Porsche’s take on a big and comfortable GT car has been updated, and in GTS form it aims to provide the perfect combination of speed and luxury. Your Car finds out more.
The Porsche Panamera first appeared in 2009 and marked a big change for the company. It was the first four-door model to come from Porsche bar the SUV Cayenne, but like that car it was an important option for Porsche buyers who needed something more practical than a 911.
Since then the Panamera received a facelift as well as the introduction of the GTS version, which mixes turbo looks with a more powerful naturally aspirated V8 engine to provide the sharpest-driving version in the range.
The Panamera has been something of a controversial car in the past because of its looks but time and tweaks have improved its appearance a great deal. In GTS form it wears a deep front spoiler with large air intakes and deep alloy wheels, and it perfectly encapsulates the idea of a luxurious high performance four-seater sports car. It’s also hard to compete with the Porsche image; sharp-looking, fast and very desirable.
Although the Panamera is strictly designed for four people it looks after each of them in fine style. It has the now broadly standard Porsche cabin with a wide transmission tunnel that hems in the front seat passengers comfortably. The seats are also excellent, with plenty of support and enough adjustment to get anyone comfortable.
The boot is also a good size; there’s 445 litres with the seats up and a sizeable 1,263 litres with the seats down. Because it’s essentially a hatchback the space is relatively shallow, but the numbers don’t lie.
Once you’re comfortably set behind the perfectly-sized steering wheel the Panamera GTS really gets you in the mood. Set off with the PDK automatic transmission in automatic and it blends gear changes seamlessly, with the big V8 providing ample torque for effortless driving in traffic. Out on the open road it demonstrates its superb cruising ability, with low noise, an unfussy ride and the flexible engine.
The flip side is that the Panamera GTS is genuinely thrilling when you start pressing on. The glorious V8 engine sings a fantastic tune and as the speed builds it never feels like a large car; it responds keenly to the steering, stops superbly thanks to the carbon ceramic brakes and handles with as much verve as its smaller siblings. You can scare your rear seat passengers with ease . . .
The standard equipment list on the Panamera GTS is already comprehensive; the seven-speed PDK gear
box is standard, as are 19-inch alloy wheels, tyre pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors, electric heated front seats, climate control, leather trim and an electric tailgate to name a few. It’s worth also bearing in mind that the options aren’t cheap either – the full parking assist system with camera is £1,005 while those spectacular carbon brakes will set
you back £6,629, although they are totally worth it.
The parents of the world’s luckiest children will find the Panamera the ideal tool for transporting their offspring across Europe in a haze of super unleaded.
It’s not necessarily a family car for those with tiny children, although it will certainly do that job, but older kids will love being in the back. Older couples might also enjoy taking friends out for a quick spin around their local race circuit.
Facts & figures
Model: Porsche Panamera GTS
Price: £93,391
Engine: 4.8-litre petrol unit producing 434bhp and 384lb/ft of torque
Performance: Top speed 179mph, 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds
Economy: 26.4mpg combined
CO2 rating: 249g/km of CO2