Porsche Panamera GTS 2019 Review

When people think Porsche, they inevitably and immediately think of the Porsche 911. But, while the iconic rear-engine sports car still sits at the epicentre of the Stuttgart brand’s universe, Porsche has steadily expanded its portfolio over the years.

Witness the creation of the Boxster in 1996 and the Cayman in 2005, which played to the brand’s sports car strengths; while the Cayenne in 2003 and the Macan in 2014 forged a new direction into the lucrative SUV segment.

Amidst all this Porsche brand extension came the Panamera in 2009, the brand’s first foray into the four-door full-sized luxury sedan segment.

Now in its second generation, the original four-door lift back saloon has been joined by a Sport Turismo or wagon body style, with the number of variants expanding to 13, including this latest GTS model which is available in both body styles.

Unless you can find one in a wrecking yard there’s no such thing as a cheap Panamera. The range starts with a single turbo V6 model at $214,800, rising to the range-topping Turbo S E-Hybrid at an eye-watering $466,400.

The GTS is designed to straddle the sizeable gap between the more ‘affordable’ V6 models and the epically powerful and expensive Turbo and Turbo S E-hybrid.

Its $364,100 price tag sandwiches the GTS between the twin turbo V6 4S Sport Turismo (317,400), and the twin turbo V8 Panamera Turbo ($384,100). Our test car also sported an additional $31,120 of options, pushing its list price to a heady $395,220.

Options fitted include head-up display’ ($3280), rear USB interface ($790), a special leather and Alcantara interior ($5980), night vision assist ($5890), Jet Black metallic 21-inch alloys ($5220), Tinted LED headlights with matric beam ($3490), power sunblinds for rear screen and side windows ($2940), lane change assist ($1890), traffic jam assist ($990), and power steering plus ($650).

Porsche’s standard warranty is a basic three-year/unlimited-kilometre deal, with servicing every 12 months/150,000km.

One of the main reasons you’d buy this Panamera GTS is to savour the epic sound and thrust of its 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8. Force fed by a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers nestled between the vee of its cylinder banks, the engine musters a prodigious 338kW at 6000rpm and 620Nm between 1900rpm and 4500rpm.

Compared to its lesser stablemates the GTS boasts a specially-tweaked engine management system, designed to ensure its tsunami of peak torque arrives even sooner in the rev range, with similar changes to the shift calibration of its automated manual gearbox, plus a freer-breathing exhaust.

Driving through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and putting power to all four wheels, in full attack mode the Panamera GTS launches with brutal, visceral-churning velocity. The 100km/h mark is eclipsed in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 4.1sec, 200km/h evaporating in a barely credible 15.4sec, until the GTS effortlessly settles at its mandated 292km/h top speed.

On the downside, as absurd as this may seem, even when nudging $365k plus taxes, Panamera GTS owners still need to pay for extras, some of which come standard on far less expensive machines. Examples are the optional head-up display ($3280), and the rear USB interface ($790).

The second-generation Panamera launched here in February 2017, with this GTS variant arriving in early 2019, its twin turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine replaces the previous 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated V8.

Despite its smaller capacity, the new engine is more powerful and more fuel efficient.
Even despite its despite its circa $400k price tag the GTS, which is available in both five-door hatch and Sport Turismo wagon body styles, is not the biggest stick in the Panamera arsenal. That honour rests with the even more powerful and expensive Turbo and Turbo S E-hybrid models.

The demographic for an uber sports saloon costing circa $400k price tag is obviously just a tiny slice of the Australian populace. Those that can afford the entry fee then need to be inclined towards something far sportier than the typical F-segment luxury rivals such as top end Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.

Similar in wheelbase and overall length to these models, the Panamera also tips the scales at a similarly hefty 1995kg. However, where the GTS differs markedly is in its clear sporting intent.

Aside from its high-performance engine and drivetrain, the GTS rides on adaptive air suspension that sits it a purposeful 10mm lower, while in high-performance Sport Plus mode the body drops a further 10mm for optimal handling. As a result, the firmly suspended GTS will never ride as comfortably as its luxury sedan rivals.

It’s also not as good at hauling passengers. In terms of accommodation, Porsche describes the Panamera's standard seating as a '4+1', but it’s only really a comfortable four-seater, and in this GTS model the rear seats are individual buckets.

Despite this, the rear seating is decently spacious and roomier than a 2+2 configuration, such as BMW’s 850i.

The Panamera is designed to be multi-faceted, with a broad breadth of capability. As such, it’s equally adept at playing the role of comfortable four-door luxury limousine as it is being a high-performance machine that will not shy away from a track session.

Despite its prodigious outputs the V8 can be swiftly tamed via the steering wheel-mounted mode switch, which in ‘Normal’ does its best to impersonate a refined and relaxed urban cruiser.

Depending on whether your tastes skew Brit, Italian or German, rivals include Aston Martin’s Rapide S ($382,110), Maserati Quattroporte GTS GranSport ($299,990), and Mercedes-AMG’s four-door GT63 S ($349,900).

The Panamera GTS is an impressively luxurious and dynamically adept high-performance alternative to the limousines of its German rivals. It’s a car you can comfortably ferry clients in, take the family on holidays, or head to the track to plumb its sporting depths.

The ease and instant familiarity of the drive experience is unexpected; car’s this big, heavy and powerful usually feel far more intimating, and they certainly don’t enable such an impressively intimate driving connection.

In this and many other regards the Panamera is more like a four-door 911, than it is a sporting luxury saloon. It’s in every respect a pukka Porsche and the big German luxury saloon to own when you still enjoy a pedal.

That said, you’d need to really want a Panamera GTS to pay the admission price, since for similar money you could buy a Cayenne GTS SUV ($239,000) – which is just as quick to 100km/h and seats the same number of people – with change left over to add a 718 Cayman S ($150,090) or Boxster S ($152,890) to the garage.

How much does the 2019 Porsche Panamera GTS cost?
Price: $364,100 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder twin-turbo-petrol
Output: 338kW/620Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 10.9L/100 (ADR Combined)
CO2: 249g/km g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A