Porsche Panamera GTS

It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?

- YOUSUF ASHRAF

COULD THE NEW, THIRD-GENERATION C Porsche Panamera GTS be the supersaloon of choice for those who want something less technical and more traditional than the latest BMW M5? The M5 has morphed into a 2.5-ton, 717bhp hybrid powerhouse in G90 form, and though it's devastatingly capable and remarkably agile for its size, its blown-up proportions and added complexity are a big departure from what came before - as many are keen to shout about on the internet.

The Panamera, meanwhile, remains comparatively old school. Propulsion is by a V8 alone, it's nearly half a ton lighter than the M5, and it puts out a healthy but not absurd 493bhp. The question is, does this recipe result in a purer, more compelling supersaloon, or is the GTS outgunned and outsmarted by the latest from BMW M, or even by Mercedes-AMG's 577bhp E53 Hybrid (see Driven, evo 325)? The GTS is more about driving feel and sensations than it is outright power - Porsche will point you towards the 769bhp Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid if you want the latter - and it comes with bespoke chassis tuning and choice options to deliver on that brief. Rather than the clever Active Ride suspension you get as standard on the Turbo S E-Hybrid, the GTS comes with conventional adaptive dampers and two-chamber air springs, set 10mm lower than standard with a sportier calibration. Reinforced anti-roll bars have been fitted too, as well as an electronically controlled PTV Plus (Porsche Torque Vectoring) rear diff. The changes are said to make the Panamera more agile and dynamic without ruining its daily usability.