Most engineers solve problems. Porsche’s engineers, create the impossible. When they created the new Panamera, they merged a limo with a sports-car. But why stop there? Why not give it some V8 supercar goodness?
That’s what the Panamera Turbo is all about. The huge 550 horsepower 4-litre V8 twin-turbo makes the default 3-litre V6 look docile in comparison. Its 770 Nm of torque are guaranteed to put anything on the road to shame in a millisecond. In fact, the Panamera Turbo lapped the Nurburgring in just 7 minutes and 38 seconds – faster than any car in its class!
And that’s only half the performance story. The Panamera Turbo’s dynamic superiority also comes from it trading rear-wheel drive for an all-wheel drive system. This is still done via the advanced 8-speed PDK transmission.
A huge engine and a super quick transmission sending power to all wheels. The Panamera Turbo takes these components and ties them together beautifully. With the Sport Chrono package, it can get to 160km/h from a standstill in 8.1 seconds. By the time the stopwatch hits 3.6 seconds, it’s already going 100km/h and you’ve barely had time to take a single breath.
The Panamera stops as quickly as it goes thanks to optional Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB). Everything about these brakes is over the top. 420mm in diameter at the front with a pair of 10-piston aluminium monobloc fixed brake calipers. Despite the size, these brake discs weigh half as much as standard discs thanks to the materials used.
With these brakes and the optional rear-axle steering, even a two-ton, 5 metre long behemoth like the Panamera Turbo is precise and agile around corners. When additional downforce is required, the rectractable spoiler unfolds. It’s just as functional as it is cool.
And at night, the optional Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) Plus package brings a level of safety you won’t find anywhere else. Dozens of individually controlled LED bulbs mark out oncoming vehicles by creating a shadowed area on the vehicle and a highlighted area just in front of it. On trunk roads – which are sometimes unavoidable – this is a feature any driver will be grateful to have.
All of this technology and performance, and you’re still getting a super saloon that any diplomat or minister would feel at home in. The Panamera Turbo is Porsche at their best – defying the rules of physics, because they can.
Visit the nearest Porsche Centre to you and find out more about the new Panamera Turbo sports saloon. You may end up customising one for yourself.
Porsche Centre Glenmarie: +603 5030 9911
Porsche Centre Sungai Besi: +6019 675 9911
Porsche Centre Penang: +6019 400 9911
Porsche Panamera Turbo Specifications:
Engine: V8 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed PDK
Displacement: 3,996cc
Power: 550hp @ 5,750 – 6,000 rpm
Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960 – 4,500 rpm
0-100km/h: 3.6s (with Sport Chrono Package)
Price from: RM1,550,000
