PANAMERA TURBO * 2015 ‘15’ * 27,103 MILES * £38,995
In the days, still quite recent, before everything was turbocharged, the ‘Turbo’ badge meant this was the model, especially on a Porsche, to be reckoned with, and so it is with this Panamera. Indeed, after 2013 the basic model offered a ‘mere’ 310 horsepower from its V6; the Turbo by comparison kept the previous V8 now tuned to deliver 520 horses and a similar number of foot pounds, and despite its not inconsiderable mass, a 189mph top speed ensured it would retain its hegemony of the outside lane of the Autobahn. But vast, effortless performance is only part of the story. A genuine four-seater limousine, the Panamera also meets that Porsche benchmark of being good to drive and living up fully to the hoary old advertising image (never incidentally used by Porsche) showing the owner in the driving seat with the chauffeur in the back.
This Agate Grey Turbo is one of the last of the gen 1 cars, registered in March 2015. Supplied by Porsche Exeter to its one, Torquay-domiciled owner, the Panamera has covered barely 27,000 miles. Looked after by Exeter, the most recent service in February 2019 was at 25,565 miles. With an average 5000 miles pa, this Porsche has seen little use and this is reflected in its spotless condition. Vendor Ashgood has needed to do little to bring it up to showroom brilliance. Exterior paintwork is unmarked, as are the 20in Turbo wheels covered with Michelin Pilot Sports, presumably the originals and like the brakes having at least 10,000 more miles in them. This Panamera’s cabin is almost breath-taking with its sumptuous two-tone cream leather, a £2824 extra, and Alcantara roof lining another costly (£1360) option. The fifteen-strong options list which includes four-zone automatic climate control and tilt and slide roof added almost £13,000 to the original purchase price.
On the road, the Panamera Turbo is a model of refinement. When the long travel throttle is fully depressed and twin turbos solicited, after a moment’s thinking as the turbos gird themselves the 1970kg Panamera shoots excitingly towards the horizon, the V8 at full bore remarkably refined inside though sounding distinctly potent from outside the car. Using the PDK’S manual override adds to the kinetic drama, and on a damp road the driver is grateful for all-wheel drive and PSM. Aided by the usual exemplary ergonomics the Panamera seems to shrink around the driver, and make no mistake: this is a proper Porsche. If nought to sixty in four seconds is no longer quite as exclusive these days, equalled or bettered by a certain electric saloon, in terms of steering, body control and the way it responds to the driver, even the sheer authority of its brakes, the Panamera plays in a very different league from the Wattmobile. Tyre roar on Britain’s rough blacktop is present, though less obtrusive than in the contemporary 911, but in all other respects the Panamera Turbo which, despite its immense resources, is a relaxing car, especially here in this opulent yet tastefully appointed cabin.
From a purchase price of almost £121,000 five years ago, the Panamera is now on offer for less than a third of that and depreciation is likely to continue to be steep. Nevertheless, if there is room in your life for a big Porsche, this is a beautiful and virtually new example.