Context is important when driving a fast car. Any car, really. A not-so-great vehicle on the perfect road can still be a lot of fun; a brilliant car in whatever the wrong environment might be is an object lesson in frustration. But when the stars align, there’s no greater thrill. Think sports car on a mountain pass as the sun is coming up (or down) or getting very dirty in a quarry with a 4x4. And especially, of course, an epic track car on an epic track.
For the latest Panamera GTS, it turns out that sweet spot is a dark, dank Saturday morning, the day after the GT3 reveal and with a flight to catch some autobahn kilometres away. It’s very early, none of the three occupants slept very well, the caffeine hasn’t massaged anyone to life yet and the drizzle is irritatingly persistent. Great though eight per cent shorter ratios, RS cams and a Weissach packaged sounded for 992.2, nobody wants or needs that right now. What’s needed is a calm and commanding cruiser, one that can rouse us all gently from our slumber without jolting everyone to attention.
Loping out of town, the V8-powered GTS could well be a Taycan. Almost. It’s not quite as immediate in its responses, but the powertrain is so spookily smooth that it would be hard to suggest so much engine and so many gears are doing their thing. It’s utterly effortless, borderline serene, which is unexpected from probably the most ostensibly sporting Panamera. Ignore the Racetex and the lower ride height and the black accents - it can definitely still do plush luxury saloon. Nobody is unduly disturbed, least of all the driver. Any interior fiddling required - someone wants cool air to wake up, another warm to stay cosy - remains a little easier than in the EV thanks to the proper buttons
Where it feels different to a Taycan is sitting at a 75mph cruise and watching the range hold steady, perhaps even being added to a little. It doesn’t take long on a restricted autobahn in a Panamera to be persuaded that ditching the airport altogether and cracking on towards France with maybe a quick splash and dash for the 90-litre tank is a good idea. The V8 burble and burr is a fine accompaniment to progress, and the Porsche arrangement of pedals, wheel and seat is second to none. It’s supremely comfortable, the alcantara is nicer to hold than leather, plus low and snug is no impediment to visibility. There’s still nothing quite like a big saloon (or fastback) for effortlessness.
There is a derestricted section, though it remains dark and drizzly, and with drowsy passengers onboard, it isn’t really the time to be chasing three miles a minute. The game becomes attempting to avoid kickdown from top; the gearchanges are decisive when required, but it keeps things smoother still if the throttle can be tickled and the revs kept low. In a modern super-saloon, 485lb ft doesn’t look on paper like a great deal - not with an M3 basically as strong - though there’s enough torque to take 75mph into three figures without very much duress. The GTS sits at 120mph or so with only a little more rustling around the mirrors to prove it.
There’s plenty more in the tank (in every sense) if required. On rare moments of maximum acceleration, clearly this isn’t as rampant or relentless as a flagship Turbo S E-Hybrid, though again it’s hard to imagine very much being required. Probably the smaller sixes of cars like the M3 and Giulia feel a little keener to rev than the big V8, if that’s of much concern. Put most simply, if a GTS feels fast enough and exciting enough for the autobahn, it’s going to feel fast enough and exciting enough for the A11.
Among corners, the GTS performed as these Panamera so often do: with greater urgency and zeal than a standard car, plus less fluster than a heavier, hybrid model. Even without the Active Ride Control suspension that’s been working miracles (it’s only offered on electrified Porsches because of the system’s requirements), the GTS is a model of composure and poise. Sport Plus overeggs the pudding a little, too tense and too eager to kickdown, but there’s not a situation Normal or Sport won’t suit anyway. The paddles are as responsive as ever for those that really want to use them, albeit with the new Taycan-style drive selector making the switch from auto fiddlier than before. Having spent a lot of time recently messing around with settings on a touchscreen, a wheel-mounted dial is very welcome.
The whole car is welcome. It’s just a pleasure, the GTS - usefully updated for the latest generation, but pleasingly familiar. As so many alternatives seek to complicate what a fast four- or five-door should be (with limited success) so Porsche continues with a 500hp V8 Panamera that sounds great, brakes and steers like a sports car, cruises like a Range Rover and launches like a greyhound. Perhaps it isn’t a transformatively different experience from the last GTS. Probably it didn’t need to be.
For some, the prestige of an M badge - or ‘Turbo’ emblazoned across the rump of a Porsche - will be too attractive to ignore. And we'd be remiss not to point out that the incoming BMW M5 offers some useful electric range, a heap more power, standard rear-wheel steer and that flagship status for significantly less money (£111k vs £125k) than the Porsche. Without even thinking about the options spend likely on a Panamera. Nevertheless, it’s hard to come away from a GTS, even on a brief and bleary drive, unimpressed. It’s simply operating at too high a level for any other verdict to be reached, with the additional charisma of an engine configuration denied to the base model. If the running costs of a purely petrol GTS can be tolerated, and your ego can deal with not having 700hp or more, there’s probably not a finer car of its ilk out there. An M5 will have to be pretty damn good, put it that way.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS
Engine: 3996cc twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 500@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 485@2,100-4,000rpm
0-62mph: 3.8 seconds
Top speed: 187mph
Weight: 2,065kg (DIN)
MPG: 22.2-23.5
CO2: 274-288g/km
Price: £125,600
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