Porsche Panamera Turbo S

[ahmed_7erzon]

By Ben Pulman

This is the new Porsche Panamera Turbo S, and because the GT2 RS has sold out, it’s now the most powerful Porsche on sale.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S: the numbers

The new Porsche Panamera Turbo S is powered by the same direct injection and twin-turbo 4.8-litre V8 that’s found in the regular Panamera Turbo. But thanks to new turbochargers with titanium-aluminium turbine wheels (which cut weight and improve responsiveness) and a new ECU, the power output climbs from an already impressive 493bhp and 516lb ft to 550bhp and 553lb ft.

And if you select the Sport or Sport Plus modes of the standard-fit Sport Chrono Package Turbo (or during kick-down in the normal setting) you get 590lb ft – up from 567lb ft in a Sport Chrono Pack Panamera Turbo.



Mix all this with four-wheel drive and a launch control function, and Porsche claims a 911 Turbo Cabriolet-matching 3.8 second run to 100kph, two-tenths faster than a Sport Chrono Pack Panamera Turbo. The top speed is up 5kph to 306kph, and the fuel economy figure remains unchanged at 11.5L/100 too.



And it costs the same as well?

Wishful thinking. It's priced at $221,693, but it does include Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), the Sport Chrono Package Turbo, side sills from the Porsche Exclusive range, two-tone leather and 20-inch Turbo II alloys. It's available to order now with deliveries starting in June 2011.