Panamera GTS v. Taycan GTS

[Irish Guy]

Such brilliant cars!

A lot has been written about the Taycan and Panamera, especially as to whether one will displace the other. I’ve read ardent expressions in favor of the Taycan, so much so that the Panamera is supposedly an anachronism. It’s not. I’m a member of the rare species that owns both. My experience with both cars has surprised me. Hidden personality traits have revealed themselves, giving me a new-found appreciation for the old.

Let’s dispense with the obvious: both cars are four-door, family-friendly sports sedans that display that exquisite Porsche trait of enthusiastic turn-in, tactile steering, and athletic chassis dynamics. Why own both?

My situation may be atypical. I live in the DMV area, but routinely do > 400-mile drives with family up to New England and back. Such driving needs couldn’t be in more tension. The work commute is a traffic-ridden nightmare of stop and go that sees me hit 12 mpg in the Panamera GTS on a good day. That slog begs for an EV solution; not a V8. Meanwhile, the long drive along the I-95 reveals any non-Tesla’s Achilles’ heel. Charging remains a treacherous process, betrayed not simply by an inadequate number of chargers, but by their seemingly innate unreliability. The Panamera? I routinely exceed 31 mpg on the highway, giving me a range of over 700 miles. The motorway is its natural hunting ground.

And yet when I first got my Taycan, I was so smitten that I openly hypothesized the Panamera’s imminent demise. Wow, the Taycan is smooth to drive - in a way that no other car I’ve ever helmed can hope to be. It soothes the soul after an intense work day. Immersed in tranquility (check the acoustic glass option), you can simply glide to your destination, comfortable in the knowledge that a mere tap of your toe will thrust you toward the horizon. The pinnacle of luxury driving is effortlessness, and this car has it in spades.

The talents of Porsche’s first EV surpass the day trip. It’s an exquisite highway cruiser. Serene and bestowed of instant passing power - any speed, any time - the Taycan delivers. Indeed - and, in hindsight, hilariously - my first Electrify America experience was A+. I stopped, immediately found an open charger, and was back on the road with no fee after 30 minutes ready for the last 210 minutes of my journey. I started to question the rationale for the other car.

When I next picked up the keys to the Panamera, that intuition grew. Throttle response felt laggy, while the ultimate power seemed underwhelming. (The Taycan GTS is in a different speed category.) I thought that the death knell had sounded.

But then I really drove the Panamera, spiritedly and with purpose. It is some machine. At first blush, it’s less tied down than the Taycan, which feels more solid, agile, and precise in normal mode. But hit sport or sport plus in the Panamera GTS and a transformation follows that’s larger than the equivalent shift in the Taycan. The Panamera now wants to dive in. And here’s the big difference - it wants to rotate under power. That Panamera GTS really kicks its rear end out in “go mode.” I’ve had it rotate to crazy angles that the Taycan has no interest in emulating. To be sure, the Panamera lacks the initial turn in of the Taycan, but has more ultimate grip (no surprise - wider rubber plus 500 pounds less weight). And it’s shockingly agile. I refer here only to the Panamera GTS. I lack comparable seat time in the other Panamera models. And for as well as the Taycan masks its weight in regular driving, its sheer mass reveals itself with the subtlety of a sledgehammer when you really push (I got a nice, stable, four-wheel skid on an empty road in the wet, and suddenly those 2.5 tons make themselves abundantly clear - easy recovery notwithstanding).

My epiphany was last month in a long drive through the Poconos mountains. There, the P. GTS revealed itself. Turn toward a steep, extended uphill climb; click the mode selector to sports; and push the throttle halfway to 4K rpm or so, and the result is euphoric: A deep, rich, V8 bellow fills the cabin, along with a sense of strong, endless thrust as the car heads for the heavens. Pedal down all the way and the PDK shifts with one sharp kick after another. The power isn’t overwhelming, but it’s real. It’s interesting how Porsche tuned the V8 in the GTS - it makes max horsepower higher in the rpm band than the other Panameras. I can’t tell the difference in first or second - it’s over too quickly. But in third or above, there’s a noticeable increase in urgency just when you think it’ll die off - right before red line. It’s cool.

I drove for hours that day, having more fun than the Taycan would have possibly allowed, faster as it may be. That experience was subsequently juxtaposed by hours-long waits for functioning chargers along the I-95 when I decided to try the long drive with the electric option with the family.

Although the Taycan feels like the faster car just about everywhere, there is one exception. On launch, the Panamera GTS kicks much more violently. It and and the Taycan GTS both hit 60 in 3.2 (roll out subtracted), but it’s no contest from there - the EV pulls much harder. The drama and initial punch of launch control of the V8 Panamera are much more exciting, though - holding at 5,000 rpm and then dumping the clutch. The Taycan, by contrast, is smooth to a fault. I suppose that’s what the Turbo S is for…

I still (much) prefer the Taycan as my daily in the DMV area, scooting between traffic and enjoying a respite from the stresses of the day. And the car is deeply exciting in its own way. The roll-on performance in first gear is nuts. I was enamored with the base, RWD model when I first drove it; and sometimes think I should have gotten that model instead. But I got a killer deal on the Taycan GTS, and have no regrets. The sense of endless, on-tap torque is its own reward in that model.

