Porsche Panamera

Like other automakers, Porsche is up for experimenting with new things. While the German car company is most praised for its legendary sports cars, mainly the 911 and 718, Porsche is no stranger to deviating from its usual ways. This has resulted in some pretty interesting concepts over the years. What pushed the strife to explore new ways was, to an extent, Porsche’s financial trouble between the 1980s and 2000s. Interestingly enough, those were the years in which some of the most bizarre Porsche creations came to life. Even now, Porsche is churning epic new concepts, but sadly none of them transitioned to production models. While there are plenty of examples, I took it upon myself to find and research the five most obscure Porsche concept cars that time forgot. Some of them are more recent than you think, and this raises the question of why Porsche didn’t go through with them.

Between trying to stick to the 2030 electrification plans and keeping the internal combustion engine alive, Porsche has made some weird decisions of late. EV demand has decreased, prompting a few strategy changes from the German automaker. The all-electric Taycan in particular was affected by this market shift, as the performance EV went from being one of the most popular Porsche models to now suffering declining sales. Global Taycan sales have dropped by almost 50 percent during the first nine months of 2024 and this makes me draw parallels with another Porsche model from the 1980s that started out strong but ended up being axed due to slow sales. The 928 suffered a similar fate during the second half of its production cycle. Porsche had big plans for the 928 and its derivatives, which never saw production. All this begs the question: is the writing on the wall for the Porsche Taycan EV? There is more to suggest that this is the case and I am going to share all we know so far.

German automakers are still at the top of their game when it comes to luxury performance sedans. Take the Panamera for example. Porsche dropped the third generation in November 2023, and eventually hit us with the craziest Panamera yet – the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid for the 2025 model year. This thing packs a frankly ridiculous 771 horsepower and a price tag that’ll make your eyes water – over $225,000! Yeah, it’s gonna cost you big money, but it’s hands-down the fastest Panamera ever.

Despite Porsche being one of the most iconic sports car manufacturers of all time, most of the company’s offerings these days are geared towards luxury and daily usability. What was once a company focusing on high-performance models and motorsports, now has one of the most versatile lineups in the industry, made up of sedans, SUVs, and also wagons. This includes the likes of four-door sedans like the Panamera and Taycan. Both share plenty of traits and with the next-generation Panamera going full EV, this begs the question, which one should you choose?

The Porsche Panamera has always been a bit of a unicorn in the luxury sedan world. It’s a proper driver’s car that just happens to have four doors. And when it comes to engines, the Panamera offers something for everyone. Fancy a smooth V6? They’ve got it. Craving a rumbling V8? Step right up. But if you’re looking to save some fuel without sacrificing performance, the E-Hybrid models are where it’s at. And if you really want to blow your socks off, there’s the Turbo S E-Hybrid with a whopping 771 horsepower.

Some might scoff at the idea of a Porsche with four doors and an engine up front. But drive the 2025 Panamera, and you’ll quickly realize it shares more than a few genes with its legendary 911 cousin. First unveiled at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show, the original Panamera raised eyebrows with its distinctive sloping roofline and – dare I say it – bulbous rear end. Yet, it was undeniably a Porsche, with a luxurious interior and a bunch of powerful engine options that made it a proper driver’s car.

The Porsche Panamera, on sale since 2009 is now in its third generation, and is one of two four-door sedans, that Porsche currently sells (the other being the Taycan EV). Now, Despite a slowdown in the sale of sedans, Porsche it seems will not back off from this format, anytime soon. The fact, that the German automaker announced the third generation Panamera as recently as 2023 with some much-needed updates and a lot more power throughout the range, shows that it is committed to this body style. 771 horsepower from the V8 hybrid Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid sounds wild, isn’t it?

The Panamera is the Porsche brand’s first production four-door sedan. It came out back in April 2009 and frankly, its design was more controversial at the time, than the fact it was a four-door Porsche sedan. The looks were purely function over form since the back-then CEO, Wendelin Wiedeking’s priority above all else, was for the car to seat four tall adults comfortably. Fast-forward to 2024 and the Panamera is now in its third generation and thankfully, I can say that it’s a lot better looking than before. However, with the introduction of the all-electric four-door Porsche Taycan – the brand’s first EV, along with subsequent decline in the sale of sedans in favor of SUVs – the Panamera seemingly doesn’t make sense. But, despite those plummeting sales numbers, Porsche has decided to, not just keep the Panamera around, but also give it cutting-edge tech like the new, high-end, Active Ride suspension and other innovative technologies. Now my argument is that Porsche doesn’t do things for no reason, so here’s what this could mean for the Panamera’s future.

Despite Porsche making one of the most iconic sports cars of all time – the 911 – the German automaker was in financial trouble for much of its existence. It was only after the 986 Boxster and the Cayenne SUV in 2003, that Porsche managed to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. Of course, the acquisition by Volkswagen helped, and because Porsche’s lineup is a lot more diverse, for better or worse. Four-door models like the Taycan and Panamera are selling well, despite the Panamera’s recent sales drop by 25 percent.

Remember that whole "fully electric by 2030" strategy that Porsche implied a few years back? Yeah, they’ve already backtracked on that, with the slowdown in the EV market. It turns out that convincing everyone to ditch gasoline is harder than Porsche had anticipated. Shocking, right? In yet another development, Michael Steiner, Porsche’s R&D head honcho, told Autocar that the Panamera isn’t ditching gas and fancy gasoline-electric combos anytime soon. An electric Panamera is still coming, but those hoping for an all-electric future for the four-door Sportback might need to adjust their expectations. Frankly, I saw this one coming, given the growing popularity of hybrids off-late and how they’re now considered cool.

