Porsche launched its Panamera four door saloon to the media in the Cape winelands and Overberg last month and the resounding verdict was one of distinct approval

More and more vehicle manufacturers are launching their latest models in Cape Town now. Interestingly it has little to do with the scenery and everything to do with the quality of the roads. Potholes are conspicuous in their absence and that augurs well for low slung sports cars that come between one and two million a piece.

We’ll start at the top with the Panamera Turbo because this is the first of the three derivatives I drove with my delightful companion, Linda Ransome of Habitat magazine. We had Porsche PR Manager Christo Kruger in the rear introducing us to the features of the car as we made our merry way from Lanzerac in Stellenbosch to Franschoek.

The turbocharged 4.8litre V8 is sublime and in the supercar league of 0-100 in 4.2 seconds (3.8 seconds according to Car magazine). Yet the manners are very refined, the engine growl audible but not deafening and the poise through the twisty Helshoogte pass impeccable. Its seven speed double clutch PDK gearbox means driving in traffic is effortless and when you need to get on the gas, it immediately puts you in the right gear to maximise drive, together with immediate engine response.

We then swopped the Turbo with the Panamera S, the “bottom of the range” 4.8 litre V8 without the turbo, only rear wheel drive and a six speed double clutch PDK gearbox. The Franschoek pass and sweeping bends toward Caledon brought out the best in this car which felt more responsive and a bit edgier than its flashier sibling. There is more engine growl and you feel closer to the road, yet the poise and refinement are still there. The magnificent road between Caledon and Gansbaai with its long cambered bends were made for this responsive derivative and our Porsche chaperone Teengs Snijders looked very comfortable in the rear seats.

Gansbaai to Gordons Bay was spent with the Panamera 4S which had the specifications of the Turbo, including all wheel drive, without the actual turbo. It’s very refined and sits perfectly in between the other two models but lacks the spirit of the S or the performance of the Turbo.

The Panamera design is a bit like a pregnant 911 although this is not a small car at close to five metres long and two metres wide. Porsche designers have retained the distinctive front end aesthetic featuring the side and bottom air intakes, the flush bonnet, high shoulders and slanted headlight cluster. From the rear and in profile it’s definitely related to the 911.

Inside it’s a very comfortable four seater and sports a distinctive centre console where most of the settings are found. You sit low in the front seats and slightly elevated in the rear without your head getting close the ceiling, thanks to the extension of the roofline and the gradual angle across the cabin. If you’re concerned about luggage don’t be. The boot is huge for a car in this category, which takes us to the business end of the conversation. What exactly is the category?

The folk at Porsche talk about the Gran Tourer and luxury sports segment. They will mention the Maserati GranTurismo the Aston Martin Rapide in the same breath as the BMW 760i and the Mercedes Benz S63 AMG. To my mind it’s closer to the sports end of the spectrum, providing superb performance from the S to the Turbo with luxury surrounds. But, having experienced the BMW, I would say performance is the lasting impression with the Panamera, so it would (prefer to) be more at home in the company of the Maserati and the Aston than the more limousine character of the Merc or BMW. This is a four seater sports car in every sense of the term.

At the time of going to press the Panamera was priced thus:

Panamera S R1 040 000.00

Panamera 4S R1 065 000.00

Panamera Turbo R1 665 000

Share