Since its launch in 2009, the Porsche Panamera has reconciled two contrasting characteristics: the performance of a sports car and the comfort of a luxury saloon. After sales of more than 150,000 worldwide, the second generation of the Panamera that is unveiled today advances further its benchmark performance in the luxury class. In this evolution, Porsche has systematically improved the Panamera – a four-door Gran Turismo that has been further refined down to the last detail. The engines and transmissions have been redesigned, the chassis and suspension optimised, and the driver display and control interfaces reinterpreted for the future – yet available today. The new Panamera also further extends the boundaries between the world of sports cars and that of luxury saloons, with technical dynamic highlights such as rear axle steering, active body roll compensation and innovative three-chamber air suspension.

911 design language with a much more dynamic flyline

Visually, the unique design of this Porsche is reflected in a new expressive appearance: unmistakably a Panamera, unmistakably a sports car – with long, dynamic proportions, pronounced shoulders, athletic flanks and an extremely ‘fast’ (rearward sloping) roof line that is 20 mm lower at the rear. This typical Porsche outline silhouette, or ‘flyline’, creates a stylistic link to the Porsche 911.

Functionality and easy interaction in the Porsche Advanced Cockpit

The typical Porsche interior has been reinterpreted in the new Panamera. Black panel surfaces and interactive displays combine a clear and intuitive user interface - similar to that of smartphones and tablets - with the practical requirements for controlling the car. The number of traditional hard keys and conventional instrument dials have been reduced significantly. They have been replaced by touch-sensitive panels and individually configurable displays which take centre stage in the new Porsche Advanced Cockpit – with great benefits for the driver as well as the front and rear passengers. Despite a significantly extended range of communication, convenience and assistance systems, different functions can now be used and operated more clearly and intuitively. The Porsche Advanced Cockpit transforms the analogue world into the digital present, while still leaving room for a nod to the past. The tachometer, positioned centrally in the instrument cluster, is reminiscent of that in the 1955 Porsche 356 A.

New V6 and V8 bi-turbo engines with ample power and full-bodied sound

A Porsche has always impressed with more than just power; efficiency is equally fundamental. To elevate this formula to a new level, all of the second generation Panamera engines have been redesigned. Each has been made more powerful, while significantly improving fuel economy and reducing emissions. Three new bi-turbo direct injection engines are being introduced at the market launch: in the Panamera Turbo, the Panamera 4S and the Panamera 4S Diesel.

Each of these – and for the first time including the diesel – may be specified with a permanent all-wheel drive system and a new eight-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK). A V8 petrol engine that delivers 550 hp powers the Panamera Turbo and a V6 petrol engine with 440 hp drives the Panamera 4S. The Panamera 4S Diesel has a 422 hp V8, developing maximum torque of 850 Nm.

A luxury saloon that can take to the race track

In keeping with the overall ethos of the new Panamera, the chassis also unites the cruising comfort of a luxury saloon with the performance of a sports car. This is achieved by supplementing the impressive basic layout with optional innovative systems such as an adaptive air suspension with new three-chamber technology, including Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM electronic damper control), the enhanced Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) system including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) and active body roll stabilisation, as well as a new electro-mechanical steering system.

The integrated 4D Chassis Control system analyses and synchronises all chassis systems in real time and optimises the road performance of the new Panamera. Porsche is also taking knowledge in the areas of steering precision and handling from the 911 Turbo and 918 Spyder, and adapting this for the Gran Turismo, with new rear axle steering feature. Brake performance has also been improved.

Next generation assistance systems

The Panamera is equipped with many standard and optional assistance systems, which make driving both more convenient and safer. The most important new systems include a night vision assistant, which uses a thermal imaging camera to detect pedestrians and large animals, and displays a colour highlighted warning indicator in the cockpit. If the optional new LED matrix headlights with 84 image points are selected, people beyond the visual range of the dipped beam headlight are also illuminated briefly if they are in the computed driving corridor, allowing the driver to react even faster.