All in all, neither of these cars is a true replacement for the other. Porsche knows what it’s doing offering them alongside each other. Which one is right for you depends not just on your use case (everyone talks about that). But also on what really motivates you as a driver. Each has something special to offer. But they’re different, and not just in the obvious ways. The Taycan has the world’s worst reversing camera. It’s a little smaller inside and less ornate (except for the mood lighting at night - so sweet). And it has a smaller and less usable trunk. But so what? Those are mere details. The driving differences are profound.

I hope that these impressions are valuable to at least some of you and of interest to more. Best to all!

Sponsored

 

[Crazymind]

Main difference to me is the design. Despite being very similar from distance, the Panamera is designed for older people, probably 55+. The interior feels more opulent, it is easier to enter and exit the Panamera.
Dials and buttons to reinforce the elderly feel.
And comparison V8 to electric, v8 will always win. I don’t find the Taycan fun to drive at all. Never been fun to drive to me. Like you said the taycan wins hands down because it does blend to perfection speed, ride quality and steering wheel feel.
Fun is something I would not expect off the Taycan.
Porsche made the Jaguar motto their flag: Grace, Space, Pace.

 

[f1eng]

And comparison V8 to electric, v8 will always win.

This made me smile!
Apart from the familiar noise a V8 IC engine is inferior to an electric motor in every objective way.

It needs a clutch since it is incapable of producing torque from stationary.

It needs a multi ratio gearbox because the physics of gas flow and combustion combined with the limitations of practical manufacture mean the torque/rpm curve is very narrow meaning it is almost never operating at high performance at any road speed - it does lead to variable acceleration rates not only from ratio to ratio but also depending on rev range, which is a weakness technically but familiar, I suppose.

It is heavy and complex, hideously so if turbocharged.

It has temperatures within high enough to degrade its lubricant.

Overall demonstrably shit compared to an electric motor.

OTOH the battery means the car is heavy, so despite an electric motor being in every other way superior to any IC engine for a real sports car the weight it ends up having to carry negates most of the huge shortcomings of an IC engine

From an engineering standpoint an EV is better for road use and an IC engine better for racing.

Formula 1 only uses hybrid engines as part of its marketing propaganda and to keep car companies paying. None of the car designers like the change and nor do the mechanics. The best F1 cars had normally aspirated multi cylinder engines in our (me and all the other F1 car designers I know) opinion. OTOH we used to use about 160kg of fuel for a race and now, with the sameish power, it is 100kg so pretty efficient if heavy.

 

[Murph7355]

Main difference to me is the design. Despite being very similar from distance, the Panamera is designed for older people, probably 55+. ....

I'm 53, and if the 4 eHybrid I was given as a loaner is anything to by, I'm at least 100yrs off wanting a Panamera

 

[Scandinavian]

This made me smile!
Apart from the familiar noise a V8 IC engine is inferior to an electric motor in every objective way.

It needs a clutch since it is incapable of producing torque from stationary.

It needs a multi ratio gearbox because the physics of gas flow and combustion combined with the limitations of practical manufacture mean the torque/rpm curve is very narrow meaning it is almost never operating at high performance at any road speed - it does lead to variable acceleration rates not only from ratio to ratio but also depending on rev range, which is a weakness technically but familiar, I suppose.

It is heavy and complex, hideously so if turbocharged.

It has temperatures within high enough to degrade its lubricant.

Overall demonstrably shit compared to an electric motor.

OTOH the battery means the car is heavy, so despite an electric motor being in every other way superior to any IC engine for a real sports car the weight it ends up having to carry negates most of the huge shortcomings of an IC engine

From an engineering standpoint an EV is better for road use and an IC engine better for racing.

Formula 1 only uses hybrid engines as part of its marketing propaganda and to keep car companies paying. None of the car designers like the change and nor do the mechanics. The best F1 cars had normally aspirated multi cylinder engines in our (me and all the other F1 car designers I know) opinion. OTOH we used to use about 160kg of fuel for a race and now, with the sameish power, it is 100kg so pretty efficient if heavy.

It is possible to do a hybrid without a gearbox, but at a price!

https://www.carthrottle.com/news/en...igsegg-regera-hypercar-drives-without-gearbox

 

[W1NGE]

Such brilliant cars!

A lot has been written about the Taycan and Panamera, especially as to whether one will displace the other. I’ve read ardent expressions in favor of the Taycan, so much so that the Panamera is supposedly an anachronism. It’s not. I’m a member of the rare species that owns both. My experience with both cars has surprised me. Hidden personality traits have revealed themselves, giving me a new-found appreciation for the old.

Let’s dispense with the obvious: both cars are four-door, family-friendly sports sedans that display that exquisite Porsche trait of enthusiastic turn-in, tactile steering, and athletic chassis dynamics. Why own both?

