The
Porsche Panamera is a large, luxurious four-door sedan that was introduced in 2009 and refreshed several times since. The last facelift brought about new lights on both ends, redrawn bumpers with a larger air dam up front, a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and a downsized V6 for the mid-range S model.
Porsche's first regular-production four-door sedan is offered with either rear- or all-wheel drive, and certain models can be ordered with a long wheelbase.
Visually, the Panamera is instantly recognizable as a Porsche thanks to stretched oval headlamps similar to the ones found other members of the family, slim vertical turn signals and three large air dams built into the bumper. Out back, the sedan features a sloping profile and a hatchback that helps free up a generous 15.3 cubic feet of trunk space.
Life Aboard
With room for just four passengers, the Panamera's interior is plush enough to rival Mercedes-Benz and BMW. A variety of trim surfaces including wood, aluminum and carbon fiber are offered at an extra cost, and buyers can pick between several upholstery colors to create a bespoke look. The instrument cluster consists of four analog gauges and one gauge that houses a TFT screen that can be configured to display numerous different types of vehicle information.
The dashboard features a 7-inch high-resolution touch screen that runs a high-tech infotainment system called Porsche Communications Manager (PCM). PCM groups the car's audio, navigation and communication functions into a single easy-to-use interface that packs a 40 GB hard drive, a USB port and Bluetooth connectivity.
In navigation mode, PCM can show routes in either 2D or 3D in order to give the driver an idea of what terrain variation he or she will encounter during the trip. The system also has a split-screen mode, making it access to get a map and a list of directions at the same time.
All of PCM's functions can be controlled by buttons, knobs or a built-in voice recognition software.
High-Tech Suspension
Select Panamera models come with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), a system that varies damper forces in an infinite process and adjusts the dampers to road conditions and the driver's style of motoring. Incorporating adaptively controlled dampers with infinite adjustment of damper forces, PASM allows the driver, through the PASM button on the center console, to choose among three control maps - Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus.
In Comfort mode, the driver enjoys all the smoothness and motoring comfort of a grand touring sedan. Sport Plus thrills with the performance and agility of a full-fledged Porsche sports car, and Sport is middle ground between the two extremes.
The damper force required is consistently calculated and fed to the respective wheel in all three modes. The PASM mode chosen when the car is switched off is retained upon engine restart. A damper symbol is displayed in the instrument cluster for four seconds each time the mode is changed.
Panamera and Panamera 4
The entry-level Panamera is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine that is derived from the V8 found in more expensive models. It features direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, an on-demand oil pump, water cooling with thermal management, a variable intake manifold and a fuel-saving Auto Start Stop system. Rated at 310 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. of torque, the six-cylinder sends power to the rear wheels via Porsche's seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox manual transmission.
The sprint from zero to 60 mph is achieved in 6.0 seconds, a figure that drops to 5.7 with the optional Sport Chrono Package. Top speed is electronically limited to 160 mph.
An all-wheel drive system dubbed Porsche Traction Management (PTM) adds a 4 emblem on the hatch and several thousand dollars to the base price. With sensors permanently monitoring driving conditions, the speed of all four wheels and the steering angle, PTM can respond instantaneously to different driving requirements and situations. As soon as the rear wheels start to spin when accelerating, for example, a multiple-plate clutch intervenes more sharply to feed more power to the front wheels. In curves, the flow of power to the front wheels is carefully monitored to ensure optimum lateral stability at all times. And whenever the car's brake control systems intervene, PTM disconnects the front axle completely, allowing stability control to intervene individually on the appropriate wheels.
The base Panamera comes standard with partial leather upholstery, rear park assist, cruise control, an automatic hatch, bi-xenon headlights, a multi-function steering wheel and 18-inch alloy wheels
Key Competitors
The Panamera's competitors include the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the
BMW 7-Series, the
Audi A8, the
Maserati Quattroporte. The Turbo S model squares off against the
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, the
Audi S8, BMW's
M5, and the
Aston Martin Rapide S, while the Hybrid model fights in the same arena as the
BMW ActiveHybrid7 and the
Lexus LS 600h L.
Base Price $75,850.00
The standard Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Coupe ran a cool $1.3 million and could reach a top speed of 253 mph - a speed it can maintain for 12 minutes before all the fuel is gone. Power is transmitted to the pavement via four-wheel-drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission.
Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson also publicly stated the Veyron was ridiculous and would never be built, only to call it "best car ever made" after he drove it. He famously characterized it as "utterly, stunningly, mind blowingly, jaw droppingly brilliant."
