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Even in the national car bubble that is Greater Detroit, a 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S in Papaya Orange will turn heads. While it is to be expected that most foreign cars will be mocked at the heart of the American auto industry, it turns out that southeast Michigan is a lot like the rest of the world when it comes to retina-burning super sedans. Heads will turn.
The 2021 Turbo S is the latest version of Porsche’s most powerful gasoline Panamera. While it’s a second fiddle to the Turbo SE Hybrid in terms of overall power, it’s pretty close now, thanks to an increase in power, some minor chassis overhauls, and some nip and tuck styling tweaks to the front and rear.
Porsche’s luxury sedan has been polarized from the start, though less for its more luxurious four-door mission than for some of its more superficial features. The Porsche fan base has not demoted it as brutally as its brother, the Cayenne SUV, but neither have the faithful embraced it wholeheartedly. But while the Panamera has never been the prettiest sedan around, its competence has never really been in question. As the lineup has matured and high-performance electrified variants have emerged, the sedan has only grown bigger on us.
The updates to the 2021 Panamera were quite extensive since its fundamentals have not changed. Almost every model in the line has something new, from a few minor cosmetic enhancements (including the uninterrupted rear lighting strip and the Sport Design front fascia that becomes standard on all models except the Turbo S) to the rather extensive enhancements. of the powertrain for this new Turbo S sedan.
These include a fairly comprehensive overhaul of the 4.0-liter Panamera V8, including a revised crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons; new injectors and redesigned turbines; and its compression ratio was lowered from 10.1 to 9.7: 1 to accommodate the added boost from the upgraded turbochargers. The result is an increase of 70 horsepower, bringing power to 620 hp and 604 pound-feet of torque, and a new name: Turbo S, which replaces the old “Turbo.”
With a little help from its eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and launch control, Porsche says the new Turbo S sedan and its sibling Sport Turismo wagon-lite will do a 0-60 run in just 2.9 seconds, which it’s a full half-second faster than the outgoing Turbo – not bad for “only” another 70 horsepower.
In addition to engine upgrades, the 2021 Turbo S received some recalibrations of its various chassis and transmission systems. From the steering to the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, almost everything received attention, although Porsche engineers emphasized that most of the updates were on the software side, rather than full hardware updates. Inside, most of the improvements are minor, with the notable exception of the steering wheel, which was lifted from the 992. Porsche has also made the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 available as an option, but we can’t imagine it will be a popular one outside. hotter and drier climates, as its minimal tread profile will not inspire confidence in an unexpected deluge. However, getting them is not a bad idea. Our test car had the standard summer tires, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, and we got them talking on multiple occasions.
Remember, as well as having all that power, the 2021 Turbo S sedan is a big, heavy car at 198.8 inches long and 4,691 pounds. And it gets bigger. Porsche offers the Turbo S in its Executive long wheelbase form factor if you need more rear seat space, and there’s always the Sport Turismo. Add another £ 100, but that seems trivial considering the upgrade in both style and practicality (of course, that’s a minority opinion in the US, where only 10% of sales go to the longtop version. almost 50/50 in Europe).
So even though it’s not Hellcat, Porsche still tuned this big, heavy car with obscene power to dance. Accelerate with the heading marked and the rear will come off enthusiastically but not violently. The all-wheel drive system responds deliberately but progressively to control your shenanigans and get you heading in the desired direction in a hurry, but we have to admit, its innate fun is incredibly engaging. There is even some tire slippage when using launch control, which was a bit surprising.
Fortunately, however, the Panamera doesn’t feel as big as it is. Steering response and feedback are excellent, which is due, at least in part, to the fact that the electric frame shares some of its magic with that of the 911. And since it is a Turbo S, Porsche had the freedom to retreat slightly into the luxury elements of the driving experience in the name of compromise, especially when the rotary drive mode selector is turned to the Sport Plus setting, significantly firming up the drive. and allows for some wicked exhaust barking when you shift gears
While the 911 and 718 variants can be a bit harsh to suit their sportier setup on the street, the Panamera Turbo S strikes a much more civilized balance, befitting its four-door design. Even in Sport mode, the exhaust note isn’t overly intrusive, nor will the suspension completely liquefy your kidneys in America’s broken urban concrete. You’ll be more comfortable on longer road trips with both marked in the rear, but neither rises to the level of unpleasant under normal circumstances.
The Turbo S should rank just below the SE Hybrid model in terms of pricing, as the regular Turbo did before. However, we expect it to cost more than its predecessor due to both the 2021 improvements and the fact that an “S” sprouted at the end of its name. We’ll know for sure once we get closer to its formal US launch in early 2021.
The 2021 Porsche Panamera Turbo S is a status symbol with substance. It’s effectively a practical toy for those who can afford a little more fun and frivolity with its luxury, and by those standards, it’s immensely satisfying. It’s not great value, nor is it supposed to be, but it is as attractive as the big luxury gasoline-powered sedans. It’s practical enough to be justifiable, yet wild enough to scratch that high-performance itch every now and then. And if you’re a little concerned about your carbon footprint, there’s the Turbo S E-Hybrid and its all-electric range. Win win? We think so.
We don’t want to go too far down the rabbit hole of the “911 of sedans,” but there is something about it. Taking the issue more broadly, the 911 itself is on the rawest end of the big touring spectrum, as is the Panamera when it comes to luxury sedans. Every new model the company produces inevitably has to prove itself worthy of the Porsche insignia and the overhauled 2021 Panamera.
