2023 Porsche Panamera Performance

All models are adequately brisk, getting to 60 mph before you can count to six Mississippily. Porsche offers a wide variety of engines, starting with a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 producing 325 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. It's used in the Panamera and the more powerful Panamera S, where it makes 443 hp and 405 lb-ft. In the base Panamera, this engine gets the car to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and 5.1 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono Package. The top speed is rated at 168 mph. The base Panamera also happens to be the only rear-wheel-drive model in the range.

Upgrade to the Panamera 4, and you get all-wheel drive as standard. The top speed drops to 167 mph, but the 0-60 mph sprint times improve. As standard, it will get there in five seconds, dropping down to 4.8 seconds with the Sport Chrono Pack. The Panamera 4S has a top speed of 183 mph, and the 0-60 mph time drops to 4.1 seconds. If you opt for the Sport Chrono Package, this time drops to 3.9 seconds.

Next in line is the 4 E-Hybrid, which uses the base model's twin-turbo V6 working together with a 134 hp/295 lb-ft electric motor. The combined power output is 455 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. In this model, the Sport Chrono Package is standard, allowing for a 0-60 mph sprint time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph. The 4S E-Hybrid uses the same formula but uses the high-output twin-turbo V6 from the 4S. Its combined power output is 552 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. It also has the Sport Chrono Package included as standard, resulting in a 0-60 mph sprint time of 3.5 seconds. It tops out at 185 mph.

The top-spec GTS is the only model with V8 power, and it's twin-turbocharged for good measure. It's not the most powerful, however. The V8 produces 473 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. It gets very close to the 4S E-Hybrid's performance figures simply because it doesn't weigh as much. It gets to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 186 mph. Technically, its top speed makes it the fastest Panamera in the standard range. Due to the added weight of the extended wheelbase, the Executive models take a split-second longer to get to 60 mph. The base Panamera and GTS aren't available in Executive format, however.

All models use the same eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and all but the base Panamera come standard with AWD. All the engines are adequately powerful, and getting up to speed from a standing start or joining the highway is no problem. Still, it's hard not to be disappointed by the base engine, considering how much the Panamera costs. The twin-turbo V6 produces 325 hp from 5,400 rpm and 331 lb-ft from 1,800 rpm. Its performance figures would have been acceptable a decade ago, but these days you can buy a non-M BMW that will get to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. To unlock the full potential of the Panamera, you need to go for the 4S or higher. We'd recommend the 4S E-Hybrid, because it offers similar performance to the now-defunct Turbo. The 4S uses a more powerful version of the twin-turbo V6, providing 443 hp from 5,750 rpm and 405 lb-ft from 1,900 rpm.

The 4S E-Hybrid boasts some serious output figures for a hybrid. It has 552 hp while the maximum torque from the ICE is available from 1,900 rpm. The trick here is the additional 295 lb-ft provided by the electric motor, which is available instantaneously. As a bonus, it can also do nearly 20 miles on electricity alone. The hybrid models also come standard with the Sport Chrono Package, making them stupidly easy to launch. The GTS's 473 hp is available at 6,500 rpm, just before reaching the 6,800 rpm maximum engine speed. Thankfully, the 457 lb-ft of torque is available from 1,800 to 4,000 rpm.

The Panamera and Panamera 4 both have gas mileage figures of 18/24/20 mpg city/highway/combined. The 4S, despite its more powerful twin-turbo V6, also gets 17/23/19 mpg. The GTS's twin-turbo V8 is nowhere near as frugal. According to the EPA, it does 15/21/17 mpg. On the Executive models, you pay an extra mile per gallon penalty in each category.

The 4 E-Hybrid is the most efficient of the bunch, with EPA-estimated figures of 52 MPGe and 22 mpg once the battery is depleted. The 4S E-Hybrid can do 50 MPGe and 22 mpg. Both these models have a claimed range of 480 miles from the 21.1-gallon tank, or 19 miles on electric power alone.

ICE models have a 23.7-gallon tank. In the best-case scenario, you're looking at a range of 474 miles on the base and 4S. Even the GTS will do just over 400 miles on a full tank.