The new night vision assistant is one of the assistance systems that helps to avoid critical situations in advance. Looking especially far ahead along the road is the new Porsche InnoDrive, which includes adaptive cruise control. Based on navigation data and signals from radar and video sensors, it computes and activates the optimal acceleration and deceleration rates as well as gear selections and coasting phases, for the next three kilometres. In doing so, this electronic co-pilot automatically takes bends, inclines and speed limits into account.

New engines in detail: more power, better fuel efficiency

The V6 and V8 bi-turbo engines of the Panamera are new, powerful and fuel-efficient. And they all share a special conceptual design characteristic, which in the jargon of engine developers is known as ‘with hot sides inward’. Translated, this means that the turbochargers of the new Panamera engines are integrated centrally into the V of the cylinder banks. This central turbo layout yields numerous benefits. The engines are more compact, and this enables a lower mounting position. This, in turn, has a positive effect on the vehicle centre of gravity. The short paths between the two turbochargers and the combustion chambers produce spontaneous throttle response. Engine response can be further increased using the optional Mode Switch with the Sport Response Button. The Mode Switch, which was first introduced in the Porsche 918 Spyder, is an intuitively operated rotary ring on the steering wheel, which can be used to activate one of four driving modes (Normal, Sport, Sport Plus or Individual). Located at the centre of the switch is the Sport Response Button. It can be used to free up the maximum power potential of the Panamera at the press of a button.

Initially, the Panamera Turbo has the most powerful petrol engine of the model series. Its 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 develops 550 hp (at 5,750 rpm) and a maximum torque of 770 Nm (between 1,960 and 4,500 rpm). It has 30 hp more power than the previous model, and its maximum torque has been increased by 70 Nm. The eight-cylinder engine accelerates the Panamera Turbo to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds; with the Sport Chrono Package the sprint time is just 3.6 seconds. The Porsche can reach a top speed of 190 mph. These are impressive figures that illustrate just how easily the engine can propel the Panamera - its power-to-weight ratio is just 3.6 kg/hp.

These extraordinary performance figures contrast with lower Combined fuel consumption figures of 30 – 30.4 mpg, which are up to 3 mpg better than that of the previous model (New European Driving Cycle or NEDC). These figures equate to CO2 emissions of 214 – 212 g/km.

Porsche uses complex twin-scroll turbochargers to supply compressed air to the V8 engine’s combustion chambers. The two counter-rotating chargers produce maximum torque figures at very low engine speeds. The Panamera Turbo is also the first Porsche to be equipped with the new adaptive cylinder control in its engine. In part-load operation, the system temporarily and imperceptibly turns the eight-cylinder into a four-cylinder engine. This reduces fuel consumption by up to 30 per cent, depending on power demand in the four-cylinder phases.

The 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo engine of the Panamera 4S develops a maximum power of 440 hp (20 hp more than the previous model) which is produced at 5,650 rpm., Between 1,750 and 5,500 rpm, the new six-cylinder delivers 550 Nm (30 Nm more) to the driven axles. The Panamera 4S can reach 62 mph in just 4.4 seconds (4.2 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package). Top speed is 180 mph. The NEDC Combined fuel consumption is 34.4 – 34.8 mpg (186 – 184 g/km CO2). Compared to the first generation Panamera 4S, this represents a saving of up to eleven per cent.

Like the eight-cylinder engine of the Panamera Turbo, the six-cylinder engine of the Panamera 4S also has petrol direct-injection injectors that are positioned in the combustion chamber. This injector position offers optimal combustion, maximum efficiency and very good engine response. The 4S and Turbo are also characterised by exceptionally full-bodied and authentic exhaust note.

The new Panamera is launching with a new eight-cylinder diesel engine, for the first time in conjunction with permanent all-wheel drive. The most powerful diesel implemented in a Porsche production car to date develops a power of 422 hp (at 3,500 rpm) and an immense maximum torque of 850 Nm – which is constant over an engine speed plateau extending from 1,000 to 3,250 rpm. With a top speed of 177 mph, the Porsche Panamera 4S Diesel is currently the world’s fastest production vehicle with a diesel engine. The Gran Turismo achieves the 0-62 mph benchmark in 4.5 seconds (4.3 seconds with the Sport Chrono Package). This contrasts with a combined fuel consumption of 41.5 – 42.1 mpg (178 – 176 g/km CO2).

