The world has changed since people first raised hell about Porsche building a four-door saloon, and these days the Panamera is one of the fanciest and fastest ways to rocket four people around in sumptuous style. Its dual sedan and wagonesque trims are also welcome survivors in a world that seems to want less and less of them, and now Stuttgart is upping the ante with the new Porsche Panamera GTS and GTS Sport Turismo.
Porsche’s GTS cars are a pleasing middle ground, aiming to balance the raw nature of their hard-charging Turbo overlords with the more comfortable modus operandi of the standard models. In the new Panamera GTS, that equals out to a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine making 453 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which comes on strong at 1,800 RPM.
No manuals here, sadly—the Panamera hasn’t had one available in years—but the lightning quick eight-speed PDK transmission should make up for that. Handling will be augmented by the company’s all-wheel-drive system, standard adaptive air suspension, standard Sport Chrono package, and a chassis that’s been lowered by 0.39 inches. Larger brakes will bring everything to a halt with appropriate muscle, which is good considering both versions of the Panamera GTS will run from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is said to be 181 mph for the sedan and 179 mph for the Sport Turismo wagon.
There are a few key visual differences to the GTS models thanks to the Sport Exhaust with blacked-out tailpipes and other darkened bits. In keeping with Porsche’s encyclopedic options lists, the GTS Interior package is a separate charge that features a broody mix of black Alcantara and aluminum and all the GTS badges you could want. There’s also the option for a heads-up display, a first for the Panamera and one that will soon find its way across the entire lineup.
Like any new P-car, the Porsche Panamera GTS isn’t cheap. The normal Panamera GTS starts just above $128,000, while the Panamera GTS Sport Turismo clocks in at $134,500. You can order one right now—just know that deliveries won’t begin until midway through 2019.
