Effortless Speed, Fantastic handling, Comfort
Options quite expensive, Wide in the city
The Turbo S does not feature any mild electrification tech, and that’s a good thing as the outgoing Turbo S E-hybrid was reported to battle issues of added weight & complex electronics. And if the environmentalist in you isn’t impressed – the all-electric four door Taycan will have you floored with its pure electric only experience.
This pure petrol though is ample fun and keeps things simple with a twin-turbocharged V8 up-front, eight-speed PDK gearbox in the middle, and drive to all four wheels with e-active (electro-mechanical) anti-roll bars for an un-worldly stable ride and handling experience for all passengers. With a power output of 621 bhp and 820 Nm of torque, it shall put many supercars to shame as it can accelerate from standstill to a 100 kph in a swoosh of 3.1 seconds – 0.3 seconds faster than the old hybrid, with a top speed of 315 km/h!
These figures sit very favourably next to the recently launched Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E-performance – the hyper performance four door sports sedan with identical power and near-identical performance.
Absolutely if not wholly. Like the 911, Cayman and possibly every mainstream Porsche, this Turbo S has the balance and poise of an experienced figure skater but one that looks (and weighs) like a stout lady. Power is obviously ample, building effortlessly from as low down as you’re likely to need them.
At 16.6 feet long and tipping the scales at 2100+ kgs, the Panamera Turbo S is a heavy weight, but the way it corners or builds speed ever so effortlessly from as low down as you’re likely to need, it’s a serious testament to Porsche’s engineering prowess.
Overall refinement is surprisingly strong, and even on this car’s massive 21-inch wheels it rides beautifully at speed. We didn’t have a chance to test out the handling on twisty roads in this short stint – but Porsche’s tech acronyms such as – PASM, PDCC Sport, PTV Plus, PCCB and PSM, which require no decoding – ensure an impressive lack of drama, great balance of grip and comfort while offering a good amount of communication for such a large, luxurious car.
The Turbo S models also features massive carbon-ceramic brakes, featuring 16.5-inch front and 16.1-inch rear discs, so you can control the immense speed in a sudden, fade-free manner.
Four seats, a comfortable cushy back seat, decent headroom, sensible boot space and a 0-100 thrust in 3 seconds makes for a delicious highway mile-munching recipe. But numbers are silly – as you personally have to feel the relentless pull of the Panamera as it accelerates to fully understand this car.
And it’s this effortless speed with a mild dab on the accelerator, touching north of 150 kmh in seconds – is what makes you feel like the king of the highway. The eight-speed gearbox is sublime but does feel jerky when caught off-guard dropping gears sometimes.
While I often complain about the new-age performance cars being quiet, that isn't the case with the Panamera Turbo S. With the Sport Exhaust engaged, the Panamera Turbo emits a throaty, powerful sound that's perfectly fitting for a vehicle of this type. The sound gets you excited when accelerating hard, but not so obnoxious that you can't cruise with the louder setting engaged.