The diesel model also has bi-turbo charging with a central turbo layout. However, its common rail engine (2,500 bar maximum injection pressure) is equipped with sequential turbocharging. This allows the engine to work as a bi-turbo or mono-turbo, depending on the operating state. At low to moderate engine speeds, the entire stream of exhaust gas is directed solely through one of the two turbochargers, which improves throttle response. The otherwise passive second turbocharger does not become active until the engine speed reaches 2,700 rpm or more. Both turbochargers have variable turbine geometry (VTG) – a principle that is already familiar from the 911 Turbo.

Details of the new design: even more dynamic proportions

The vigour of the engine and chassis performance is reflected in the exterior character of the second generation Panamera. The new Panamera is 5,049 mm (+34 mm) long, 1,937 mm (+6 mm) wide and 1,423 mm (+5 mm) tall. Although being slightly increased in height, the four-door car appears much lower and longer. This is primarily due to the reduced height above the rear of the passenger compartment – reduced by 20 mm – while maintaining consistently good headroom. This changes the car’s overall image completely. The wheelbase has been increased by 30 mm to 2,950 mm; this too lengthens the car’s proportions. The front wheels were shifted further forward, reducing the front overhang and making the ‘prestige dimension’ – the distance between the A-pillar and the front axle – even larger. The rear overhang is longer, giving the car a more powerful appearance.

The Panamera has only grown six millimetres in width, but features such as the A-shaped air intake, which extends out to the sides and fashions a completely new front-end design, create a broader stance. A precisely designed crossbar in the radiator opening also subtly emphasises the car’s powerful sense of purpose. The arrow-shaped bonnet accelerates this visual effect further forward and lower than before – due to the prominently contoured powerdome, whose lines now reach into the bumper. The lower front end was enabled by the new compact construction of the power units. To the left and right of the powerdome, the bonnet blends precisely into the stronger flares of the front wheel arches – a typical Porsche design trait. Also exuding confidence is the style of the LED headlights with their four-point LED daytime running lights, of which three versions are available.

The new body side – like the bonnet, boot, roof and wheel arches – is made entirely of aluminium. The side profile accentuates the silhouette of a sports car, especially the dynamic roof line. At the rear, this roof line becomes the charismatic Porsche ‘flyline’ – the distinctive lines that adorn all of the brand’s coupés. Two precisely executed edges on the lateral roof line visually lower the silhouette’s centre of gravity. The look of the side windows has also been redesigned: its visually continuous surface, together with its lines on the rear body, creates a stylistic affinity to the Porsche 911. Three-dimensionality characterises the doors and wings, where reflected light on their convex and concave surfaces generates muscular tension. Integral design components here include the air exhaust ports behind the front wheels. The flared lips of the wheel arches are also powerful. The large arches provide space for the 19-inch (4S/4S Diesel), 20-inch (Turbo) and optional 21-inch alloy wheels.

The fact that the Panamera is a four door Gran Turismo and not a conventional saloon is clearer from the rear than from any other perspective. The ‘greenhouse’ – made up of the roof, roof pillars, window surfaces – is supported by a powerful and broad shoulder section. Clearly a Panamera, definitely a Porsche. The most prominent components identifying the rear body are, without a doubt, the three-dimensional LED rear lights with integrated four-point brake lights. The rear lights are interconnected by a narrow LED strip. All of these elements together create an unmistakable night design.

Integrated seamlessly and elegantly into the boot, which features electric opening and closing as standard, is the extendible rear spoiler that is now finished in body colour. On the Panamera Turbo, the wing also splits as it extends, thereby gaining additional surface area. At the lower rear body is a diffuser into which the dual stainless steel tailpipes of the exhaust system are integrated on the left and right. The Panamera 4S and 4S Diesel can be recognised by their round tailpipes, while the Panamera Turbo has trapezoidal tailpipe trims.

