Porsche revealed the updated 2014 Panamera and Panamera Turbo at the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year and it's rounding off the line-up with the range-topping Turbo S. The automaker has previewed the new S variant before its official debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. This upgraded trim level follows the usual "S" format of bolstering power and increasing performance.
In developing the Panamera Turbo S, Porsche popped the hood of the 520-hp 2014 Panamera Turbo and let another 50 horses sneak in by way of a new pair of turbos with larger compressors. The new Turbo S engine packs 570 hp, up from 550 hp in the 2013 Turbo S, along with 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque between 2,250 and 5,000 rpm and a flash of 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) when punched into overboost.
The available torque gives the Turbo S a little extra pep when overtaking. If you really want to experience that pep viscerally, the optional sport exhaust system lets you fill the cabin with the grunts and grumbles of the V8 with the push of a special acoustic button.
Working with the seven-speed PDK transmission, the engine delivers the driver to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 3.6 seconds before firing forward up to 192 mph (309 km/h). A set of ceramic-composite brakes send it halting back to standstill.
The Turbo S comes standard with all of the active chassis systems available in the Panamera range, including Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control roll stabilization, traction-increasing Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with electronically controlled rear-axle differential lock, and Porsche Active Suspension Management adaptive damper control and adaptive air suspension. A launch control button helps the driver get off to the best start, and multiple drive modes fine-tune the dynamic driving systems around his or her whims. All these underlying systems quietly go about their work to give the driver a road-smoothing, agile, and balanced ride.
The Turbo S stands apart from other Panamera variants with 20-inch 911 Turbo II wheels, a four-way, body-color rear spoiler, and the exclusive Palladium Metallic paint option. On the other side of its four doors, a two-tone leather interior houses 14-way power front seats with memory package and headrests with embossed Porsche crests. The front seats also come with standard heating, as do the rear seats.
The new Panamera Turbo S will start at US$180,300 before delivery. The extended wheelbase Executive version, which Porsche detailed in Shanghai, will start at $200,500 before delivery. The stretched model adds interior space, including an extra 4.7 in (12 cm) in the rear footwells.
The Tokyo Motor Show opens to the press on November 20, and Gizmag will be there to bring you a close-up look at the latest autos.
Source: Porsche
