Tested: Porsche’s untouchable Panamera Turbo

Before I get to just how fast the new Porsche Panamera Turbo is, it’s worth putting it on the table that the Panamera has always been a fast, but not the best looking car, especially from the rear.

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But this has changed with the all-new car – that now looks like a serious Porsche should.

I will let you look at the pictures and decide for yourself if you agree with me or not. Being a large sedan means all your interior space and comfort needs are taken care of, and the new easy-to-use interactive displays round off a first-class experience when you find yourself in a Panamera.

But it’s the Turbo badge on the boot you should pay attention to when it comes to this Panamera. Producing around the same power and torque as the previous generation Turbo S model, this 4.0-litre V8 twin turbo comes with a healthy 404kW of power at 5 750rpm and a full 770Nm of torque between a low 1 960- and 4 500rpm.

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This is the fast part I was talking about. Now before I get to the actual road test numbers, you need to understand that this is a 1 995kg full-sized sedan running an AWD drive system, with every luxury and safety option you can think of fitted on board.

The Panamera Turbo blasted to the fastest-sedan-we-have-evertested title by hitting 100km/h in a mere 3.78 seconds; the quarter mile in a fast 11.82 seconds; while going through the 1km at 253km/h and only stopping thanks to the electronic speed limiter at a true speed of 307km/h .

I am not sure what other sedan will get past this Panamera Turbo, but the bad news for wannabe competitors is that the still-toarrive Panamera Turbo S is even more powerful at 500kW and 850Nm.

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And if you’re not in a destroying kind of mood, you can use the steering-wheel mounted rotary ring switch first introduced in the Porsche 918 Spyder to activate one of four driving modes (Normal, Sport, Sport Plus or Individual).

This flexibility is followed through to the chassis, thanks to the optional 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 roll stabilisation, and rear-axle steering.

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The Porsche Panamera Turbo retails from R2 531 000, with a five-year Porsche full maintenance Drive Plan included. So, if you agree that it looks better, then you know it’s priced just right.

Road Test Data

Model: Porsche Panamera Turbo

Gearbox: 8 Speed PDK Transmission

Engine: 4.0 litre V8 Twin Turbo

Power: 404 kW @ 5 750 – 6 000 rpm

Torque: 770 Nm @ 1 960 – 4 500 rpm

Licensing Mass: 1 995 kg

Power to Weight: 202.506 kW / Tonne

Power to Capacity: 101.101 kW / Litre

0-100 km/h: 3.78 Seconds

¼ Mile: 11.82 Seconds @ 196.11 km/h

1 Km: 21.42 Seconds @ 253.25 km/h

60-100 km/h: 2.12 Seconds (in 3rd) / 3.66 Seconds (in 4th)

80-120 km/h: 2.88 Seconds (in 4th) / 5.13 Seconds (in 5th)

100-200 km/h: 8.46 Seconds (from 3rd)

True Top Speed: Limited to 307.72 km/h @ 6 000 rpm in 6th (Clock 308 km/h)

Fuel Consumption: 9.3 litres / 100 km Claimed (11.9 litres Test Average)

Fuel Tank Size: 90 litres

Fuel Range: 968 km Claimed (756 km on Test)

CO2 Emissions: 212 g/km

Vehicle Odometer:  3 703 Km

Test Temperature: 15 Degrees

Tyres Size: 275/40 R20 (Front) 315/35 R20 (Rear)

Tyres Make: Michelin Pilot Sport

Service / Maint Plan: 5 Years / 90 000 Km Maintenance Plan

Warranty: 2 Years / Unlimited Km

Test Date: 20 March 2017

Priced From: R2 531 000

For more information and latest pricing visit www.porsche.co.za