The black Panamera Turbo looks great, the color choice really matters. Some people may say that black is boring and they may be right but with the „Hunchback of Notre Dame“-styled rear part, it actually helps to cover a major exterior design flaw.

After I enter the Panamera Turbo, all my negative thoughts about the exterior design are gone, vanished. The interior is very nice and provides the driver with a very pleasant glove feel, it is difficult to explain until one actually sits in the driver’s seat.

The seat is comfortable and sporty at the same time, the side-grip could be slightly better in fast curves but hey, this is not supposed to be a track car, right?! Or do you imagine former CEO Dr. Wiedeking wearing a hat in the rear while his driver pilots the Panamera around the Nordschleife? I doubt it.

Which brings me back to the interior: the quality look and feel is impeccable, it even smells good. All the little buttons and switches look very good, the interior doesn’t leave much to criticize, the leather quality seems also to be very good, nothing to complaint here.

There are however two little things which are perfect and need correction:

First, there is that Burmester loudspeaker cover frame which reflects in the frontshield almost all the time, making it a very annoying and not very welcomed „feature“. Second, there is the switch for opening the rear trunk which is placed in the door together with the switches for opening/closing the windows. I didn’t try the trunk switch while driving but it should definetely be deactivated when the car starts moving. Better: it should be placed somewhere else because when you open the window(s) while driving, you can’t really look what switch to press. Which brings me back to the very crowded switch placement in the door, this is not a very driver friendly solution in my opinion.

Like I said before, the interior looks nice and very classy. The driving position feels a bit low, almost sportscar like but I guess this is what the Porsche engineers actually wanted to accomplish and they did a good job.

After starting the engine, which starts with a short growl, the engine/exhaust note is barely noticeable, a little disappointment here. I switched immediately to the sport chassis/throttle settings because I wasn’t interested in comfort. Another disappointment here, the throttle response is not as good as I expected but this may be different with the optional Sport Chrono package. Unfortunately our testcar wasn’t equipped with it.

The ride feel is very comfortable, a huge surprise since I activated the sport settings before. Another, less enjoyable surprise, is the slightly too soft suspension setup, even in sport setting which lets the Panamera „nick“ a little bit when coming to a standstill or when starting to move slowly. I don’t know why Porsche has chosen this very comfortable setup but maybe it is different with the Sport Chrono package, I don’t know.

Overall, my first thought after driving a couple of kilometers, was: the Panamera Turbo feels like driving a lowered Cayenne Turbo. Not even close to a sportscar feel or the almost famous 911 drive feel. The Panamera 4S feels slightly more sporty but the feel of heaviness is also there. Surprisingly, this feel changes completely in sharp curves. The Panamera Turbo goes through sharp curves like a hot knife through butter, it feels very sport but not as direct and connected as a 997 Turbo for example. There is always a feel of softness which may be of advantage on the Nordschleife since the suspension setup isn’t too firm, keeping the car better on the pavement. Despite the feel of softness, the Panamera Turbo can be very fast in curves, the driving behaviour is very neutral and only if pushed very hard, it starts pushing over the front axle, creating some sort of understeer. Overall, the Panamera Turbo is an extremely safe car when driven fast and hard, it is very difficult to make mistakes but at the same time, a sensitive and experienced driver can actually feel how the electronic „samaritans“ are working in the background. It doesn’t bother me too much, on the contrary but it is something new to me.

The steering feel is also a little bit weird but I would lie if I’d say that I don’t like it. It allows the driver to go through curves very fast and precise but it seems to change stiffness to a programming which isn’t fully conclusive to me. It works well though, so maybe I just needed to get used to it.

Driving at around 200 kph on the Autobahn is very quiet, even the wind noise is barely hearable. The Burmester sound system works well, I listened to FM radio only and after choosing the „Live FM“ setting in the Burmester audio menue, I was enjoying a fantastic sound, very nice. I’m not sure how better the Burmester audio system is compared to the standard Bose system but if you are an audiophile of some kind, you should definetely choose the Burmester option.

