Aw, how sweet, four guys playing in a Porsche
The Porsche Panamera GTS making its world debut at the LA Show is, according to the slightly bromance-heavy promo film, the car of choice for those four-up trackday sessions you probably haven't always dreamed of. Cancel the GT3 RS 4.0, this, apparently, is the track Porsche you always dreamed of.
Slightly faster than a 4S but not as quick as a Turbo, the Panamera GTS proves Porsche's obsession with milking ever more tenuous sub-variants from a single model isn't confined to the 911. And, putting it generously, offers an answer to a question nobody in particular was asking.
Looks like a Turbo, goes like a 4S
So what have we got? Well, a few more horsepower - 30 to be precise - than the 400hp standard 4S for starters. 70hp shy of the Turbo but enough for those all-important bragging rights. Based on the normally-aspirated 4.8-litre V8, the GTS engine also has 383lb ft and hits 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds thanks to the Sport Chrono assisted launch control option on the standard-fit PDK transmission. It makes more noise doing it too thanks to a button-controlled 'Sound Symposer' and standard sports exhaust.
Like the old Cayenne GTS, the Panamera GTS gets plenty of luxurious trimmings too, not least an Alcantara roof lining to satisfy all your tactile delights. Sports seats finish the look, the only disappointment being that Porsche didn't decide to base this supposedly track-biased Panamera on the much-overlooked rear-wheel drive version.
Oh, and if you thought the idea of a track-spec Panamera was a joke wait until you hear the £90,409 punchline...