Revealed for the 2024 model year, the third-gen Panamera became more powerful for 2025 with the introduction of the Turbo S E-Hybrid. This version of the duck-faced liftback sedan has recently lapped the most challenging track of them all in record time, clocking 7:24.17 with Porsche factory driver Lars Kern at the wheel.
For starters, Kern was 5.64 seconds faster than the equivalent Panamera of the previous generation. Secondly, onboard footage reveals that Kern improved on the preceding model's time in the rain. According to Porsche, its most powerful version of the Panamera is the fastest ride on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in the "luxury class with combustion engines and hybrids" category.
Quite a broad category of series-production vehicles, but glancing over the leaderboard, the German automaker isn't dishonest. Care to guess which other production vehicles clocked 7 minutes and 24 seconds at the Green Hell? Enter the 997.2-generation Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the 2011 Nissan GT-R, the Maserati MC12, and the Pagani Zonda F Clubsport. Almost a second clear of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4, the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is a heavier automobile than all of the aforementioned.
Power and torque certainly helped, but as opposed to its forerunner, the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid also improves on suspension technology with Porsche Active Ride. Think of it as electrically operated hydraulic pumps for each shock absorber, with said arrangement compensating for body movements during hard acceleration, braking, and cornering.
Porsche Active Ride further optimizes traction by matching the wheel load distribution to the grip level. High-performance rubber also needs to be highlighted, along with rear-axle steering and the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake system comprising 440- and 410-mm rotors.
Photo: Porsche
$226,500 is the starting price of the Turbo S E-Hybrid in the United States of America, making it $35,500 pricier than the Turbo E-Hybrid. When equipped with the Sport Chrono Package, said models are capable of running 2.8 and 3.0 seconds, respectively, to 60 mph (97 kph).
Stupidly impressive numbers, alright! Weighing in at a BMW-rivaling 5,311 pounds (2,409 kilograms), the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid has the upper hand on the power front. Combined output is 771 horsepower and 737 pound-feet (999 Nm) for the Zuffenhausen machine, whereas the slightly heavier Bavarian sedan pumps out 717 horses and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm).
It's hard to believe that plug-in hybrids have gotten this fat, with weight being the enemy of track performance as well as efficiency. Unfortunately, the EPA hasn't yet released fuel economy estimates for the Turbo S E-Hybrid.
Despite weighing as much as a half-ton pickup truck, the Porker is much obliged to drive in all-electric mode at speeds no higher than 87 miles per hour (140 kilometers per hour). Punching the accelerator will get you to 202 miles per hour (325 kilometers per hour), while the less powerful Turbo E-Hybrid tops 196 mph (315 kph).
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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