The touchscreen of the navigation system works well, not as well as on the iPhone but definetely better than on other car brands with similar touchscreen displays.  I also liked the rear view camera a lot, it has a pretty usable wide angle lens but the image lacks a little bit of sharpness, so maybe Porsche should change to a higher resolution and/or a better camera. I also don’t like the position of the rear view camera: when I tried to manually open the rear trunk, I accidentally grabbed the camera instead.

Speaking of the rear trunk: the trunk space is surprisingly small in my opinion. In no way can it replace the trunk of the Cayenne for example, just a short remark regarding the fact that some Cayenne drivers are considering switching to the Panamera.

Which brings me to another interesting point: fuel consumption. The Panamera 4S had a fuel consumption of around 19 l / 100 km (mixed driving), the Panamera Turbo enjoyed one liter fuel more, making it 20 l / 100 km. Driving hard, the fuel consumption of the Panamera Turbo can easily pass 22-23 l / 100 km and more, there isn’t much of a difference compared to the Cayenne in my opinion.

Driving the Panamera Turbo is fun, although I would highly recommend the Sport Chrono package and the Sport Exhaust option. PDK works very well in auto mode, maybe a little bit too well because it really feels like the old Tiptronic in auto mode. In manual mode, PDK upshifts and downshifts very fast and it is much more fun than using the manual mode on the Tiptronic. I still can’t get used to the shifting buttons, I would love to see shifting paddles on the Panamera but I guess they will be optional sooner or later.

Speaking of driving fun: a very pleasant surprise is the acceleration from standstill in PDK auto mode. I just fully pressed the throttle and the Panamera Turbo instantly jumped forward, going off like a rocket without any traction problems. Real fun.

Not so much fun: even with sport mode active, the throttle isn’t too responsive in auto mode and shifting also feels a bit laggy, especially in the lower rev range.

I returned the Panamera Turbo with mixed feelings. I enjoyed driving it but I initially expected a more sporty and connected drive, not the comfort ride I finally experienced.

Don’t get me wrong, the Panamera Turbo is one of the sportiest limousines in is class and I bet that with Sport Chrono and 20’’ wheels, the ride gets stiffer and sportier, no doubt about it. Still, a little disappointment remains.

I my opinion, the Panamera Turbo is the limousine twin of the Cayenne Turbo. The driving feel is similar, I cannot find any proximity to 997 Turbo or even 997 Carrera drive feel/sportiness, sorry to say that. This doesn’t make the Panamera Turbo a bad Porsche, on the contrary, I was surprised how much I like it.

Would I buy the Panamera Turbo? Yes and no. It cannot replace a sportscar, this is for sure now and there is no argueing about it. The Panamera, even in its most powerful form, the Turbo, is a very impressive and surprisingly comfortable limousine but it doesn’t feel and drive in ANY way like a sportscar. The weight shows and although Porsche did a very good job to cover it, the success is limited by technical  and physical circumstances.

Choosing the Panamera over the Cayenne is a matter of personal taste and of course a matter of money since the Panamera is substantially more expensive than a similar equipped Cayenne. The fuel consumption is not much different, the drive feel is also surprisingly close one to each other and the trunk of the Cayenne is much bigger. On the other hand, the Panamera Turbo is faster even than the Cayenne Turbo S, so this actually would be a very good argument PRO Panamera.

The Panamera still „itches“ me, I still like it but this may look different when the next Cayenne generation shows up. Porsche engineering did a great job building a new product from scratch but they also can’t deny it that they used a lot of Cayenne based development experience in the process.

Make no mistake though: if you think you can replace your current 911 sportscar with the Panamera, even the Turbo, you’re making a huge mistake. If you’re looking for a Porsche with a more comfort oriented ride, the Panamera is the right Porsche for you. Just make sure you take an extensive testdrive before you order it, otherwise you could be disappointed, especially if you come from a 997 or even a Cayenne Turbo.

Finally, keep in mind that I own and drive a 997 Turbo and a first generation Cayenne Turbo S.  You need to read and understand this Panamera Turbo review from my point of view. If you’re coming from a Porsche Boxster or a Cayenne V6, the Panamera 4S will probably highly impress you. Coming from my driving background, the Panamera is just not enough to make me want it. You know...that special feeling little kids have: „I want, I want, I want...“. It is missing from the Panamera, even if I really could see myself in one.

 

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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor 997 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo S, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW