Car of the week: Porche Panamera

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  • Take the world’s most iconic sports car, stretch it, give it four doors, a luxury interior and make sure it is fully loaded with the latest automotive technology and the result should be the perfect combination of performance and versatility.

    Porsche achieved this in 2009 when they launched the Panamera sports Gran Turismo designed for people who really wanted a 911, still the benchmark for sports cars, but had a family and needed a spacious four-seater that offered similar performance.

    It was a courageous move which thrust the marque into new territory and the Panamera has proved to be extremely successful, but there was something about the design, much like the first Porsche Cayenne which was a bit of an ugly duckling, that didn’t quite do it for me – namely the back of the car.

    Although far from being ugly, it was in need of some cosmetic surgery. And that is exactly what has happened…well, sort of, because the second generation of the Panamera has not just had a quick nip and tuck to iron out a few defects or signs of ageing; it has been given a complete makeover.

    In fact, the only thing that remains of its predecessor is the Porsche badge; the rest of it is completely new. Apart from a more compact, sportier appearance, has a new engine, chassis, bodywork, driver assists, and new systems to ensure the ultimate performance.

    Officially launched in Dubai yesterday this latest Panamera represents a new, sharper, cutting edge in automotive technology, or to use more modern terminology it has been fully digitalised and networked. This literally a car for the well connected.

    The 2017 Panamera is still instantly recognisable but it is longer, wider and taller than its predecessor. The design makes it look more hunkered down and aggressive and the back of the car now has a very strong resemblance to the rear of the 911 and it looks absolutely gorgeous with a new rear spoiler.

    It has 3D tail-lights which are connected by a thin line of LEDs and at night it gives the car a distinctive look. There is a choice of wheels, 19-inch, 20-inch or optional 21-inch (yes please) so, from all angles, the exterior has been sorted but it is the interior, or what Porsche call the Advanced Cockpit, where you will find a spectacular new feel to the Panamera.

    The rising centre-console which has been a signature Porsche design in recent years is still there but has also been modernised. Most of the hard switches have gone and have been replaced with a black touch-sensitive panel which also houses a newly designed gear-lever.

    There is a new 12.3-inch infotainment touch screen which sits at the top of the console which can be configured much like a smartphone, or tablet so everything you use the most is instantly available. The instrument cluster is also uber-impressive with two 7-inch digital displays sitting either side of the analogue tachometer.

    Virtually everything is controlled via the touch sensitive panels and the screen, from the set-up of the car to the AC which is now adjusted using digital sliders which is clever but a little difficult to adjust without taking your eyes off the road if you are driving.

    Apart from the technology the luxury levels have also been improved and the leather seats are exceptionally comfortable. The driving position has been specifically designed to make you feel as if you are driving a sportscar and it succeeds, which brings me to the performance.

    The Panamera 4S is powered by a 2.9 litre V6 twin turbo with 440bhp and 550nm of torque while the Turbo, my preferred choice, has a 4-litre V8 twin turbo which packs 550bhp and 770nm of torque.

    The engine is linked to a PDK dual clutch automatic gearbox and even this has changed because it is now eight-speed, rather than seven. The drive mode buttons are now on a circular steering wheel dial with a choice of Individual, Sport, Sport Plus or Normal.

    There is also a performance boost button in the centre which gives 20 seconds of additional power. Make no mistake, the Turbo is a quick car, in fact it is the fastest four-seater in the world. It went around the famous Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit in seven minutes, 38 seconds, a new world record for its class.

    It goes from 0-100kmh is 3.6 seconds if fitted with sports chrono but it wasn’t the speed alone, or the lovely noise coming from the exhausts, that impressed me the most, but the agility of what is a large car.

    It is fitted with rear axle steering, has electromechanical roll stabilisation, dynamic chassis control and torque vectoring and combined with the chassis design, monitoring systems which detect driving conditions and styles and brilliant suspension the Turbo handled like a dream.

    Driving around a tight slalom course at tyre-screeching speed in Sport Plus mode was a real treat. The new Panamera now looks more like a large 911, has the performance levels of a sports car and yet the versatility a four-seater. It is an exceptional machine.

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