Porsche Panamera (971) | PH Used Buying Guide

The best V8-powered family dreadnought ever made? Let's find out...

By Tony Middlehurst / Sunday, 28 September 2025 / Loading comments

Key considerations

Turbo S available for £90,000; GTS from £65,000
4.0-litre V8 petrol twin-turbo, all-wheel drive
Magnificent blend of performance, poise and practicality
Sumptuously well built, very few faults
Servicing costs not ruinous with independents
Staggeringly capable and classy family tourer

As part of Porsche’s recent rethink of the future composition of its entire range, and specifically the role of the internal combustion engine within it, it’s looking like there’s going to be a stay of execution for ICE-powered Panameras. If you’re pleased by that thought and you’ve been wondering about dipping into the secondhand market for recent, higher-profile, petrol-powered Pans, this buying guide might come in handy. Here we’ll be looking at the 2021-on refresh version of the gen-two 971 series Panamera which, according to Porsche’s pre-launch PR material in August 2020, was ‘significantly enhanced and redesigned’.

A new plug-in hybrid was added to the range at this time, the 552hp/553lb ft 2.9 litre twin-turbo V6 4S E-Hybrid. With launch control engaged, that would do the 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds and go on to 185mph, so it certainly ticked the performance box, but in this guide we’re going to be focusing on the non-electrified 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 Turbo S. Not just in honour of Porsche’s ICE reboot, if we can call it that, but also because it put an even bigger tick in the performance box without the aid of any electricity – an approach of which most Porsche fans and, you suspect, Porsche itself, would approve.

In passing, let’s tip our hat to another choice for high-speed Panamera motoring, the GTS (pictured). Combining a 20hp lift on the previous model with a newly engineered-in naturally-aspirated feel, the 480hp/457lb ft GTS was a fine car in its own right with the same V8 - but the 620hp/604lb ft Turbo S was such a big step up on both the GTS and the preceding 550hp/567lb ft Turbo that it simply can’t be ignored.

In either saloon or Sport Turismo body styles it would smash the 0-60mph run in 2.9 seconds or less on its way to an autobahn-shortening top speed of 196mph. If you want a Panamera estate, by the way, the 971 gen-two is your last choice as this body style was dropped for the 2024-on 976 series gen-three.

SPECIFICATION | Porsche Panamera Turbo S 4.0 V8 (971 series, 2021-24)

Engine: 3,996cc V8 32v
Transmission: 8-speed PDK dual-clutch auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 620@5,750-6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 604@1,960-4,500rpm
0-60mph (secs): 2.9
Top speed (mph): 196
Weight (kg): 2,080
MPG (official combined): 26.4
CO2 (g/km): 245-247
Wheels (in): 9.5 x 21(f), 11.5 x 21 (r)
Tyres: 275/35 (f), 325/30 (r)
On sale: 2021 - 2024
Price new: £135,600
Price now: from £90,000

Note for reference: car weight and power data is hard to pin down with absolute certainty. For consistency, we use the same source for all our guides. We hope the data we use is right more often than it’s wrong. Our advice is to treat it as relative rather than definitive.

ENGINE & GEARBOX

How did the new Turbo S achieve its big jump in power and torque over the previous Turbo? It wasn’t just a quick chip change for the EA825 twin-turbo V8. Compression was lowered through a new crankshaft and conrods. The injectors and timing chain drive were also new and torsional vibration dampers were fitted to help absorb engine vibes.

Although it was still a 4.0 litre V8, Porsche’s approach wasn’t bombastic in the way that (say) AMG’s might have been with the same format of engine. The engine sounded great but it was more of a burbler backed by light turbo whistling. For the sort of long-distance continental touring that Panamera drivers were very likely to go in for, that was just what the doctor ordered. In league with the predictably peerless PDK twin-clutch gearbox (and 8-speeder on the 971) and the all-wheel drive system that all Pans apart from the entry-level car had, it added up to a brilliant family tourer.

It certainly delivered against the clock. The official 0-60 time was 2.9 seconds, but depending on the surface that could be an understatement. One magazine did it in 2.6 seconds. At the other extreme, the car’s GPS system cut the engine when a downhill section of road was detected, allowing it to coast.

Mechanical problems are very rare. The ones you might have heard of, like coolant leaks from water pumps and pipes, generally relate to older gen-one cars. One V8 971 owner noticed stuttering and near-stalling at low revs in second gear during city driving. That was fixed by recalibrating the ECU. Occasional issues with high-pressure fuel pumps have been reported. PDK clutch slip isn’t unknown on older, higher mileage Panameras, but gearchanges on healthy specimens are as near as dammit imperceptible. Porsche main dealer servicing is never cheap but we found UK independents offering annual minor Panamera Turbo services for £240 and majors for £360, which, if there are no hidden extras, is not at all bad.

