Porsche Panamera Turbo - Executive Express
When the Porsche Panamera was first launched, a purist's scoffed at the idea of a Porsche luxury saloon. Porsche has always been known for its legendary 911 and its other sports cars so why make a luxury saloon? Why not is the answer as cars like the Cayenne and Panamera fill up the coffers as sports cars do not bring the volumes to satisfy the bean counters.
The first gen Panamera silenced critics by being a proper Porsche to drive but its styling was panned as being too controversial. For the new Panamera that you see here, Porsche has created a modern work of art and brilliantly managed to put the 911 shape into a sedan mould. The awkward proportions have gone and instead, it is low-slung, sleek and oozing aggression with a supercar stance. It is not a boring luxury saloon- instead, it is a sports car that has sprouted an extra pair of doors. Yup, it is pretty much the sexiest thing this side of Mila Kunis…
Back to business and the new Panamera is 5,049 mm long, 1,937 mm wide and 1,423 mm tall. More importantly, the wheelbase has been increased by 30 mm to 2,950 mm to increase more space - crucial for earning its luxury car credentials.
And luxury it has in bucket loads with a cabin design dripping in Porsche philosophy of restrained luxury. The interior is very much like Germany's railway timetable and prides on its brutal efficiency. Physical buttons are so last century and it comes in an array of touch sensitive panels, which not only looks stunning but cleans up the interface and complexity which plagued the previous version. Yup, the interior reminds you of your iPhone and it feels as good to use too. Steve Jobs would be proud…
More importantly for the fat cat who has just forked out ₹3 crores, there is space at the back should you be chauffeured and while that may seem blasphemy to Porsche lovers, the back seat of a Panamera is indeed heaven for any self-respecting billionaire. Here also there are plenty of gadgets to amuse yourself with, should you be bored mid-way into cracking that zillion dollar deal.
As good as it is at the back, the best seat of any Porsche has to be the driver's seat. You sit low and are cocooned in a cabin enveloping you with a superb blend of Porsche classic design touches and modern tech wizardry.
For India, Porsche has cherry-picked the best engine and that is a 550 bhp V8 petrol and a new eight-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK) as standard. Good lads, those guys at Porsche. Within the first few yards, the Panamera Turbo unravels itself as being not a luxury saloon with sporting pretentions but a bona fide Porsche. It is basically a sedan with a rocket strapped at the back. It is blessed with body control that its rivals can only dream of and it flows from one corner to another with the delicacy of a sports car.
It seems Porsche has not forgotten to involve the driver as it has always been doing with its more hardcore sports cars. The engine overall is magnificent and with its vast quantities of power and torque which means you hit 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. Please read that line again. That is proper supercar performance.
From behind the wheel, the Panamera Turbo shrinks around you and the brilliant gearbox and those superb brakes really make you want to push this car more than what its size might suggest. Yet when you take things slow, it changes character with remarkable ease and fits into the role of a luxury car.
The Porsche Panamera Turbo then is a freak creation and it is downright spooky how easily it manages its Jekyll-and-Hyde personality so well. Porsche did not quite get it right with the first generation Panamera largely owing to its clumsy proportions and too much emphasis on sportiness. But with the new one, Porsche has cracked the formula in a way no one has. It delivers just the right amount of luxury yet also comes out as a proper Porsche, involving the driver in a way a Porsche should. This might just be one of the best cars in the world right now. We’d sell our soul for one…
From the January 2018 issue of FHM India.
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