimalism of iDrive-era cabins feel a little dizzy, but which actually works amazingly effectively once you've got a handle on where all the various buttons, switches and knobs are (although the two rotary dials that control the stereo and sat-nav functions are still a wee bit fiddly. There's also a vague sense that you're sitting in the cockpit of a fighter plane, which is always a good thing.
If I were writing this for somebody like What Car?, however, I might at this point bring in the fact that, for almost bang on £20k less, you could drop your backside into a 'regular' Turbo, which is damn-near as fast, damn-near as capable and a whole heap easier on the wallet. The logic of that line of thought, mind, is that you might as well go for the diesel version, which is near-enough half the price. And if you're going to do that, well, however impressive the diesel Panamera is (and it is that, albeit a weeny bit underpowered) you're three-quarters of the way to an S-class diesel.
But this is PistonHeads, and we understand that such logical decisions do not always come easy to somebody with a 50 per cent petrol/blood mix. And anyway, the Panamera should be about more than just logic because, given the Turbo S's staggering, almost other-worldly ability, if you have the funds to add an S to the rump of your Panamera Turbo (and you aren't offended by the idiosyncratic looks), you just would. And good sense be damned.
The new M5 looks better (IMO), will be more practical and is significantly cheaper.
If it drives as well then that will be 4-0 to BMW.
I'm sure it wont be a problem for the kind of use that the car will typically get, but I wonder why it's so low? Is there some country where a 2.5 tonne max payload is the legal limit for a category of licence or tax banding?
A mighty impressive car anyway, if you can live with the looks.
Cant wait, to see the new Lotus Eterne, I have seen it at the Paris Motorshow and even if it sounds tough to belive, it looks better than the AM Rapide. The Performance will be great anyway (4,8liter V8, 570-620bhp)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxggrS6O4i0
</pedants corner>
Astonishing car though..
Dave
very noticeably:
The government has signally failed to deal with the problem.
The new M5 looks better (IMO), will be more practical and is significantly cheaper.
If it drives as well then that will be 4-0 to BMW.
The right colour would help too. I think the secret about this car is the way it drives, as pointed out in the artical. A luxobarge with supercar performance and handling/road holding that's on a different level to a 7 Series or S-Class, and considering that it was designed to compete with those two, I'd have the Porsche all day long. As for comparing it to the new M5, different horses & different courses, me thinks.
Mind you, I do like that striking blue in the side on shot!
Magnificent? Yes. Absolutely. It is a staggering achievement that a mass-produced luxurious barge is capable of such immense performance, all while cosseting and pampering its passengers.
Aston, maserati etc, are so off the pace here it is laughable. Ignore the Top Gear-esque nonsense about soul and the look of the car ( which is entirely subjective anyway). This thing has the performance and ability to crush any saloon car currently available. And it can seat 4 people very comfortably indeed.
I think only a Mercedes S65 AMG comes close for it's intended purpose.
It is a tool. A weapon. If the military had have a car that would carry 4 people at high speed in comfort across country - this is what it would end up like.
It is utterly efficient. Clinical. Purposeful. And amazing for all those reasons.
One of these in a simple grey colour with espresso leather for me. Don't clean it. Let it be dirty and unobtrusive. Cool as can be.
You just CANT compare this car to a S Class, 7 series, Audi S8 or any other big Limo.
The reasons:
The seating postion in the front is much Porsche 911, than Limousine feeling.
The space in the back is not anywere close to one of the before mentioned Limousines!!
You want find room for your legs, especially on the side and if the driver is more than 185cm, than you have no comfort at all in the Panamera.
The ride is comfortable, but not anyware close to a 7series, S Class or Audi S8 Limousine.
The Panamera is a Sportscar with 4 doors and some space to sit in the back. Nothing more.
It will never work as a family saloon!
You just CANT compare this car to a S Class, 7 series, Audi S8 or any other big Limo.
The reasons:
The seating postion in the front is much Porsche 911, than Limousine feeling.
The space in the back is not anywere close to one of the before mentioned Limousines!!
You want find room for your legs, especially on the side and if the driver is more than 185cm, than you have no comfort at all in the Panamera.
The ride is comfortable, but not anyware close to a 7series, S Class or Audi S8 Limousine.
The Panamera is a Sportscar with 4 doors and some space to sit in the back. Nothing more.
It will never work as a family saloon!
I am 180cm tall. I can sit comfortably behind the driver's seat when it is set to fit me.
I certainly found the Panamera at least as comfortable as the Cayenne.
Maybe an Alpina B7 could match it - but do they offer a LWB? If not, then AMG S class L is better for you. But I would feel like a chaffeur driving the S class... not good.
You just CANT compare this car to a S Class, 7 series, Audi S8 or any other big Limo.
The reasons:
The seating postion in the front is much Porsche 911, than Limousine feeling.
The space in the back is not anywere close to one of the before mentioned Limousines!!
You want find room for your legs, especially on the side and if the driver is more than 185cm, than you have no comfort at all in the Panamera.
The ride is comfortable, but not anyware close to a 7series, S Class or Audi S8 Limousine.
The Panamera is a Sportscar with 4 doors and some space to sit in the back. Nothing more.
It will never work as a family saloon!
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