2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid

A diet of Red Bull and Sour Patch Kids is bad for children. Too much screen time stunts cognitive development. Nothing good can come from all that fidget spinning. But we simply cannot get on board with the charge that “RACE TRACK NOISE IS BAD FOR OUR CHILDREN,” as suggested by the handmade sign of a protester outside Vancouver Island Motorsport Circuit.

Of course, we may be biased. We were at the new Canadian road course specifically to make “racetrack noise” in Porsche’s new 680-hp four-seater, the $185,450 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. Alternately silent and violent, the plug-in Turbo S E-Hybrid should deliver between 15 and 20 miles of pure-electric driving when fully charged and rocket to 60 mph in less than three seconds when fully pressed.

Porsche’s Plug-In Future

As the replacement for the last-generation Panamera Turbo S range topper, the Turbo S E-Hybrid stands at the forefront of Porsche’s new, performance-oriented hybrid strategy. Alongside the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder, it’s tasked with burnishing the credibility of gas-electric powertrains as performance aids. No one will protest if and when top-dog Cayennes and Macans don E-Hybrid badges in the near future, but read between the lines and it’s apparent that Porsche also is greasing the skids for the inevitable hybridized 911.

Our glimpse of Porsche’s performance future started with five laps of the one-year-old Hermann Tilke–designed circuit. The tightly coiled 1.4-mile track plays out through frenetic elevation changes more reminiscent of a roller coaster than any other track we’ve driven. Willowy golden grasses cover the swollen hillsides, helping to obscure the track’s many blind turns, which are made significantly less challenging and thrilling than it could be when every hidden apex turns out to be exactly where you expect it. And while we cornered at a relatively relaxed pace, the Turbo S E-Hybrid’s 680 horsepower could make even the slowest lead-follow exercise feel quick. The car fires out from every apex with the ferocity of a round from an assault rifle.

Porsche bundles the full kit of chassis magic as standard in the Turbo S E-Hybrid, including adaptive dampers and anti-roll bars, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and carbon-ceramic brakes. The $195,850 long-wheelbase Executive adds four-wheel steering, which also is available as an option on the standard-wheelbase car. That hardware makes for attentive handling, resolute body control, and tireless braking. It doesn’t, however, do anything to make the Panamera feel any more animated. At roughly 5200 pounds, this electrified Panamera weighs roughly 600 pounds more than the gas-only Turbo model and is well beyond the threshold where chassis tuning becomes less about making the car dance and more about keeping all that mass under control. Porsche manipulates the heft with supreme competence in all Panameras, and the Turbo S E-Hybrid is no exception. It’s an impressive corner-carving utensil, but it’s still a utensil.

From Racetrack to Real World

Closer to its real-world use case, we piloted the Turbo S E-Hybrid for a brief drive into Victoria, British Columbia. Jockeying with traffic, the E-Hybrid seamlessly switches between drawing energy from its 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery mounted below the cargo floor and the 21.1-gallon gas tank ahead of it. The 136-hp electric motor sandwiches between the 550-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and the eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic. When both gas and electricity are used in concert, the powertrain is good for a maximum electrified and turbocharged torque of 626 lb-ft from a remarkably low 1400 rpm. With torque always at the ready, the E-Hybrid responds immediately to even slight pokes of the accelerator. The powertrain controller prefers to use the electric motor’s tug rather than a lower ratio in the gearbox to answer calls for part-throttle acceleration. The pedal needs a harder squeeze to encourage the gas engine to pick up the pace. The easy workaround is to ask for a lower gear by using the car’s paddle shifters in Sport or Sport Plus mode, and in any mode the push-to-pass button on the steering wheel gives 20 seconds of what’s essentially berserker mode, bringing the engine to full boil with the lowest possible gear.

A Glimpse of Things to Come

Think of the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid not only as a preview of Porsches to come, but as a model for the future of performance cars. As big power numbers push internal-combustion performance beyond daily drivability, the electric motor will step in to fill in the void at low speeds and low rpm. Automakers still will fuel their showstopping power outputs primarily with gas, but electric motors will mask turbo lag and the hesitation that occurs when you ask for full thrust from a powertrain with as many—or more—forward gears as cylinders. The future of performance cars may be electrified, but racetrack noise isn’t going away anytime soon. Get those kids some ear protection.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door hatchback

BASE PRICES: Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, $185,450;
Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Executive, $195,850

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve 4.0-liter V-8, 550 hp, 567 lb-ft; permanent-magnet synchronous AC electric motor, 136 hp, 295 lb-ft; combined output, 680 hp, 626 lb-ft; 14.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 116.1–122.0 in
Length: 198.8–204.7 in
Width: 76.3 in Height: 56.2–56.4 in
Passenger volume: 96–101 cu ft
Cargo volume: 14 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 5200–5400 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 2.9–3.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.3–7.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.1–11.2 sec
Top speed: 192 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA combined/city/highway: 41/42/40 MPGe