Porsche’s headlights are some of the most recognizable in the automotive industry. When it comes to the 911, the German sports car manufacturer has retained the classic forms since the 1964 original. This includes the round headlamps, which were present on almost all 911 generations, except the Porsche 996, featuring the controversial, "fried-egg" headlights. Like other carmakers, Porsche went from halogen to xenon headlights and, eventually, an LED setup on all its models. It started with the 993 generation, which introduced "Litronic” technology - Porsche’s first dabble in H.I.D. tech, only to be permanently replaced by LED technology over 20 years later. As Porsche says, "Light is identity, by day as well as by night", and the German brand’s current, four-line, LED headlight pattern is recognizable almost anywhere. The four-point LED principle, as Porsche likes to call it first became a feature on range-topping models, starting with the 2009 Porsche Panamera Turbo. Since then, the four-point headlight design has evolved and was extended to other Porsche models like the Cayenne, Taycan, 918 Spyder, and even the 911.

Porsche has revealed two more trims of the third-generation Panamera, bringing the total number of trims to seven, made up of three gas-powered models and four hybrid models. The Turbo S E-Hybrid is the most powerful production Panamera ever and is now the flagship trim. The GTS is the most powerful gasoline version in the line-up and sits below the Turbo E-Hybrid trim. The plug-in hybrid V8 powertrain in the Turbo S E-Hybrid has a combined output of 771 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. The bigger 21.8 kWh battery charges faster and retains 45 percent more charge. The all-electric range hasn’t been announced but estimates suggest around 30 miles from E.V. only mode.

Earlier this week, Porsche issued a press release about an upcoming top-end Panamera variant that set a new Nürburgring record. At the time, the German automaker did not reveal the specific trim that climbed to the top spot in the Executive cars class with combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. Porsche simply referred to it as the ’Panamera Top-Model’. But just a few hours back, a new video of the record-setting lap went live on Porsche’s social channels, confirming the record-setting model as the 2025 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid alongside the announcement of the Panamera GTS. Test driver Lars Kern, a veteran of the Nordschleife set a new record with a time of 7:24.172, beating the outgoing model generation’s time by 5.64 seconds. Back in July 2020, Kern set a time of 7:29.81 minutes in the Panamera Turbo S, but later that year in November, the Mercedes AMG GT 63 S 4Matic+ managed to beat that record with a time of 7:27.800.

With E.V. sales decreasing, hybrids are making a comeback, even in the high-performance segment. But let’s not kid ourselves; hybrid technology is complex. It’s a delicate dance between the ICE (internal combustion engine) and electrical components, working together perfectly to deliver the best of both worlds. We’re talking about a combustion engine, electric motor(s), battery packs, power electronics, wiring, and all sorts of high-tech wizardry. It’s not as simple as just slapping an electric motor onto an existing gas-powered engine - it requires careful engineering and integration to ensure optimal performance and efficiency.

Yes, car obesity is a thing and it seems to be getting worse with each year. With more and more performance cars featuring various degrees of electrification, they become more complex and heavier. The latest offender is the 2024 BMW M5, which tips the scales at an SUV-like 5,390 pounds (2,445 kg). To add insult to injury, the new M5 is slower to 60 mph than the outgoing one, although it picks up the pace after. It seems Porsche is the only carmaker that properly electrified its iconic sports car - the 911 – without compromising its character, but another model of the brand might not be so lucky.

Porsche is a sports car manufacturer first and foremost, but times have changed, and in order to stay in business, many high-end car companies need to adapt. Like other carmakers, Porsche eventually branched out into other segments, including four-door sedans. In fact, the automaker’s has been toying with the idea of a four-door model since the 1950s, but so far, Porsche has only two sedan models on offer, with a possible, third one on the way.

Porsche, a name that you usually associate with high-performance gasoline engines, surprised the automotive world when it entered the hybrid market back in the late 2010s. But the German automaker didn’t just introduce a new technology; they also subsequently introduced a new color – acid green (PTS Color Code: 2M8), which is now synonymous with plug-in hybrid Porsches. In this article, we’ll dive deep into this vivid shade and how this bold choice became a key element in establishing Porsche’s unique identity in the hybrid space.

More than just a wagon, the Porsche Panamera GTS Sport Turismo has a gorgeous design. But the beauty wasn’t just skin deep. This powerhouse packed a punch close to 700 horsepower, rivaling the thrill of a 911 while offering the everyday functionality of a Cayenne. With seven trims to choose from, the GTS hit the sweet spot in the middle, delivering both stunning looks and exhilarating performance. Unfortunately, Porsche has discontinued the Sport Turismo for the latest generation of the Panamera.

The history of the Carrera nameplate is a wild ride through the heart of Porsche’s motorsport lineage. It all began in the early 1950s with the legendary Carrera Panamericana, a treacherous open-road race that ran border to border (north to south or vice-versa) for over 2,000 miles through the heart of Mexico. Thanks to its challenging terrain, it was a white-knuckle test of endurance, speed, and raw driving skill.

The Porsche Panamera 4 luxury sport sedan gets a mid-cycle refresh for the 2021 model year. It axes the outgoing 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine to embrace a smoother 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, which is less powerful, but more efficient than the former engine. However, this trim now takes just five ticks to shoot from 0 to 60 mph, shaving the acceleration timing by 0.2 seconds.

Brand new from the hands of the experts of Stuttgart, the new Porsche Panamera Turbo S is an expression of what performance sedans are capable of. This trim replaces the "Turbo" trim of the 2020 Panamera, offering buyers a gas-only alternative to the flagship Turbo S E-Hybrid, which happens to be a plug-in hybrid. Under the hood, the 2021 Panamera Turbo S hides a 620-horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that fires in full fury to unleash 0-60 mph in a mere 2.9 seconds, placing it comfortably in supercar territory.