Issue 123
February 2012

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When the Panamera first goes on sale in September it will initially be available with only V8 power, a 4.8-litre 400hp normally aspirated unit and a 500hp twin-turbocharged variant of the same unit. A 3.0 V6 petrol, Hybrid and diesel engines will filter into the line-up during 2010.

Those of you familiar with the Cayenne line-up will recognise the V8 engines as they are the same basic units available in Porsche's SUV. However, with the Panamera the engines will not be subjected to such harsh operating conditions and environments and this has enabled Porsche to substantially reduce the engine's weight and improve its efficiency. For example, components that would be aluminium in a Cayenne V8 are made from magnesium in the Panamera and save 5.4 kilos, and likewise a number of steel components are now manufactured from aluminium, such as the camshaft adjuster, saving a further four kilos. As a result there is over a 16 per cent drop in rotating masses. Throw in an on-demand oil pump, a thermal management programme that warms the engine up as quickly as possible to aid emissions and reduce fuel consumption and a new Start/Stop setup that turns the engine off automatically when you are sitting idle in traffic and it's easy to see how Porsche has managed to get both engines to comply with Euro5 emissions.

Naturally Porsche hasn't forgotten its sports car roots in amongst its talk of efficiency and low emissions. The atmospheric V8 develops a more than healthy 400hp and 369lb ft of torque and with a seven-speed PDK gearbox it will crack along to 62mph in 5.4 seconds (5.2 with the optional Sports Chrono Plus) and hit 175mph. The 4S has identical power and torque figures and hits the same top speed, but slashes the sprint time by 0.4 seconds; opt for the Turbo and with 500hp and a 516lb ft of torque on offer it scarpers to 62mph in 4.2 seconds (four seconds dead with Sports Chrono Plus) and hits 188mph.

While a six-speed manual will be offered on the rear-wheel drive S model, all four-wheel drive Panameras will be equipped with seven-speed double clutch gearboxes. And, this being Porsche, instead of taking the unit it developed for its sports cars and introduced on the 911 last summer, for the Panamera it has designed a whole new gearbox (only the clutches remain). Changes are minimal and have been made to improve efficiency and reduce emissions and also provide the comfort and smoothness this market requires. To this end when pulling away the gearbox selects both first and second gear and effectively 'slips' the clutch between the two to ensure a smooth and seamless getaway.

The four-wheel drive system, an adaptation of the company's PTM system seen on the Cayenne and Carrera 4/Turbo 911s includes a propshaft that runs from the front of the gearbox down and to the right of the engine to an integrated front axle differential and then runs between the engine and gearbox allowing for the engine to be located as low as possible in the car. Situated in the back axle is a electronically-controlled differential.

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