Driving the World’s most Luxurious and Practical Supercar

Many people have asked why Porsche decided to produce another version of the Panamera. Porsche’s answer to this question is that they wanted to further progress and define the concept of what a Panamera is – essentially the most luxurious and practical supercar on the market.

Why can’t all wagons look like this?

The Turismo was originally a concept car named the “shooting brake”. Up until its B-pillars and under its hood, the Sport Turismo mirrors the existing Panamera, but things get more interesting the further back you go. From a different angle, the Turismo finally translates Porsche’s hatchback shape into an elegant wagon that looks better than its sedan-hatchback-fastback counterpart – perhaps the most beautiful station wagon ever built.

Just like the Panamera sedan, the Sport Turismo is characterised by its very dynamic proportions. The vehicle is 5,049 millimetres long, 1,428 millimetres high and 1,937 millimetres wide, while the wheelbase spans 2,950 millimetres. The silhouette is further characterised by short body overhangs and large wheels measuring up to 21 inches.

The roof also extends into an adaptive spoiler with three angles of deployment, depending on the driving situation and chosen vehicle setting. The spoiler also works in combination with the optional panoramic roof in order to reduce wind noise. When Sport and Sport Plus driving modes have been selected, the spoiler automatically moves to the performance position at speeds from 90 km/h. The angle of inclination is automatically adjusted to plus 26 degrees, when the panoramic sunroof is open at a speed of 90 km/h or above. In this case, the spoiler helps to minimise wind noise.

A Space for all that Pace

The Porsche Turismo is the ultimate supercar for somebody who wishes not just to drive a supercar, but also be able to store a lot of stuff in the boot. If you’re going skiing, you can definitely take your skis with you – it’s a supercar that is also super practical. The new model offers the perfect combination of everyday usability and maximum flexibility, with its large tailgate, low loading edge, substantial luggage compartment volume and a 4+1 seating concept. It will comfortably seat four people for long journeys and will benefit from acres of both head and leg room.

Porsche offers a luggage compartment management system for the Panamera Sport Turismo on request. Among other things, this variable system for the secure transportation of goods includes two rails integrated into the loading floor, four lashing points and a luggage compartment partition net. An optional 230-V electrical socket can also be provided in the boot.

Panamera_Interiores_Portugal17-1

The Drive

We drove the Porsches deep into the wine country along the excellent roads of Lisbon, Portugal. I drove a couple of versions including the Turbo Hybrid which is the fastest and most powerful hybrid car in the world. The car will propel from naught to 100 in just 3.4 seconds and naught to 200 in 11.7 seconds which is blisteringly fast. It has a 4-litre V8 twin-turbo and an electric motor. The eight-speed PDK has the duality of being a seamless shifter when grinding through traffic and delivering millisecond precise changes when required.

Also, the Hybrid makes full use of the spoiler’s noise reducing effect with its electric-only mode, which seamlessly propels the Panamera at speeds up to 87 mph. It’s majestically refined and comfortable to drive – Porsche has made such powerful acceleration feel so relaxing.

The existing Panamera’s improved design already lends the four-door a certain appeal, but the Sport Turismo adds an element of inscrutable whimsy. There are four Sport Turismo variants you can get: Panamera 4, 4 E-Hybrid, 4S, and Turbo. Corresponding power plants are a 330 hp single-turbo 3.0-liter V-6, an electrified 462 hp twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6, a 440 hp twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6, and a 550 hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8. All of the versions are mated to an eight-speed PDK transmission.

The Panamera 4 Sport Turismo has a basic retail price of BD 43,900 while the 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo retails at BD 49,000. Meanwhile, the 4S Sport Turismo has a starting price of BD 51,800 while the Turbo Sport Turismo for BD 72,400. It’s practically perfect, but not all that practical.

Comments