WASHINGTON — Porsche has produced the four-door Panamera for several years. Now, they’re making upgrades.
For 2014, Porsche is back with a plug-in hybrid and potent twin turbo V6 engine to help its fuel economy. There’s also the new Executive trim level, a long wheelbase version of the luxury vehicle. The outside got a slight makeover as well, which really helped smooth out the rear-end styling.
I spent time with the big Porsche during the “Mille for MS 2014,” a charity road rally and scavenger hunt that covers 225 miles. Porsche North America was a huge help in supplying this car. The road trip event was hosted by Sun Porsche of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
The Panamera is a comfortable car with awesome seats made for long drives. I had two children in car seats, along with my wife (who loved the heated seats). I had a stroller and three or four bags loaded in the rear hatch, but there was plenty of room to spare.
The interior is top notch and stylish. The trim is the same color as the car — amethyst metallic — but costs extra money. Porsche doesn’t use knobs or wheels for car functions, so there are more buttons on the dash. I like it more than going through endless menus, just to change the climate control. At times, the navigation was a bit touchy, especially when it came to inputting the next checkpoint. However, it led us correctly to our destination.
The Panamera turbo starts at $141,300; my tester was priced at $195,510, with more than $54,000 in extras. Porsche gives you options: Through its exclusive service, you can pick items to build your own special car. Among the big ticket items are $9,210 for huge Porsche Ceramic Composite brakes (they work really well), and the $7,490 sport package (which gives you sport exhaust, turning the quiet cruiser into a louder sporty-sounding machine). I loved to hear it, so I usually left the sport exhaust button on.
It also includes the sport chrono package that gives the car a very serious Sport Plus mode with launch control. It really changes the entire attitude, and was begging for a track. Even with its track-focused setting, the car was never punishing. I was amazed that pushing just one button would change a car so much.
Driving the Panamera turbo is a true treat. The 4.8-liter twin turbo V8 is a powerful engine with 520 horsepower. This car goes 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds. The PDK 7-speed transmission is a good automatic, or use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel and turn it into manual. There’s a standard all-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension, which does a great job of providing a smooth drive when you just want a luxury car.
The Panamera loves twisty roads and drives like a smaller two-door Porsche, not a car for the entire family. It’s very impressive.
As a result, the 2014 Porsche Panamera turbo doubles as a comfortable family car or a four-door sports car. It shrinks around you and becomes a seriously good driving machine. The price of admission is up to you.
Editor’s note: Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.
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