Porsche operating philosophy – future-based interpretation

The new Panamera exhibits a completely new interior design. In many areas, touch-sensitive surfaces replace traditional hard keys, and high-resolution displays merge into the interior. In the luxury saloon segment, the digitalisation of the Porsche interior, which began with the 918 Spyder, has reached the next development stage aboard the Panamera in the form of the new Porsche Advanced Cockpit.

From the low seating position typical of a conventional sports car, drivers not only see a fascinating front-end landscape of the car’s wheel arches and bonnet powerdome, but also two 7-inch displays that are placed directly in the driver’s line of sight for ideal ergonomics. Located in the middle of these two displays is the tachometer, which is still an analogue instrument. Meanwhile, the gearshift console between the driver and the front passenger is dominated by the 12.3-inch touchscreen of the next generation Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system. The driver and front passenger can configure this display individually. Integrated into the PCM are features such as on-line navigation, the on-line functions of Porsche Car Connect, smartphone integration via Apple Car Play and a new voice control system that responds to natural language input. The PCM area – with its high-end, high-resolution display – transitions harmoniously into the black panel design of the centre console with a shift-by-wire gear selector for the PDK transmission. A new control panel with touch-sensitive switches on the centre console enables intuitive control of various functions. Even the louvres of the central air vent are electrically adjusted by touch-sensitive sliders. Rear passengers can control air conditioning and infotainment functions using an optional four-zone automatic climate control system.

In addition, the Porsche Panamera offers the best versatility of any model in the luxury car category, making it the most practical for everyday use with a 40:20:40 split of the folding rear bench backrests (495 to 1,304 litres of luggage capacity). Raising the comfort experience of the Panamera to an entirely new level are new equipment options such as the panoramic tilt roof, massage seats, ambient lighting and a 3D high-end sound system from Burmester.

New Porsche Panamera range
The new Porsche Panamera is available to order from Porsche Centres in the UK and Ireland from today. First deliveries are scheduled for 5 November, 2016.

UK prices
Panamera 4S - £88,700.00
Panamera 4S Diesel - £91,788.00
Panamera Turbo - £113,075.00

Ireland prices
Panamera 4S - €150,573.00
Panamera 4S Diesel - €155,815.00
Panamera Turbo - €203,502.00

Customers will also be invited to explore the potential of their new car, and further develop their own skills behind the wheel, by participating in a bespoke driving experience around the tracks at the recently-expanded Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone.

Here's the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo In All Its Wagon Glory

Meet Porsche's first-ever station wagon, and yes, it's coming to the US.

By Chris Perkins
Mar 1, 2017

Nearly a year ago, we brought you the slightly unbelievable news that Porsche would build a Panamera wagon. Then, even more astonishingly, Porsche confirmed that the Panamera wagon was US-bound. After months of intense anticipation by Porschephiles and wagon dorks–the author included–it's finally here. Everyone, meet the Panamera Sport Turismo.

At launch, Porsche will offer four different Sport Turismo models–the 330-hp Panamera 4, the 440-hp Panamera 4S, the 462-hp Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and the 550-hp Panamera Turbo. All models are powered by twin-turbo V6s, except the Turbo, which gets a twin-turbo V8.

Interestingly, 0-60 mph times for all Sport Turismos are the same as their sedan counterparts. The quickest is the Panamera Turbo, which sprints to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds with launch control. That makes it as quick as the recently-debuted Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon.

Unlike the Panamera sedan, though, the Sport Turismo will only be offered with all-wheel drive. There's also no word on if Porsche will build a Sport Turismo version of the 680-hp Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
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The Sport Turismo will be the first Panamera sold with five seats–or as a 4+1 in Porsche speak–though you can still order it with two electrically-adjustable rear seats instead. As you'd expect, the Sport Turismo is more practical than its sedan counterpart, though not by a significant margin. With the rear seats folded up, cargo capacity is 18.3 cubic feet to the sedan's 17.4, and 49 cubic feet with the seats folded down, versus the sedan's 46.

