The Porsche Panamera has a new range topper with the arrival of the Turbo S. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.8-litre V8 engine with 550hp to outdo the standard Turbo's 500hp.
A top speed of 307km/h makes the Turbo S about 5km/h faster than the standard Turbo, while 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds shaves 0.4 seconds off its less powerful sister model's time. In normal driving, the engine produces 750Nm of shove, but in Sport mode there is an over-boost function that delivers 800Nm of torque.
Even with all of this grunt, Porsche says the Panamera Turbo S is still a reasonable choice for daily driving thanks to 11.5 litres/100km (24.6mpg) average consumption.
Unique features for the Panamera Turbo S are its 20-inch wheels, an improved turbocharger with titanium-aluminium turbine wheels to lower weight and a revised engine management system. Porsche says the new computer 'brain' makes the engine more responsive to the driver's inputs. The revised turbocharger should help with that too.
A wider rear track is accommodated by side skirts that are an option on other Panamera models. Inside, two-tone leather upholstery is standard.
The Panamera Turbo S goes on sale in June including a vehicle tracking system and Porsche driving course in the price.