Porsche Panamera GTS 2018 Review – International

Porsche has developed the Panamera GTS (and the Sport Turismo wagon) to provide a V8-engined alternative to the Panamera Turbo at a more accessible price point. That means lower levels of engine output than the Turbo trim level, but Porsche has sweetened the deal with some extra bits and pieces for the Panamera GTS over the V6-engined Panamera 4S to justify the extra outlay. While the new model features the same engine architecture as the Panamera Turbo and is based on the same 971 series platform as other Panamera variants, it's a little sportier.

In the four years since it was last reviewed by carsales, the Porsche Panamera GTS has undergone a renaissance. As exciting as that car was, the 2019 Porsche Panamera GTS looks better, feels smaller and delivers a driving experience that's at least as convincing.

According to Porsche's own testing, the new twin-turbocharged V8 model is three tenths of a second faster to 100km/h. It's also more economical than the old 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated V8, based on WLTP testing rather than NEDC.

And the new V8 is as pleasing to the ear as the old engine.

With 14kW and 100Nm more, the new Panamera GTS certainly felt ready to go on the F1 race track in Bahrain where the international launch was held. While there was never any real hope a mere journo could keep up with a race instructor driving a 911 Turbo S, the Porsche Panamera GTS Sport Turismo (yes, the wagon!) didn't disgrace itself.

With stability control left enabled at Porsche's insistence, the Panamera GTS Sport Turismo circulated rapidly but very tidily. It rolled more and scrubbed the front tyres where the pace car didn't – but equally, the Panamera was composed changing direction and braking across a stream of water on the track. At that same point at which the 911 skipped at the rear, the all-wheel drive Panamera just shrugged it all off.

But the Panamera didn't hold steady due to a relative lack of power. Apply the right foot a little too heavily on the exit from a corner – even in the dry – and the all-wheel drive Panamera will still step out at the rear. It's all very calculated and predictable however.

Individual aspects of the car's dynamic behaviour blend into a seamless collage of power delivery, drivetrain competence, cornering and braking.

Leave the car in Sport mode and drive it in accordance with advice from the instructor and the Porsche Panamera GTS makes even ham-fisted drivers look professional. The brakes are hugely dependable, the handling is secure, the steering precise and the power delivery very responsive – yet not sharp-edged.

As expected, the Panamera's brake pedal is very tactile, delivering finely judged stopping. The brake pads were a little noisy, but effective under serious pressure, repeatedly hauling the car down from high speeds at the end of each straight.

And the stability control system responded very quickly when the Panamera's tail became a bit loose powering out of a corner. The driver-assist system operates in proper coordination with the car's powertrain, suspension and steering when the Panamera GTS is set to Sport mode on the racetrack.

A kerb weight of nearly two tonnes made its presence felt, although that had little apparent impact on the Panamera braking hard and turning in neatly from indicated speeds above 220km/h on Bahrain's long straights.

The Porsche Panamera GTS was so simple to drive around the track; it's a set-and-forget machine for this type of activity. Degree of difficulty for lapping Bahrain in this car? About 0.5.

For some enthusiasts the Panamera GTS may come as a disappointment. This car has to be a more flexible package than a 911 though. The Porsche Panamera GTS is a tourer, a wagon, a quasi-limousine, a family car... and a corner-carving muscle car as well.

And in those various roles, away from the racetrack, the Panamera proved very capable. That much was brought home to us when the heavens opened on the way to the racetrack.

Yes, it rains even in hot, dusty Bahrain – heavily too. During our visit drivers were slowing to 30 or 40km/h below the speed limit and flicking on the hazard warning lights as the water pooled in patches on arterial roads. Those of us driving the Panamera at the time were immediately on the look-out for large patches of standing water – taking care to steer around them rather than potentially drown a Porsche.

There was nothing to fear; the low-riding Panamera's 20-inch Michelins displaced water by the gallon without any incipient loss of stability, and the all-wheel drive system doled out torque equally through the four tyres.

For all its determined power delivery on the track, the V8 was flexible and docile on the road. It can be a quiet engine also, emitting just a gentle hum when cruising.

Predictably, there was some tyre noise heard in the cabin, but the Porsche slipped through the air very cleanly, generating little wind noise.