Just because the Sport Turismo has a long roof, Porsche hasn't forgotten about generating downforce too. The rear part of the roof extends at 105 mph, or 56 mph in Sport or Sport Plus modes, to aid high-speed stability. This spoiler generates a maximum of 110 lbs of downforce on the rear axle. When the panoramic sunroof is open, the spoiler extends to 26-degrees of attack, to help reduce wind noise.

For all that extra cargo space and wagon goodness, you'll have to pay more for the Sport Turismo. The entry-level Panamera 4 Sport Turismo starts at $96,200 to the sedans's $89,600, while the top-of-the-line Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo costs $154,000 to the sedan's $146,900.

Considering the Sport Turismo costs more than the sedan and doesn't add much practicality, it seems like this will be a niche option. But what a niche. If you don't want to follow the crowd and get a Cayenne, there's probably no better car.

Porschephiles, welcome a new niche into your fold. Say hello to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, a five-door Panamera estate inspired by the opinion-shifting SportTurismo concept from 2012. And dare we say it, is this a good-looking Panamera?

Based on the new, more visually pleasing and incredibly capable Panamera, in essence, the Sport Turismo is one of those just with a bigger boot grafted on the back. At 5,049 mm long, 1,428 mm high and 1,937 mm wide, it’s exactly the same size as the current Panamera. Which, in case you forgot, is 35mm longer, 5mm wider and 5mm taller than the old car. Big, then.

As you may know, a bigger boot means more space in the back (duh). But there’s not as much as that curvy rump and muscular D-pillar would have you believe. In total, there’s 520-litres of storage space (425 litres in the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo due to its electric gubbins) which is still more than enough for the weekly shop, but only 20 litres more than the standard car. However, when stuffed full to the gunwales with the rear seats folded down, the benefit over the fastback Panamera is 50 litres. Flatten everything to the floor and this increases to 1,390 litres (1,295 litres for the E-Hybrid), so perfect if you have to get things (preferably clean things) to the tip in a hurry.

Inside you’ve got all the new Porsche loveliness (physical rev counter framed by twin 7-inch LCD instrument screens, a whopping 12.3-inch main touchscreen, and touch-sensitive zones for the climate and adaptive driving controls grouped onto the transmission tunnel) that we’ve come to love plus wood. Lovely, lovely wood. How Jaaaaaag.

The Sport Turismo is also the first Panamera to feature three rear seats. Well, two and a half. The two outer most are individual seats and a central third seat makes for what Porsche classes as a ‘4+1’. Your most disliked friend/child goes into the +1, obvs. But, as an option, you can spec it as a four-seater. Even so, we’re assured that new raised roof line of the Sport Turismo garners greater headroom than standard. Perfect if your profession is transporting NBA players around very quickly for a living.

Like the normal Panamera, the Sport Turismo gets the same MSB underpinnings as per the Bentley Flying Spur and future Continental GT, and all cars get Porsche’s PTM, all-wheel drive system while S models receive adaptive air suspension. But you also may remember that the new Panamera Turbo has a rear wing that retracts like Iron Man’s flick knife. Well, the Sport Turismo also has a natty spoiler – this time all the way up there on the roof. It’s adaptive, with its pitch set in one of three stages depending on how you’re driving or the mode you’re in. We’re told this can generate an additional 50kg of downforce on the rear axle.

In total, five new engines are available in many flavours of induction and fuelling. Starting the range is the 330bhp V6, then there’s the 462bhp E-Hybrid, a faster 440bhp S, 422bhp 4SDiesel, and the mighty 550bhp turbo at the top of the tree. Prices start at £73k and rise up to £117k for the Turbo but the £83k the E-Hybrid is the one closest to the concept car that foreshadowed this production version and will do 56g/km and 112mpg while also recording 0-62mph in 4.6sec and a 173mph top speed.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Probably because there’s not enough room for all the badging on the back. But a big-booted Porsche with a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 and e-motor, 670bhp, 627lb ft and a claimed top speed of 192mph is what we want to see. So go on Porsche. You’ve just cut one more niche. So why not go for another?