A four-door Porsche? And not a SUV? Porsche can build just about any fast moving object it desires and so what we have here is more four-door coupe like the Mercedes CLS or the Aston Martin Rapide. The test car provided by Auto Eurokars was the Panamera S, priced at RM998,000. It comes with a standard 4,806cc normally aspirated V8 engine that unleashes 400PS at 6,500rpm and 500Nm between 3,500 – 5,000rpm.
The Panamera is more like a Grand Touring car. The rear has seating for two, making it a truly four-passenger car and there is serious room behind there. Best of all, the Panamera is not too awkward a car to be driven in.
Most owners however I suspect will be more than willing to drive the Panamera on their own because that is where the car shines. Seated behind the steering wheel, the Panamera is remarkably still a Porsche all around you with top notch build and finish.
The best way to enjoy this car is on a long journey with mixture of highways and twisty kampung roads flanked on either side by Palm oil and rubber plantations. There is a full sense of urgency when the driver takes hold of the steering and hits the acclerator pedal and with no hesitation the power is delivered. Handling is not on par with standard 911’s as you have the longer chassis to deal with and sweeping bends cannot be taken with anger as the car moght just nudge a little as you push it around the bend. However when driven back to back against the competitors this 4-door sedan from Porsche will not sit in 2nd position or even 3rd and instead will take a comfortable 1st place. Dont trust me then test drive it for yourself and let me read your comments.
With room for four and a matching boot to take in luggage for a family holiday, the Panamera is a Porsche no matter how it looks. Now convincing the other half to buy a Porsche just gets easier.
Porsche Panamera S Details
Engine: V8 Petrol
Gearbox: 6-speed Semi-automatic transmission
Max power: 400 hp @ 6500 rpm
Max torque: 500 Nm @ 3500-5000 rpm
Top Speed: 285km/h restricted
0-100 km/h: 5.6 secs
Price: RM998,000.00
