It cruises effortlessly on the far side of 150mph

Last month we were introduced to Porsche’s grand tourer, the Panamera, when John Barker got behind the wheel (and in the back) of the 394bhp, normally aspirated S version. What did he learn? That it’s better to be inside, in any one of the four chairs, than watching from the sidelines, and that although it displayed impressive levels of body control and ride quality, it never truly engaged him. Porsche has already proved with the Cayenne that awkward looks are no hindrance to sales, but even if you’re aiming at taking a slice of the limousine market, that badge should still guarantee a decent helping of driver involvement. Perhaps the Turbo, with more fire in its belly and four-wheel drive, will do the trick. It needs to because £95,298 is a lot, especially when the Maserati Quattroporte is cheaper and far prettier.

Just like the S, the Turbo’s powerplant was derived from the Cayenne and its 4.8-litre, twin-turbo V8 delivers the same 493bhp as it does in the SUV. Here that’s enough to propel four occupants and their luggage to 188mph, and it will whisk them from rest to 60mph in 4.2 seconds, faster still if you tick the box for the Sports Chrono package. This option includes a launch control system that knocks another 0.2sec off. Be in no doubt, the Turbo is remarkably rapid; on the autobahns south of Munich I saw an indicated 300kph (186mph) every time the road conditions allowed, and it cruised effortlessly on the far side of 150mph.

While that’s undoubtedly a good thing in Germany, in the UK driver involvement sits as high up the list of priorities as superb high-speed refinement. From the pavement the Turbo has a cool, throbby Can-Am soundtrack that becomes even louder if you press the exhaust switch on the centre console. Inside, the effect is to raise the V8’s voice from a whisper to a murmur – the only way to get the full benefit is to lower the double-glazed windows.

Take it off the highway and up one of the alpine mountains near Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Panamera Turbo remains unflappable even as the roads become narrow and twisty. It feels solid rather than heavy (it weighs in at 1970kg) and its accuracy and tidiness mean that its size rarely becomes an issue. Hugely efficient, then, even if the driving experience doesn’t get right under your skin.

The air suspension, standard on the range-topper, has three settings, but in Sport mode (the middle option) the ride is compliant enough to be used all the time. In fact in Sport Plus it isn’t uncomfortable either, despite lowering the car by 25mm and switching over to a harder spring rate. In any setting the Panamera remains calm irrespective of how hard you hustle it, and how ruckled the surface becomes. Its composure is remarkable.

Push hard through a constant radius corner and it’s the outside front tyre that eventually relinquishes its purchase, but stick with it and the rear will help straighten things out as the four-wheel-drive system’s electronically controlled multi-plate clutches shuffle power between the axles and wheels.    
 
Last month, Barker felt the quality of the standard, PDK-equipped steering wheel didn’t match the exceptionally high standard of the rest of the cabin, which has been supremely well executed and finished. But in the Turbo the real issue with it is the level of detail it feeds back. Sadly, it’s more like the steering of a Cayenne than the steering of a Cayman. It’s a variable ‘Servotronic’ system where the rack speed increases the more you turn, and while this happens virtually imperceptibly there’s
no feel.

The Panamera Turbo is ruthlessly effective in covering ground incredibly quickly whether you’re on an autobahn, back road or race track. I've no doubt it will set saloon-car lap records at the Nürburgring, Bedford Autodrome, Dunsfold and any other circuit you care to mention, but the styling cues are more closely aligned to the 911 than the driving experience. And that’s a real shame.