Porsche has revealed the new 2014 Porsche Panamera Turbo S, unleashing 419kW of super sedan muscle. It joins the rest of the recently facelifted 2014 range.
Power comes from a revised version of the 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8 used in the predecessor. Output is increased by 14kW from the 2013 model thanks to new turbochargers and a higher pressure setting for the injectors. There’s also new aluminium alloy pistons and specially coated rings.
While torque output remains at a hefty 750Nm, the availability of the surge is now spread from 2250rpm to 5000rpm (up from 4500rpm). During overboost, it peaks at 800Nm for a short period. With these kind of figures on board it’s no surprise 0-100km/h comes up in just 3.8 seconds.
Despite the earth-shattering performance, fuel economy has been improved from 11.5L/100km to just 10.2L/100km. This kind of figure puts it in close proximity to a standard 4.0-litre 195kW Ford Falcon (9.9L/100km) and a 3.6-litre 210kW V6 Chrysler 300 (9.7L/100km), of which have around half the power.
Like the rest of the 2014 range, the new Turbo S comes with discreet exterior styling tweaks, with larger air intakes in the front end, restyled LED headlights, and a revised tailgate and four-way spoiler.
Technology-wise, the Turbo S comes with Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), Porsche Active Suspension Management, Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus with a rear differential lock, and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes. All of these systems ensure maximum useable performance.
Inside, it’s all about fine luxury and sportiness. There’s 14-way power seats in the front with seat ventilation, while in the back are two generously appointed and similarly bolstered sports chairs offering good leg and headroom, even for taller passengers, according to Porsche.
The new model will arrive in Australia in February, 2014. Prices will start at $443,600 – around $3000 more than the outgoing model.
