The third time is the charm, Porsche’s Panamera is back in its third generation sporting two drivetrains and Alex Shahini got to experience the potent Turbo E-Hybrid on its home turf in Leipzig, Germany.
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Little more than 20 years ago, the grounds we were standing on were about to usher in a new era and new product lines for Porsche. On the flat planes of the former East German town of Leipzig was the foundation for a new facility where some of Porsche’s most important sellers and special creations were to come to life. The Panamera title, while being overshadowed in terms of four-door volume sellers by its high-riding SUV counterparts, would go on to demonstrate the refined luxury of the brand and get to call this facility home.
Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid Fast Facts
- Price: TBC
- Engine: 4,0-litre twin-turbocharged V8
- Power: 500 kW
- Torque: 930 N.m
- Transmission: 8-speed PDK
- Fuel consumption: TBC
- 0-100 km/h: 3,2 seconds
- Top speed: 315 km/h
- Rivals: BMW 8 Series, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
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What are we driving?
Shown to a handful of journalists from around the world, Porsche opened up the doors of its Leipzig factory for a deep dive into what makes the G3 Panamera tick. Several hours of discussions and presentations eventually culminated in an experience behind the wheel, to make sense of it all. Draped in camouflage with concealing metallic black bodywork beneath and de-badged of any insignia or branding, as night fell, we took the potent sedan for a short drive around the quaint country roads surrounding the impressive facility. Shrouded in secrecy, the late October drive would signal one of the first media activations ahead of the global debut, happening today; the 24th of November 2023.
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Why is the Porsche Panamera significant?
This November event with the Panamera has its roots predating the turn of the 21st century. The nameplate in question only debuted in China on the 19th of April 2009 but the foundations for a luxurious four-seat and four-door model already catalysed as early as the 1950s.
Porsche head honchos had long been tinkering with the idea of a luxurious, limousine-like experience with a model bearing their badge but had ultimately failed to realise the vision. Models like the two-door 356-based Type 530 served as a four-seater prototype with iterations from 1951 and 1952 but the project was ultimately shelved. Over 30 years later Porsche had renewed its interest in a four-door concept with an extended variant of the 928. This time, the prototype featured four doors but the hearse-like model was shelved again. The cycle repeated itself in the 1990s with the four-door Coupe Type 989 which featured hallmarks of Porsches from that era. Its front-mounted V8 engine, powering the rear wheels was the building block of what the Panamera would eventually materialise into almost two decades later.
Retaining all of the styling cues of current Porsche models and amalgamating them into a plush and premium four-door and four-seat experience without compromising performance was the modus operandi. Dig past the superficial and find that and a model like the Panamera features technology that rivals other ultra-luxurious sedans demanding multi-million rand pricetags.
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What’s new on the Porsche Panamera?
On the outside, the silhouette has remained largely unchanged from its predecessors. The ‘form follows function’ mantra from the G1 has remained although packaged with more aesthetic intent. The rear has borrowed the continuous light strip from the current 992 generation 911 and 21-inch centre-locking wheels have been fitted for the first time to stately sedan. Available in two flavours, changes have only been implemented on the E-Hybrid V8. The Panamera 4, with its 3,0-litre V6 has remained largely unchanged delivering 260 kW and 500 N.m which enables the hefty sedan to hit 100 km/h in only 4,8 seconds. The new 4,0-litre V8 engine which was tested has been heavily updated. Fuel injection pressure has been increased to 350 bar and power sits at 500 kW. With 900 N.m of twist on tap, a new 8-speed PDK has also been fitted which delivers breakneck acceleration from the four-wheel drive system.
Porsche project leaders and engineers spent a significant amount of time during the day emphasising the importance of providing the most plush and comfortable ride possible. Dr. Christoph Bittner, Director of Vehicle Dynamics Systems took us into painstaking detail of the mechanical updates implemented onto G3. “Power is nothing without control” and with the heavily upgraded V8, the chassis required ground-up development to ensure an optimal compromise between performance and comfort. Working in conjunction with this, a new technology connects the wheels to the chassis of the Panamera. Unlike the adaptive air suspension from the G2 II, the newcomer features ‘Porsche Active Ride’ which features a 1-chamber air suspension subassembly and a 2-valve damper. Dr Bittner further added that this allows the sedan to offer faster and more sensitive response while rebound and compression damping can be adjusted independently of each other. All of this technical jargon had the opportunity to demonstrate itself before we took to the roads where an old iPhone was configured to demonstrate the active suspension in action with a parked car. Tilt the phone fore and aft, side to side and the car would replicate the manoeuvre in real-time.
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What is the Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid like to drive?
Lectures and presentations done, this suspension and the potent V8 were now at our behest in the real world. The late October evening in Leipzig had dark fall relatively early. The clouds consumed the sky and prohibited any refracting light from penetrating through. In convoy, we followed behind an outgoing model wearing the same moniker through single-lane country roads – no autobahn, unfortunately. From our arrival earlier that day, the clouds had threatened with some light rain and the grounds beneath were still damp from the continuous overcast and dreary weather. 500 kW and 930 N.m under the right foot with tricky conditions along ribboned and narrow tarmac sounds like a recipe for disaster. It wasn’t. Across the intercom came the distinctly German accent of the convoy lead. In a precisely coordinated sequence of words, we were given instructions to twist the rotary dial and experience each driving mode along the way.
With a completely new chassis and suspension setup, the new Panamera is a master of assuming different characters. In comfort settings, the sizable sedan would comfortably waft around corners while the very few road imperfections present were dispatched without much care from the cabin. Flick that rotary dial to Sport or Sport + and it seemingly feels like a different car underneath. Stiffened up and able to adjust instantaneously, we were encouraged to accelerate, brake and manoeuvre hard. Body roll? There was none, there was no pliancy in the suspension. Using the sloping bonnet as a horizon line, any drastic accelerating or decelerating movements would have it only fractionally move. For its size, this instils unparalleled confidence when cornering. Sure, this isn’t particularly built to be a supercar but the Sport + mode lets its occupants know it can still move with haste.
Equally as impressive to the bilateral suspension personality, mashing the accelerator pedal down would instil the sensation of warp speed. By the time we had completed our first hundred meters from the facility R&D building to the main gate, most of us had already got to grips with the breakneck acceleration on offer. That R5 million swan-neck spoiler donned GT3 RS accelerates to 100 km/h in exactly the same amount of time.
What are the new Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid’s rivals?
Shopping in the realm of ultra-plush and uber-luxurious four-seat sedans will present the BMW 8 Series, Maserati Quattroporte and Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class as rivals. The sixth-generation Maserati has been on offer for the better part of a decade and naturally is limited in terms of technology. Porsche’s German counterparts mentioned above are far more recent although being introduced in 2018, there will be a noticeable difference in technology and performance.
What does the new Porsche Panamera cost?
Yet to be configured by Porsche for the South African market, there is no knowing the exact figure it will be offered on the sales floor as. Looking at the current crop of rivals it will vie against, the G3 Panamera 4 would potentially set buyers back in the region or R2,5 million while the full-fat Turbo E-Hybrid will likely breach R3,5 million as a starting price.
Verdict
Despite a shortlived loop bursting the eardrums of all fauna around the quaint country roads of Leipzig, the G3 Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid has redefined what the quintessential four-seat and four-door sedan bearing the Porsche insignia should be. At a moment’s notice, once the rotary dial is flicked from Normal to Sport +, the animated personality morphs into a new creature proving it can satisfy both needs.