CHASSIS

Suspension arrangements on the 971 Pan depended on which model you ordered. All of the second-gen cars had adaptive dampers, but the lower models came with steel springs. The Turbo S (along with the GTS and hybrids) had air. The ride of the gen-one Panamera hadn’t been that great but the 2017-on gen-two was a big improvement thanks in part to hydraulically damped mounts for the lower front wishbones and lighter-spec damping units for the Porsche Active Suspension Management system. The rejigged 2021-on car that we’re looking at here was better still. Its PASM and electromechanical steering systems were recalibrated to improve ride quality and sharpen up turning response. In addition, the Turbo S had PDCC Sport roll stabilisation, torque vectoring, rear wheel steering and huge carbon ceramic brake discs (420mm front and 410mm rear) inside its new Turbo Design wheels. Calipers were yellow, or black by request.

There were no big gaps between the drive modes (Normal, Sport, Sport Plus with launch control and Individual). Mode changes were smoothly engaged and the results seemed perfectly judged for whatever road you were on. Iron body control, massive grip and a palpable sensation of solidity combined brilliantly with precise steering and a level of agility that was amazing considering the car’s weight. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres that were specially developed to handle the Turbo S’s near-200mph top speed did generate some roar but that was about the only slight demerit.

In what could have been a Turbo S or a hybrid (Porsche taped over the boot badging for the photos), factory hotshoe Lars Kern put down a ‘ring record lap for executive cars of 7m 29.8sec in July 2020, which was 13 seconds less than the previous Turbo had needed. Taking into account the different track layout of six years earlier, Porsche reckoned that Kern’s Panamera time was equivalent to that of a 2014 991.1 911 GT3 – a decent effort for a luxurious (and heavy) five-door car.

As we’ve said before in these guides, air suspension is almost by design destined to give trouble over time. If you’re thinking of buying an air Pan with 50,000 miles or more on it you should insist on comparing the ride height when the car is cold and then when it’s warm. If there’s a difference between the two you might want to think twice about your purchase.

BODYWORK

Few objective onlookers would have bet on the gen-one Panamera to win many style awards when it was launched in 2009. Blunter folk who had been hoping for something better from the 989 concept might have called it downright ugly from the side view. Luckily, by the time the 2021 refresh of the 971 came around a lower roofline and a shorter front overhang had matured the shape into something less blobby and less divisive. The 971 was even wider than the 970 though, at comfortably over 1.9 metres, so care was needed on B-roads and in quaint British villages.

Aluminium had been used in the gen-one Pan for the door panels, bonnet, tailgate and front wings. For the gen-two Porsche extended it into the new roof and the body sides. 2021 Panameras came with the previously optional SportDesign front end as standard, with a different design available (with or without carbon fibre) as an option. The Turbo S’s front was model-specific with bigger air intakes and different lights. Across the back was a new one-piece light strip above a redesigned diffuser and new exhaust tips.

Two new metallic colours, Cherry Red and Truffle Brown, were added to the 971 palette for the refresh. Some owners noticed the fuel filler flap didn’t pop open quite as vigorously as it was supposed to, but that was on pre-2018 cars. One Panamera owner reputedly ended up in A&E after pressing the keyfob button to open the tailgate in icy weather, which resulted in the roof glass cracking and splintering.

The part of the car where long-term Porsche enthusiasts would normally have expected to find the engine was of course now the boot in the front-engined Panamera. It was a good-sized one too at 495 litres, the Sport Turismo’s space not being that much bigger at 515 litres. Lots more useable space was available if you folded the back seats down to create a flat load area. You did have to hoick your luggage over a bit of a lip though.

INTERIOR

All the 2021-on Pans had new Sport steering wheels, but the standard wheel for the Turbo S was the GT Sport item with leather-covered shift paddles. Trim inlays were new too and there was a choice of two Sport Chrono dashtop clocks, the binnacle for which could reflect quite distractingly in the windscreen.

The Turbo S’s 14-way electrically adjustable comfort seats with memory could be upgraded to the 18-way adaptive ones that were standard in the GTS. In either case, the driving position was excellent, though you did need to get comfortable with the feeling that you were sitting low down behind a high dash.

Even in non-Executive guise there was more room in the back of the gen-two Pan than there had been in the first-generation car. The two individual seats front and rear separated by gigantic consoles rekindled fond memories of the old 928, the main difference being that the extra space around the newer car’s seats went a long way towards easing any looming sense of claustrophobia. Cabin storage was very good and build quality throughout was impeccable.

Rear passengers were really well looked after with lots of head and knee room, neat cupholders and USB-C ports aplenty. You could pay £600 for a three-seat bench but unless you really had to do that it made more sense to stick with the 8-way electrically adjustable individual seats with heat and massage functions plus through loading for skis and the like. Back seat occupants also had controls for the blinds on their (separate) pano roof and on the side and rear windows. Baby seat fitment was easy.

