Porsche Panamera Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Porsche Panamera
Prices: £72,266-£95,298 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 20
Emissions: 253-286g/km
Performance: [Turbo] 0-60mph 4.2s / Top Speed 188mph
Fuel Consumption: [S] (Combined) 26.2mpg
Safety: Front, curtain, side and knee airbags, ABS, PSM [est]
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height 4900/2100/1500mm [est]

ONE PANAMERA

Our Rating: 8.0 / 10

The four-door Porsche is here. Steve Walker checks out the Panamera.

Porsche has branched out. Given the manufacturer’s past record, that little nugget of information will have already caused worried looks across the some of automotive industry’s longest and shiniest boardroom tables. The last time the chaps at Weissach ventured outside their cosy sports car comfort zone, the world was treated to the Cayenne luxury 4x4, the profits from which were instrumental in propelling Porsche to its current position of strength. Now the range has grown again and it’s the market for luxury grand touring cars on to which the marque has lowered its crosshairs. The Panamera is Porsche’s four-door.

It’s not the first time Porsche has had a dip at the GT market. The 928 coupe of the late 70s, 80s and early 90s was an attempt to blend V8 power and sports car sensibilities with the comfort and composure that drivers value on longer journeys. There was even a 928-4 long wheelbase version and a couple of models were built in collaboration with tuning firm AMG that featured rear suicide doors but the Panamera is the real deal when we’re talking four-door Porsches.

The backbone of the range is a 4.8-litre V8 engine as found in the Cayenne but V6 and hybrid models will flesh-out the line-up in due course. The standard V8 uses direct injection technology to develop 400bhp in the Panamera S. This gives the car a 5.4s 0-62mph sprint and a top speed of 176mph. This model is rear-wheel drive but buyers can also select the Panamera 4S that distributes power to all its wheels and uses the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe gearbox that’s substantially snappier in its shifting than in its title. This twin clutch gearbox is optional on the Panamera S but standard on the 4S and the range-topping Turbo. This all-wheel drive model attaches twin turbochargers to the V8 and packs 500bhp as a result. Performance is measured at 188mph and a fearsome 4.2s for the 0-62mph sprint. Porsche hasn’t gone soft in its quest for four-door comfort.

With the Panamera, Porsche has worked to retain the low slung seating position of its sports cars while adding an extra dimension in comfort. The centre console extends from the dash right through the car to the rear seats, dividing the cabin into four individual cockpits. The standard front seating comes with eight-way electrical adjustment while the Turbo model gets memory settings and an electrically adjustable steering column to help drivers attain the perfect position. There are also optional adaptive sports seats to cushion you through quickly taken corners and powered rear seats which can be tweaked into various different positions.

The four-door concept might be a groundbreaking one for Porsche but you didn’t expect a startling new styling direction to go with it did you? The marque that has slowly evolved the classic looks of its 911 since the 60s was never about to axe all that heritage in favour of a clean sheet of paper. Shut your eyes, picture what a four-door 911 might look like and you won’t be a million miles away from the reality of the Panamera. Suffice to say, it looks very special with its drawn-out rear end counteracting the high roof and keeping the shape suitably low and lean. Typically aggressive Porsche air-intakes dominate the front with beautiful LED fog lights and four squared-off exhaust pipes beneath the rounded rear. In all, there’s little to upset the Porsche purists.

The boot is crucial to a car’s long distance capabilities. If you wanted to take a 911 on a week’s holiday in the South of France, you’d need a trailer for your bags but the Panamera has an impressive 432 litres at its disposal which is comparable to your average compact executive saloon. Fold the rear seats down and the Panamera can offer a full 1,250 litres of capacity beneath its hatchback. The luggage bay itself is designed to be deep so that it can take suitcases in the upright position for easy access.

All Panamera models get a luxurious specification and there’s plenty of potential for customers to upgrade and personalise their own cars. There are 13 different leathers and seven interior finishes to select from including carbon fibre and natural Olive wood. There is also an optional DVD player with screens in the seat backs and a surround sound stereo system from Burmester which includes 16 speakers and a 16-channel amplifier packing 1,000 watts.

The Panamera doesn’t have too many direct rivals. The Aston Martin Rapide is another four-door GT car but will come at quite a premium over even the top spec versions of the Porsche. Maserati’s Quattroporte is a better match though. Otherwise, there ar