Stonking V8 engines without electrical assistance have suddenly become an endangered species. Not long ago, all of Germany’s super saloons followed this recipe; now the BMW M5 has become a plug-in hybrid, while the Mercedes-AMG E63 has thundered off into the sunset, replaced by the E53 and its hybridised straight-six.
Aside from the (largely forgotten) Audi RS7 Sportback, that makes the 2025 Porsche Panamera GTS something of an anomaly: a new car with an old-fashioned approach to going fast.
If electric tech can boost horsepower and miles per gallon, though, surely that’s a good thing? Well, to park my posterior on the nearest fence, it depends on what you want. Thanks to stronger performance and lower running costs, plug-in hybrids clearly deliver on paper. But the GTS, with its emotive engine and engaging chassis, ably counters those arguments on the road.
A single-minded sports saloon
The third-generation Porsche Panamera was launched earlier this year and the lineup now stretches from the 353hp rear-driven model (£82,500) to the 782hp Turbo S E-Hybrid (£168,700). With 500hp and a price tag of £125,600, the new GTS sits more or less in the middle.
In recent times, the Panamera has felt like an awkward cousin in the Porsche family: outsold by the Macan and Cayenne SUVs, outshone by the 718 and 911 sports cars, and simply less cool than the electric Taycan. The more single-minded Panamera GTS seems different, though. Arguably, it’s the closest you’ll get to a four-door, family-sized Porsche 911.
Let’s start with that V8: a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged firecracker that product chief Oliver Grandel says is “tuned to feel like a naturally aspirated engine”. Driving all four wheels via a PDK dual-clutch auto transmission, it accelerates the Panamera to 62mph in 3.8 seconds and a maximum of 188mph.
The GTS also sits 10mm lower on two-chamber air springs and conventional adjustable dampers, with anti-roll bars that are twice as stiff and a torque vectoring rear differential. There’s no rear-axle steering or 48-volt active ride hardware – as found elsewhere in the range – to avoid diluting the driving experience.
Sumptuous and sporty
The latest Panamera looks less like a squashed 911 than its predecessors, with a muscular stance and a tapering roofline that allows for a practical rear hatchback (sadly, there will be no Sport Turismo estate this time – it’s been axed due to slow sales).
You could easily miss the subtle bodykit and ‘GTS’ decals, but not the 911 GT3-style centre-lock wheels: serious stuff for a saloon car. My test Porsche had the optional (£7,700) PCCB carbon-ceramic brakes for good measure.
Inside, the Panamera strikes an appealing balance between sumptuous and sporty. There’s a full complement of screens (a 12.6-inch curved driver display, 12.3-inch central touchscreen and 10.9-inch display for the front passenger), with most surfaces swathed in grippy Race-Tex – Stuttgart’s answer to Alcantara.
Climb aboard and you’ll discover big-bolstered seats and a driving position that’s likeably low-slung. The rear bench is shaped into two individual seats and legroom is generous, although the low roof makes headroom more limited. Stuff-pack the boot and you can carry a very useful 478 litres.
Ready to rumble
The 500 Pferdestärke produced by the Panamera looks a tad anaemic when the (£14,000 cheaper) BMW M5 can muster 727hp. However, the BMW also weighs a whopping 370kg more than its Porsche rival – at 2,435kg versus 2,065kg – so the heavyweight hybrid is only 0.3 seconds quicker to 62mph.
Anyway, the GTS isn’t really about straight-line speed. Its V8 doesn’t deliver the instant, electrified punch of a PHEV, but it relishes high revs. There’s no turbo lag to speak of, just a linear progression of power, amplified by an authentic V8 rumble from the standard-fit sports exhaust.
As in other Porsche products, the eight-speed PDK gearbox is nigh-on impossible to fault, shifting smoothly and intuitively in automatic mode, then proving instantly responsive if you use the paddles. I couldn’t resist the urge to swap cogs myself, holding onto gears longer than necessary to hear the V8 in full voice.
An effective bahnstormer
While the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid seems to crush the road into submission, the GTS offers a more satisfying sense of flow. It’s involving and confidence-building, with slingshot traction from its four-wheel-drive system and enormous grip from 325-section rear tyres.
The steering is direct and beautifully weighted, while the brakes feel mighty – even when tested at three-figure speeds on the German autobahn. The various drive modes effectively change the character of the car, too. In Comfort, the Panamera is a mature executive express; in Sport Plus, it rolls up its sleeves for the office party.
Some drivers may still consider the GTS a tad on the sensible side. This isn’t a tyre-smoking hooligan like the old Mercedes-AMG E63 S – that’s not the Porsche way. Yet its refinement and sheer breadth of ability make the Panamera easy to live with – and well suited to roads where even 70mph feels like a distant dream (yes Britain, we’re talking about you).
Refreshes the parts…
Power and speed are commodities that have been devalued in this electric age. When your neighbour’s Tesla can hit 62mph quicker than a Ferrari, the stats no longer seem so important. If you enjoy driving, the subjective stuff matters more.
Call it old-fashioned (we already have), but the GTS is a subjective sort of car. Combining a visceral V8 with a communicative and exploitable chassis, it refreshes the parts other Panameras – and indeed the Porsche Taycan – sometimes fail to reach.
If you can stomach the six-figure asking price and hefty tax bill, now is the time to buy one.
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