The Porsche Panamera has created a lot of hype since its release in 2009. It’s essentially a bulked up 911 with four doors and a luxurious back seat for two. The high performance sedan was originally released with a powerful naturally aspirated V8, until this year, when it was rolled out with a more powerful, more efficient twin-turbo V6. For the past week, we had the opportunity to explore the Panamera 4S, which is the fully loaded all-wheel drive version of the luxury sedan.
We were sent a White 4S. The exterior of the car illustrated a sporty aerodynamic design clearly derived from the 911 with a similar front and rear end and added scoops behind the front wheel-well. The 20” 911 Turbo II wheels gave an added performance look to the car. The rear of the 4S seemed to be the most notable feature; it differentiates the 4S from other hatches of the same class, while providing the incredible aerodynamic form of the 911.
Inside of the Porsche, it was more spacious than expected; even in the back seat, I, at 6’ tall, was able to comfortably sit with no problems. The center console stretched from the front to the back, providing individual climate controls and heated seats for every passenger. In the front, seats were also cooled and all controls were within reach. The 7” color touch screen was simple to use, and controlled the navigation and 11-speaker Bose sound system. Needless to say, we were impressed with the dynamics of the sport sedan’s interior.
(See also: The New Porsche Panamera Turbo S)
The ride of the Panamera was fantastic, elegant and powerful. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine provided 420 hp through a 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung transmission to all four wheels. To assist in handling and cornering, Porsche equipped the Panamera with Steel-Spring suspension and the Porsche Active Suspension Management system.
While you may think that the Panamera could be your run of the mill sedan, it’s far from it. We could feel the difference in the stiffness of the suspension and even the sound of the engine as we switched between Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus modes, drastically changing what type of car we were sitting in.
The Panamera was an exciting delight, certainly the type of vehicle you could take on a road trip and be grinning from ear to ear the whole way across the country. And with the added fuel efficiency of the new twin-turbo V6, you’ll be making fewer stops along the way.
The price tag for the Panamera 4S that we drove had a price tag of $132,590. duPont REGISTRY recommends this vehicle to the business executive who sees an average sedan as unexceptional, the type of person who demands excitement from their car even when driving the kids to school. Get to your local Porsche dealer and see one for yourself.
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