We suppose that some people will never fully warm to the concept of a four-door Porsche, possibly while failing to realize that the Cayenne and Macan SUVs now account for fully two-thirds of Porsche’s global sales. It’s not all about the 911 anymore and hasn’t been for quite some time. The four-door Panamera has been in the Porsche portfolio since 2009. It’s not a huge seller, given that it occupies a pretty price and small niche, that being of a four-door sedan with very direct sports car manners. If you’re familiar with the Maserati Quattroporte, you’re getting the picture. The Panamera has already been through two generations through its rollout, and a realignment of model offerings and considerable freshening will mark this unique sedan (and, sort of, wagon) for 2021.
The Panamera is now produced in two body styles: The traditional four-door sedan and the more wagon-shaped Sport Turismo, with 12 models available across both ranges, including this Panamera GTS Sport Turismo. Porsche is claiming best-in-class performance numbers for this narrowly defined category, with available powertrains, depending on model, ranging from a twin turbo V-6/hybrid combination to a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 620 horsepower in the new Panamera Turbo S, which will replace the previous Panamera Turbo, rated at “just” 550 horsepower during its run in the market. The turbo V-8 boasts a revised crankshaft, connecting rods, timing chain and torsional-vibration dampers. Using launch control, this powertrain, which includes all-wheel drive, will boot you to 60 MPH in 2.9 seconds, with the Panamera Turbo S’s top speed advertised at 196 MPH. Prices will be set later.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 