Altogether it was a lovely environment from which to view passing countries while wondering what the poor people might be doing. Besides the normal footprint, the refreshed Pans could be ordered in Executive spec which with nearly six inches extra on the wheelbase delivered big rear seat legroom, albeit with a marginal 0.1 seconds added to the 0-60mph acceleration time.

The familiar 12.3-inch central touchscreen included additional digital functions like Risk Radar for up-to-date road sign and hazard info, along with improved (but still less than perfect) Voice Pilot voice control. In terms of ease of use, the infotainment was okay but not as good as the contemporary offerings from BMW and Mercedes. Sat nav faults that had been reported on pre-2018 cars shouldn’t be an issue on these later cars.

Not everyone liked Porsche’s decision to use haptic-feedback flat-screen controls instead of physical ones. On the plus side, Porsche did retain separate physical climate control knobs rather than obliging you to poke about angrily on the screen. Shame they didn’t do that on the Taycan. Wireless charging was available on the Pan 971s and wireless Apple CarPlay was standard, but there was no Android Auto. The Turbo S came with a 14-speaker + subwoofer 710-watt Bose surround sound system, upgradeable for £4,000 to a 21-speaker, 1,455-watt Burmester 3D setup with an active 400-watt subwoofer.

All of the revamped Pans came with lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition as standard, optionally overlaid by a suite of driver aids including lane change assist, night vision, surround view, InnoDrive with adaptive cruise (a £2,100 extra even on the Turbo S) and a head-up display. If a car you’re interested in has the night vision camera make sure it’s not cracked as replacements are horribly expensive.

PH VERDICT

For fast long-distance cruising in supreme comfort there aren’t many cars that beat a Panamera. That goes especially for the Turbo S. The drivetrain is awesome, not just in terms of the amount of power but also in the spooky intuitiveness of the transmission. You’ll never be in the wrong gear and the performance on tap is unlikely to make you wish you’d gone for the 690hp hybrid version with the potential for extra electronic and cooling complications and the reduced boot space.

You’ll struggle to find unhappy 971 Pan owners as very little goes wrong with these cars. The only recalls we found for the cars covered in this guide were to do with a rear seatbelt screw safety check and the wrong kind of moisture getting into the coolant pump control unit, but that last one was for cars built prior to 2021.

The main question might not be which model do you need, but which one do you want. Obviously price comes into that equation, and there are other cars competing for your money, not least Porsche’s own all-electric Taycan. When orders were being placed for the first Turbo S Panameras in late 2020 the retail price was £135,600, which was about £3,000 less than the new price of the all-electric Taycan Turbo S. The Taycan was a similar car in many ways (weight, length, torque, performance, passenger capacity) but the big value divergence that has taken place since then has been shocking.

Five years on, you’ll still need the thick end of £90k for a revamped Panamera Turbo S with between 20 and 30,000 miles on it, whereas a similarly-miled Taycan Turbo S can be had for £50k or less, and higher-mileage Taycans with the same 93.4kWh battery as the Turbo S are now available for under £30k. It’s a remarkable reflection of EV sales resistance for this brand and the clearest rationale imaginable for Porsche’s decision to revisit its future plans. You’ll pay more road tax on a Pan than a Taycan, but that up-front outlay is piffling when it’s set against the Taycan’s gasp-inducing depreciation.

The obvious rivals to the Pan are Audi’s 600hp RS7 Sportback quattro and BMW’s 625hp M8 Competition Gran Coupe. The Tesla Model S has massive performance but it doesn’t get a look in on quality-based feelgoodery and, of course, it’s electric which, as Porsche has found, can be anathema to many shoppers in this market.

Used BMW M8s start at £45k while an Audi RS7 can be yours for as little as £26k. It’s a big monetary jump from either of those to a Panamera Turbo S (though as it was intended to, the GTS neatly spans the gap) but if you think the RS7 lacks class, the BMW lacks a little on handling, and that both of them lack opulence, it becomes easier to justify the extra outlay on the Porsche.

It feels special, it has massive presence, and its rarity only adds to its appeal. A clumsy chainsawer could count the number for sale in the UK on the fingers of one hand as we went to press, with just two examples on PH classifieds: this 2022 23,000-mile car in what we believe is Cherry Red was £89,950, while this ’23 specimen in black with 20,000 miles was a tenner under £95k. There were no Turbo S Sport Turismos for sale anywhere that we could see, suggesting that many owners see that as the ultimate Panamera and are more than happy to hang on to them.

If you’ve always wanted a 911 but have more people than yourself and the OH to tote around, and you don’t mind your Porsche not having a six-cylinder engine, the Panamera Turbo S has an awful lot going for it as a one-car solution for the discerning buyer. On just about any criterion apart from bargain basement pricing, it’s a car that’s hard to criticise.

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