Over a public-road route of about 160km, the Porsche Panamera GTS Sport Turismo posted a fuel consumption figure of 11.9L/100km cruising around Bahrain, including about half an hour on the freeway. Like the idle-stop system, cylinder deactivation probably played a part, yet it was practically undetectable.

At 100km/h the Panamera runs well below 2000rpm in sixth gear. At 120km/h – the freeway speed limit in Bahrain – the Panamera would slip into eighth gear with the engine effortlessly ticking over at 1500rpm, which is just 300 revs shy of its torque peak. It's an engine for lazy drivers, if need be. That's not to say it won't get worked up into a lather if the driver demands more.

While the PDK (dual-clutch) transmission performed admirably on the racetrack – changing up at full throttle with barely a tell-tale (just the drop in revs) it was immediately betrayed as a dual-clutch gearbox when the car rolled back briefly leaving the hotel car park. Most of the time, however, the PDK was refined and well mannered.

The rear-wheel steering helped the Panamera pull some tight U-turns to recover from missed exits. While it is a big car, it doesn't feel bulky to park, thanks to acoustic guidance and a barrage of around-view cameras.

Unfortunately, the ride on public roads is not especially compliant, even in Normal mode. Minor impact harshness is present over sharper bumps. But the Panamera rides the way any grand touring car from Porsche should, poised at open-road speeds and providing outstanding body control. In that same normal mode the steering is very light but tightens up in the Sport and Sport+ modes.

Climbing out of the Panamera GTS is not a major challenge, despite sitting 10mm lower than other variants. And the doors automatically close softly if you don't apply enough force in the first instance.

Even without going to the trouble of adjusting the side bolsters for the squab and the base, the seats in the Panamera GTS were ideally contoured. There's plenty of adjustment available for practically anyone to feel comfortable.

Drivers unfamiliar with Porsche ergonomics won't take long to learn all the tricks, and it's great to be able to switch modes from the dial on the steering wheel. The key-like engine-start switch in the dash is in clear view from the driver's seat, so there's no groping around for a hidden button.

A huge tachometer sits directly in the driver's forward line of sight, with an analogue speedo to the left and a digital speedo readout in the base of the tacho. It's all pretty simple to comprehend.

Although a bit more airflow from the central vents in the dash would have been welcome, the Panamera's four-zone climate control mostly coped with 34-degree temperatures and armpit-soaking humidity.

Adjustable vents are located in both the B pillars and the rear of the centre console, controlled by two additional climate control zones.

The trim materials exude quality and match the car's general fit and finish. There's leather, Alcantara and aluminium right throughout the cabin. It all feels solid and suitably expensive.

Spacious rear seating accommodates adults of average height, even with a sunroof fitted. There's less foot room available if the front seats are lowered to the floor however.

Porsche's name for the Panamera's standard packaging – with a vestigial centre seat position – is '4+1'. According to the theory, someone could sit in the middle for a brief journey. It's my guess, frankly, that the 'someone' would be a hobbit child. There's a seatbelt, but you'd never force anyone to sit there.

The Panamera wagon’s load area is long but not deep. It features a powered liftback tailgate and finger-pulls to lower the rear seats. A tyre repair kit resides in the boot, but one crew of journalists chose to remain stranded by the side of the road rather than use the kit to repair a puncture sustained early in the drive program.

Tyre repair kits and the 4+1 seating concept shouldn't be deal breakers, however. But the price might be.

The Porsche Panamera GTS is a fabulous car, but it's expensive and it's not an SUV. A BMW M5 or a Mercedes-AMG E 63 can be had for two thirds of the price. Even Porsche's own Cayenne GTS is less than half the price, only a second slower to 100km/h and a more practical package.

All of this explains why Porsche has sold fewer than 100 Panameras in Australia for 2018 so far. Porsche fans who need/want a sporty liftback sedan or wagon should start buying those lotto tickets...

How much does the 2018 Porsche Panamera GTS cost?
Price: $364,100 (sedan, plus on-road costs), $371,400 (Sports Turismo plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 338kW/620Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 10.3L/100km (sedan, WLTP Combined), 10.6L/100km (Sports Turismo, WLTP Combined)
CO2: 235g/km (sedan, WLTP Combined), 242g/km (Sports Turismo, WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: TBA