2016 Porsche Panamera

2016 Porsche Panamera: Soft and Hard at the Same Time

When you see the Porsche badge on a car you expect a direct and engaged sport driving experience.  This comes with curve hugging dynamics a stiff chassis, excellent power and a steering that is perfect.  With the Panamera you get all of this to give you the hard, fast, driving you want in a car that has four doors, a bit of a softer style and a gorgeous look that is filled with luxury features that are made for the entire family to enjoy.  Only Porsche can deliver in this way to give you enough of everything you want to be matched with all that you need.

What is the Panamera?  It is a dynamic sports car from Porsche that offers you the enjoyment of a real back seat to allow you the space you want to be a family sedan.  In true Porsche style none of the capabilities of the 911 have been taken away to create the Panamera, ensuring you can enjoy the ride you want.  For 2016 the Panamera hasn’t changed much at all.  You receive a new charging doc holder for the E Hybrid model and there is a new rear seat entertainment system available as well, but that is all.

When you want a car that has the handling and performance that is incredible this is the car to buy.  You can start at the base model or head up to the Turbo S and have the power you want, but the real fun for any Porsche comes in the handling which has been perfected over time and continues to be the main selling point for Porsche.  The sophisticated suspension damping and direct steering handle the task on any road with boundless excitement to give you the driving experience you really want.

The power for the Panamera comes from three engines that are set up six different ways.  All except the hybrid use a seven speed Porsche PDK automatic transmission with manual controls.  The base engine is a 3.6-liter V6 on the Panamera and Panamera 4 to give you 310 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque.  This delivers fuel mileage of 18 city/28 hwy mpg in the RWD version as well as 18 city/27 hwy mpg for the AWD model.  Next you see the S and 4S models powered by the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that reaches 420 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque.  This setup delivers 17 city/27 hwy mpg.

The next three setups all use the same engine which is a 4.8-liter V8 that is naturally aspirated for the GTS to give you 440 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque and delvers 16 city/24 hwy mpg when attached to the transmission.  Next is the Turbo which adds twin-turbochargers to the engine boosting the power to 520 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque that brings you fuel mileage of 15 city/24 hwy mpg.  At the top of the power tree this engine is tuned a bit higher in the Turbo S to give you 570 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque that is boosted to 590 lb.-ft. with the over boost and delivers the same fuel mileage as the Turbo model.

The final setup for the Panamera is a 3.0-liter V6 that is aided by a hybrid electric motor on the S E Hybrid to offer you 416 horsepower and 435 lb.-ft. of torque.  This power is routed through an eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission to give you a combined 25 mpg and 50 mpge when driven in electric mode only to offer you a car that can actually be a great daily driving Porsche.

Take a look at this beauty from the outside and you see an unmistakable shape that is pure Porsche to give you a look that resembles the 911 with a longer center section for more passengers.  There’s not one part of the exterior of this car that makes you think you won’t be able to be directly engaged on the road and have an awesome drive.  Stepping inside you are instantly embraced by the bucket seats that wrap your body and give you a feeling that is wonderful and comforting.  The equipment in front of you is a beautiful blend of a family sedan and a high performance sports car to let you have what you want and what you need for your drive.

Looking to the standard list of features you will be greeted by a slide/tilt moonroof, a hard drive based navigation system, an automatic liftgate, Bluetooth connectivity, eight-way powered front seats, a full menu of luxury convenience and safety features, electronically controlled shocks and the Porsche Stability Management system.  The long wheel base executive model feature Adaptive air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management to upgrade the ride and handling of the vehicle.

Looking to the options you can have a higher end audio system that is made by either Bose or Burmester to improve the listening experience, add a rear seat entertainment system with seven inch screens, or you can order your Panamera in the color you want and have it color matched for you.  Other options include the safety of the Lane Change Assistance, adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, thermally and noise insulated glass and quad zone climate controls that provide temperature and blower adjustments for each seat to make sure everyone can be comfortable in this high end family oriented sports car.

In order to see the Panamera in your driveway you have to pay close to $80,000 for the base model.  Adding the AWD moves this price tag to $84,000 while the S model costs $94,200 and the 4S shows up at $100,000.  The V8 Turbo starts near $142,500 and the Turbo S will require you to pay $201,000.  If you plan to make the S E Hybrid your choice the cost will be $100,000 which can have options added to come in around $110,000.  As you can see the Panamera has a wide price range to allow you to have the car you want for the road or for the track to be the family sports car from one of the most respected names in the performance automotive industry.

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