Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid

FIRST DRIVE V8-based plug-in hybrid is most potent Porsche saloon ever

- Sam Naylor

WE’RE used to thinking about plug-in hybrid cars as fuel-saving commuters,but the new Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is actually the most powerful saloon car the brand has ever built.

The range already features electric power in the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, but that uses a V6 engine; this new version is built around the Turbo model’s muscular V8.

The electric motor is the same as the one in the 4 E-Hybrid, offering a 31-mile electric range, and adds an extra 134bhp to the Turbo’s already-potent 542bhp. Even with an extra 130kg of batteries, the S E-Hybrid is two-tenths faster than the petrol Turbo from 0-62mph, taking just 3.4 seconds.