ROAD TEST ~ 2010 PORSCHE PANAMERA 4S

Panamera 4S packs Porsche DNA into luxury sedan motoring

Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the 2010 Porsche Panamera is what it doesn't have.
Despite a barrage of driver aids, five of them industry firsts, Porsche is perhaps alone in believing all controls and functions should be controlled by the driver's touch, not click wheels, verbal commands or facial monitoring devices.
Rumours of a four-door Porsche are almost as old as I am, but it all became reality last year with the car's world debut at the Shanghai Auto Show.
It was, and is, an engineering tour de force in every sense of the word.
Longer and wider in real life than it appears in pictures, the Panamera is in the tradition of the Gran Turismos of the 1950s and 1960s in offering the highest levels of luxury and power/road holding, in short, getting from A to B in the least amount of time and in the greatest comfort.
But it is on the inside where the Panamera is perhaps at its most impressive.
The driving position and the placement of the main instruments and controls is basically the same as the very first Porsche some 60 years ago. An example is a big tach dominating the main gauges set in the driver's line of sight. If you have ever owned a Porsche, you can close your eyes and reach out for, say, the turn signal stalk and there it is.
As mentioned above, there is no rotary knob to work the climate control, audio or the navigation system. It is done by buttons placed on the centre stack and along the transmission tunnel. Clearly marked and organized, it gives the driver an "above the rest" sense of Porsche-ness.
The Panamera is available in Canada in three models starting with the rear-drive "S" at $115,100. The all-wheel drive Panamera 4S has a starting price of $120,300 and the Panamera Turbo, with a 500 hp, twin-turbocharged V8 that starts at $155,000.
All three share the same 4.8-litre four-cam V8. The engine in the S and 4S produce 400 hp and 369 lb/ft of torque and they accelerate from 0-100 km/h at 5.4 and 5.0 seconds respectively. Fuel consumption for both the S and 4S is 12.9L/100 km city and 8.3L/100 km highway.
The big Turbo makes 500 hp and 516 lb/ft of torque with fuel economy of 14.1/8.6L/100 km city/highway.
All three versions rely on the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission. Offered for the first time in the premium luxury segment, PDK has a double-clutch gearbox that results in enhanced fuel economy and even higher performance.
In addition to the PDK, the Panamera breaks new ground with the architecture that features a hybrid of various grades of steel, aluminum, magnesium and plastic components for the highest strength and lowest weight (less than 2,000 kg).
Also new to the segment is Adaptive Air Suspension with additional volume on demand, offering a wide range of chassis options from comfort-oriented to super sporty.
Contributing to the fleetness of this big car is Active Aerodynamics, a first in the premium class, with a two-way or (in Panamera Turbo) four-way rear spoiler to optimize airflow.
One of extras on my tester was the Sport Chrono Package which is my favourite Porsche option of all. Available on the 4S and Turbo it also includes Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system which is, in my opinion, one most entertaining on the planet.
Push a button and Sport Chrono alters the car's suspension, transmission shift points, throttle response and stability control.
You feel the car squat a little lower and you hear the exhaust system opening with a deep basso gurgle that is satisfying to the senses.
Porsche Canada's Rick (Ricky the Racer) Bye told me, that at Mosport on a demonstration day, he was passing and overtaking Ferraris like they were standing still and that's with passengers on board.
I know that at this year's Automotive Journalists Association of Canada Car of the Year testing the Panamera Turbo was the fastest car there beating out even the potent Audi R8 V10.
But I doubt people will buy a Panamera to win races. They will buy it for luxury travel with unique Porscheness.
For instance, rear seats are contoured as single seats. They offer maximum comfort through their wide range of electrical adjustment as well as headrests tailored to the seats and optional seat climate controls.
The Panamera also comes with a highly functional, variable luggage compartment. Tilted forward individually, the rear seatbacks with additional through loading provide luggage capacity of up to 1,263 litres and provide a perfectly flat floor.
I've written before about the Porsche 911 and how it is the only car I know that, when you think it, the car does it. A 911, to me, is like a Cross pen or a Winchester shotgun in that it feels like one piece and functions flawlessly every time.
Would the Panamera 4S as tested feel the same?
The answer is yes and no.
With a curb weight of 1,860 kg, a length of 4,970 mm and width of 1,931 mm the Panamera 4S tested here is as big as many full-size sedans. Also, there is a lot of hood out there and the high rear deck halves rear vision compared to a 911, but there is a backup sonar system for parking.
Twist the ignition key, still to the left of the steering wheel as it has been since the beginning, and the engine jumps into life with a muffled roar. Open the exhausts with the Sport Chrono button and you get a deep, fruity burble that changes to a crack when you stab the pedal.
I love the PDK because it changes gears so swiftly and solidly no matter what the revs or loads on the drivetrain.
With a light snow on the ground, I found it better to start in second which can be selected by nudging the PDK shifter to the manual mode and shifting up or down with the shifter or the toggles on the steering wheel.
My tester was fitted with the optional 20-inch RS Spyder Design wheels with absolutely huge Pirelli SottoZero low profile snow tires. I run these tires on my personal car. They are so grippy I sometimes think I could drive up the side of a tree if there were snow on it.
If there was wheel slip, I never would have known it what with all the traction and handling aids on this car.
At a parking lot I know that is vacant on the weekends, I did try to get it sideways but to no avail.
The price for all this on my Panamera 4S come to $147,885 including all options and a $1,115 shipping fee.
That's a lot of money for sure, but getting there, it's said, is half the fun.
And in a Porsche Panamera 4S with all-wheel-drive, it can be all the fun in all kinds of weather.

BODY STYLE: Premium luxury sedan.
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive.
ENGINE: 4.8-litre, DOHC V8 (400 hp, 369 lb/ft)
FUEL ECONOMY: Seven-speed PDK, 12.9L/100 km (22 mpg city), 8.3L/100 km (34 mpg) highway.
PRICE: Base, $120,100, as tested, $147.885 including $1,115 shipping charge.