Originally published June 23, 2012
For 2013, Porsche has introduced a GTS version of its four-door Panamera. It will fill the gap between the Panamera 4S and the Turbo. Somewhere between $100,000 and $150,000. Yeh, that gap.
I’m not complaining; I find the GTS to be an excellent all-wheel-drive sedan, one of the best I’ve driven. Certainly one of the most enjoyable and entertaining.
Yes, it has a launch control, which I tried a couple times, or six.
Beyond that, though, it is quick and comfortable and sporty, and handles like a sports car.
Its naturally aspirated, direct-injection 4.8-liter V-8 engine, with revisions to intake camshafts and stiffer valve springs, generates 430 horsepower, 30 more than the 4S, and it is tied to Porsche’s 7-speed PDK (Doppel-Kupplunggetriebe) dual-clutch automated manual transmission.
Settled into the sport buckets in the interior of dark alcantra and leather, trimmed in brushed aluminum, we spent an afternoon following U.S. 287 from Loveland to Longmont, Colo. 66 west to Lyons, Colo. 7 to Raymond, Colo. 72 through Peaceful Valley to Ward, then headed back via Lefthand Canyon Drive.
The winding, twisting descent from Ward, which looks much the same as in its heydays of the ’60s and ’70s, to the Greenbriar Inn on U.S. 36, brought the best of the Panamera’s damper settings for flat cornering and minimal body roll.
It rides on a set of $3,375 20-inch sport wheels with Michelin 255/40ZR20 tires, displaying huge disc brakes, 15.4-inch vented rotors in front and 13.8 for the rear wheels. The largest brake rotors of anything I’ve driven were the 16.5-inchers on the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports.
The quiet cabin, well-insulated, is a pleasant setting for the Bose surround-sound system with 14 speakers.
Some would say even better sound is the “bwaap, bwaap” exhaust blasts piped by a sound symposer into the interior when Sport Plus drive mode is selected.
Suspension is lowered, spring rates are firmed, and gear shifts and throttle response are enhanced when Sport Plus is engaged. It is used for the launch control – left-foot brake, right-foot floorboard, let it fly – which sends the Panamera from 0-to-60 in two blinks, or 4.3 seconds. The launch seemed not quite as strong as that of the Nissan GT-R a couple of years ago, probably due to Porsche’s extra 400 pounds.
Top speed of the Panamera GTS in Sport Plus mode is estimated at 175 miles per hour.
A wing spoiler, for more rear downforce, automatically rises at about 60 miles per hour at the bottom of the rear window.
The Panamera uses a stop/start feature, similar to that in the Mercedes-Benz SL550, which shuts down the engine at stoplights; the moment brake pressure is eased, it’s running again. I needed more than that, as I averaged only 19.6 miles per gallon with the GTS; its EPA rating is 16/23.
Though base price on the Panamera GTS is $109,900, the total tally shot up to $135,060 with options such as platinum silver metallic exterior, heated front and rear seats, lane-change assist and blind-spot detection, park assist with reverse camera, Bose sound, satellite radio, dynamic chassis control and torque vectoring, sport design steering wheel, soundproofing and heat-resistant glass, retractive roll cover for luggage compartment, air intake grilles, LED interior lighting, 20-inch sport wheels. Trunk space in the GTS is 15.7 cubic feet.
The four-seat Panamera was introduced in 2009.
Sidebar: Don’t drink and drive
According to MADD, in 2011, 9,878 people were killed and approximately 350,000 were injured in alcohol-related auto accidents in the United States.
Steer clear of trouble this New Year’s Eve, and throughout the year, by not drinking and driving. It’s best to stay home on big party nights.
If you are heading out, arrange for a designated driver. If are already out and have consumed alcoholic beverages, don’t drive if there is any question of your impairment level.
Call a cab; do not get in a car with someone else who has been drinking.
– Creative Services Staff
