Inside & Out:
Yes, yes, we know that almost everyone thinks that the Porsche Panamera is ugly. But it isn't, ok. It was designed using a full size Play-Doh model of a 911 and a tug of war team at either side, obviously, but we challenge anyone to find a more imposing saloon. More beautiful, easy, but more road presence - that's different.
And for a car so low and sleek (though admittedly bulbous in places) it's awfully roomy, comfortably seating four proper adults. Its boot isn't huge, granted, but the tailgate is, and it's big enough to accommodate the needs of most families. Ergonomically the Panamera is spot on too. 'Too many buttons' has been the cry, but it actually takes about five minutes to work them all out, so stop crying about it.
Ride & Handling:
Comparing the Porsche Panamera to the 911 leads to disappointment, which is why it's a bad idea (they're completely different sorts of car anyway, so we've never understood the logic). When we drove the rear-wheel drive
Panamera S we lavished praise upon it for its driver involvement and sharpness, especially given its size and weight. Sadly, though, this Turbo variant feels big and heavy, despite its sharp steering and colossus engine.
That's much to do with specification, though. Our S was equipped with Sport Chrono Package Plus, which gives the car a Sport Plus mode, sharpening up the throttle, steering responses, and gear shift points, to an extent that really makes a dynamic difference. Fizzing the V8 to the redline in that mode was compelling. In the Turbo, however, without that mode a44nd with the torque-rich low-end delivery of this engine, the driving experience seems detached. The amount of give in the springs makes it a car that feels more luxurious than sporty, which is against expectation and therefore slightly unfulfilling.
Engine & Transmission:
The 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine is an absolute powerhouse, make no mistake, but the issue we have here is that it seems a little too dampened. For a two-tonne car to hit 62mph in 4.2 seconds - and feel calm doing so - is an engineering masterstroke in itself, but it's not what you expect. Fireworks are what you want, but instead comes this smooth power delivery that belies the car's turn of pace. You can only tell it's going so quick because the world as seen through the side windows goes a bit blurry just after you've mashed the throttle.
We have a couple of issues with the seven-speed PDK transmission, too. It's very quick to change, but it pulls away in second a lot of the time and the initial pickup seems to be delayed - and slightly jerky. For a car that's inherently relaxing in character (which we'll get to), it's an irritation.
Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:
Here's the thing. Our test car came in at a whopping £109,000 including about £11,000 of options. That's a lot in anyone's cheque book, particularly when the V8 S is around £20,000 cheaper.
However, it does feel lavishly equipped (you'd expect that) and compared to cars you might feasibly consider next to it, it's a positive bargain. The
Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG is £160,000; the
Aston Martin Rapide is £150,000; the Bentley Continental Flying Spur is £130,000. See, cheap as chips. And we genuinely believe (based on road user reaction) that the Panamera is the equal of each in terms of prestige and presence.
During our week we suffered economy in the high teens, though its official rating is a relatively respectable 23.2mpg.
