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The Panamera has grown from a selfish 911 sports car into a four-place luxury model without too many compromises. Photo Gallery
Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Porsche Panamera as part of its epic trek around Australia.
OnIy only took 10 kilometres along the Great Ocean Road for the Porsche Panamera to click into place. I came to the car wondering about a four-door Porsche, about the return of a front-engined Porsche, and about an all-new luxury car with a starting price - remember, starting price - of $270,200. And then there is the styling . . .
But a few corners, some lumpy bitumen, a few overtaking sprints, and the chance to settle into some Panamera luxury had me convinced. I'm still not in love with way it looks, but the Panamera is a great car. Then again, that's what I expect from Porsche. It's a company that knows its knitting and knows has to turn dreams into reality.
This time it has decided the time is right for a four-door luxury Porsche for the people who want more than just a selfish two-seater sports car or a hulking SUV. The Cayenne has worked for families and people who have to have a Porsche badge on their SUV, but the Panamera is very different.
That's why Porsche spent $1.5 billion to dive into the deep and dangerous waters at the top end of the luxury car business. It knew it had to create a car that was a genuine grand tourer and a genuine luxury car if it was going to hold onto its older and wealthier owners.
The global financial meltdown has hurt the car business badly, but Porsche is still flat-out on Panamera and aiming to sell 200 cars in Australia next year. It already has a waiting list, even for the Panamera Turbo that comes in from $364,900.
Drivetrain and equipment
The heavy bottom line on the Panamera buys a lot of good stuff, from a 4.8-litre V8 engine with 294kW and 500Nm to the turbo with 368 and 700 to a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox, full four-seater cabin with individual sports buckets, satnav and auto aircon, bi-Xenon headlamp 18-inch alloys as a minimum and everything from a tyre-pressure monitor to ESP stability control, eight airbags and active suspension management on the safety front.
Appearance and fit-out
My first reaction, as we set off from Porsche central is Melbourne, is the size and presence of the car - and the way the car turns heads, even as we stop for a breather opposite a Ferrari-Maserati dealership. Heading down the Great Ocean Road, with Adelaide programmed into the satnav, I quickly learn that the Panamera can swallow fast distances without indigestion. And that everything from the look and feel of the leather to the design of the centre console - think upmarket stereo remote control - is right at the top end of the classy car business.
The Panamera is still a Porsche and still a sports car, but it is aimed straight at the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series that dominate the luxury world. There are others, but even Audi has not been able to mount a serious threat to the German double act. Compared with the Benz-BMW flagships, the Panamera is much more squat, has a lighter cabin feel, and is lacking in the boot. It can still carry stuff, but it does not match a 7 or an S for big baggage handling. Then, again, it is still a four-seater sports car and that's something the German battleships cannot match.
Rear view
Life in the back seats of the Porsche Panamera is mighty fine. The view is good, there is plenty of space to stretch out, and when the driver gets going the individual bucket seats give you plenty of support. It's important news because the Panamera is the first four-seat Porsche sports car and the company's first tilt at Benz and BMW in the luxury limousine world.
The car has grown from a selfish 911 sports car into a four-place luxury model without too many compromises. The focus is still on the driver, but sitting in the back is relaxing and enjoyable. There is plenty of legroom with 180cm people front and back, you can tuck your toes under the driver's seat, and there is a big armrest for support.
The doors open wide for access, you don't have to duck to dive into the back seat, and there are individual controls and air vents for the aircon system. Porsche makes the inevitable back-seat entertainment gear, right up to sun blinds and a fridge and a home theatre package, but it is not fitted to the first Panameras to reach Australia. Maybe next time ...
Driving
I expected the Panamera to drive like a bigger, heavier 911. It doesn't. It is more planted than the world's benchmark sports car, less edgy and more balanced, with with the refined edge you expect in a four- seat luxury car. It is, in short, more relaxed and relaxing to drive. But it is still very, very swift. And responsive. And enjoyable.
It is nothing remotely like a Benz or BMW to drive. The closest thing I have found is the Maserati Quattroporte, but the Panamera is more compliant and more responsive, feels more roomy, and you never worry that it might fail to proceed.
I drive both the Panamera S and the flagship Turbo during the long drive from Melbourne to Adelaide, and each has its major plus points. The S is obviously $100,000 less costly, but its 294 kW V8 has the right combination of performance and economy for Australian conditions. It goes more than well enough and the chassis is taut and responsive.
Why bother with the Turbo? Well, apart from the engine, the chassis steps up with active anti-roll bars, bigger wheels and tyres, and all- wheel drive for lousy weather, and there is more equipment. The Turbo is the car you want when you want to hussle, and I can instantly feel the difference - more tyre bite, better feel, higher speeds - when I push on through some twisting bends. It also squats and kicks when the turbos unless their 700 Newton-metres.
The double-clutch gearbox in the drive cars is slick and responsive, but I still question Porsche's silly gear switches on the steering column. It is bringing paddles soon to the 911 Turbo and I'm hoping they feed quickly to the rest of the range. As for the Panamera pair, they are quiet and comfortable at Australian cruising speed, shrink around you with every kilometre, and just plain do the job. So the Panamera gets a tick from me.
Porsche Panamera
Price: from $270,200 (Panamera S) and $364,900 (Panamera Turbo)
Body: Four-door sedan
Seats: Four
Engine: 4.8-litre V8, 4.8-litre twin turbo
Power: 294kW/6500 revs, 368kW/6000 revs
Torque: 500Nm/3500-5000 revs, 700Nm/2250-4500 revs
Transmission: seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox, rear or all-wheel drive (Turbo)
Performance: 0-100km/h 5.6s, top speed 283km/h; 0-100km/h 4.2s top speed 303km/h (Turbo)
Economy: 12.5L/km, 12.2L/100km (Turbo)
Emissions: 293g/km, 286g/km (Turbo)
