Panamera – more than just a Porsche!

2022 is currently enjoying the 30th anniversary of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which got underway at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari track at Imola in Italy on 24 April. 

Eight races will take place over the season, including the exclusive street circuit in Monaco and last month’s race at Silverstone, with proceedings concluding back in Italy on 11 September at the Autodromo Nazionale in Monza. All the races are there as support events for the Formula One season this year. 

So as a hat tip to the world of Porsche, I thought it would be remiss of me not to have a test drive in one and acknowledge the creative engineering and design that goes into today’s purveyor of German perfection.

Ask the average Joe or Jill on the street what Porsche they think of, generally the 911 is the answer. However, there is so much more to the array of choice within the Porsche line up. Step forward then the lovely people at Porsche Centre Mid-Sussex in Burgess Hill who were kind enough to lend me a Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo for a weekend away in Bath.

The Panamera is probably the model that’s least visible on the road and providing an extremely comfortable and effortless three-and-a-half-hour drive both ways, it’s difficult to understand why. Described as a mid/full size luxury car, this is unquestionably the largest car I’ve ever driven; despite being just over five metres long and just shy of two metres wide, it’s handling, particularly in the corners, was effortless and smooth in equal measure. At just under £89,000, the 3.0-litre V6 twin turbo engine was sharp and active when required and felt like the luxury sports car it was meant to be.  

Unlike the 2-wheel rear drive 911 that I had the pleasure of driving a few years ago, this Panamera is a front-engine all-wheel drive with an eight-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox, together with an electric motor allowing you to change from petrol to electric with the added bonus of the electric motor that charges up while you’re on the move. Whilst the fuel economy supplies up to an acceptable 134.5 miles per gallon (I drove to Bath and back without needing to fill up!) the electric range is only 34 miles so the automatic charging while you’re on the move is a definite plus. 

With 457bhp at 5400-6400rpm, the Panamera provides a tremendous 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 174mph the latter which unfortunately I couldn’t test for obvious reasons…honestly! Under acceleration, there is no question that despite it’s size, it pulls away strongly with effortless ease.

Despite being a relatively quiet car on starting the ignition, things noticeably change when Sport or Sport Plus mode are activated, with the exhaust emitting some great sounds that you would hope for from a car of this magnitude.

So, what’s it like to look at from the outside? With the lines and curves in all the right places, the Panamera oozes class and sophistication whilst having the look of a car that could wreak havoc on the roads whenever the situation demanded it. The considerable wheel base and 21-inch alloy wheels with neon green brake callipers only served to enhance the feeling of excitement and satisfaction in tandem.

Internally Porsche never fails to disappoint, and the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is no exception. Surrounded by cream leather, a minimalist array of buttons and Bose speakers supported by an easy to navigate touch-screen system there is an abundance of space coupled with class and style. The seats are very comfortable as you would expect and by adding the majority of the vital controls to the flat console surrounding the automatic gear shifter, Porsche has been able to push the dashboard further towards the front, thereby creating more legroom, especially important for a six feet tall person like myself.

This is undeniably an extremely well-built car and including an additional satellite navigation system on the driver’s side as well as the centre console allowed me to enjoy the sensation of being safe without spoiling the fun. 

With front and rear cameras and side sensors built in to aid parking, let me tell you this was an absolute godsend in the hotel car park. Tight spaces between the cars was an understatement and having this system of protection should be built into all makes and models and not just Porsche. Scrapes and scratches from careless drivers would be reduced significantly and I’m delighted to say, despite taking a little longer, being the largest vehicle in the car park, I was able to manoeuvre without incident.

Finally, the boot provides 418 litres of space or over 1200 litres with the rear seats folded down, in other words, acres of room for all the family luggage and with a beautiful weekend of sunshine, the sunroof was duly utilised to the full. There are plenty of other features I could describe and let you know how I swooned over them, but I don’t unfortunately have the same space as the Panamera. In summary then, the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo is an absolute delight to drive, I would thoroughly recommend it as a luxury sports car, it’s more than just a Porsche…I certainly didn’t want to return it that’s for sure.

To find out more or book your test drive at Porsche Centre Mid Sussex visit them at Innovation Drive, York Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 9TW or online at https://www.porschemidsussex.co.uk/