My situation may be atypical. I live in the DMV area, but routinely do > 400-mile drives with family up to New England and back. Such driving needs couldn’t be in more tension. The work commute is a traffic-ridden nightmare of stop and go that sees me hit 12 mpg in the Panamera GTS on a good day. That slog begs for an EV solution; not a V8. Meanwhile, the long drive along the I-95 reveals any non-Tesla’s Achilles’ heel. Charging remains a treacherous process, betrayed not simply by an inadequate number of chargers, but by their seemingly innate unreliability. The Panamera? I routinely exceed 31 mpg on the highway, giving me a range of over 700 miles. The motorway is its natural hunting ground.

And yet when I first got my Taycan, I was so smitten that I openly hypothesized the Panamera’s imminent demise. Wow, the Taycan is smooth to drive - in a way that no other car I’ve ever helmed can hope to be. It soothes the soul after an intense work day. Immersed in tranquility (check the acoustic glass option), you can simply glide to your destination, comfortable in the knowledge that a mere tap of your toe will thrust you toward the horizon. The pinnacle of luxury driving is effortlessness, and this car has it in spades.

The talents of Porsche’s first EV surpass the day trip. It’s an exquisite highway cruiser. Serene and bestowed of instant passing power - any speed, any time - the Taycan delivers. Indeed - and, in hindsight, hilariously - my first Electrify America experience was A+. I stopped, immediately found an open charger, and was back on the road with no fee after 30 minutes ready for the last 210 minutes of my journey. I started to question the rationale for the other car.

When I next picked up the keys to the Panamera, that intuition grew. Throttle response felt laggy, while the ultimate power seemed underwhelming. (The Taycan GTS is in a different speed category.) I thought that the death knell had sounded.

But then I really drove the Panamera, spiritedly and with purpose. It is some machine. At first blush, it’s less tied down than the Taycan, which feels more solid, agile, and precise in normal mode. But hit sport or sport plus in the Panamera GTS and a transformation follows that’s larger than the equivalent shift in the Taycan. The Panamera now wants to dive in. And here’s the big difference - it wants to rotate under power. That Panamera GTS really kicks its rear end out in “go mode.” I’ve had it rotate to crazy angles that the Taycan has no interest in emulating. To be sure, the Panamera lacks the initial turn in of the Taycan, but has more ultimate grip (no surprise - wider rubber plus 500 pounds less weight). And it’s shockingly agile. I refer here only to the Panamera GTS. I lack comparable seat time in the other Panamera models. And for as well as the Taycan masks its weight in regular driving, its sheer mass reveals itself with the subtlety of a sledgehammer when you really push (I got a nice, stable, four-wheel skid on an empty road in the wet, and suddenly those 2.5 tons make themselves abundantly clear - easy recovery notwithstanding).

My epiphany was last month in a long drive through the Poconos mountains. There, the P. GTS revealed itself. Turn toward a steep, extended uphill climb; click the mode selector to sports; and push the throttle halfway to 4K rpm or so, and the result is euphoric: A deep, rich, V8 bellow fills the cabin, along with a sense of strong, endless thrust as the car heads for the heavens. Pedal down all the way and the PDK shifts with one sharp kick after another. The power isn’t overwhelming, but it’s real. It’s interesting how Porsche tuned the V8 in the GTS - it makes max horsepower higher in the rpm band than the other Panameras. I can’t tell the difference in first or second - it’s over too quickly. But in third or above, there’s a noticeable increase in urgency just when you think it’ll die off - right before red line. It’s cool.

I drove for hours that day, having more fun than the Taycan would have possibly allowed, faster as it may be. That experience was subsequently juxtaposed by hours-long waits for functioning chargers along the I-95 when I decided to try the long drive with the electric option with the family.

Although the Taycan feels like the faster car just about everywhere, there is one exception. On launch, the Panamera GTS kicks much more violently. It and and the Taycan GTS both hit 60 in 3.2 (roll out subtracted), but it’s no contest from there - the EV pulls much harder. The drama and initial punch of launch control of the V8 Panamera are much more exciting, though - holding at 5,000 rpm and then dumping the clutch. The Taycan, by contrast, is smooth to a fault. I suppose that’s what the Turbo S is for…

I still (much) prefer the Taycan as my daily in the DMV area, scooting between traffic and enjoying a respite from the stresses of the day. And the car is deeply exciting in its own way. The roll-on performance in first gear is nuts. I was enamored with the base, RWD model when I first drove it; and sometimes think I should have gotten that model instead. But I got a killer deal on the Taycan GTS, and have no regrets. The sense of endless, on-tap torque is its own reward in that model.

All in all, neither of these cars is a true replacement for the other. Porsche knows what it’s doing offering them alongside each other. Which one is right for you depends not just on your use case (everyone talks about that). But also on what really motivates you as a driver. Each has something special to offer. But they’re different, and not just in the obvious ways. The Taycan has the world’s worst reversing camera. It’s a little smaller inside and less ornate (except for the mood lighting at night - so sweet). And it has a smaller and less usable trunk. But so what? Those are mere details. The driving differences are profound.

I hope that these impressions are valuable to at least some of you and of interest to more. Best to all!

I've had a Pana ST before my first Taycan 4S and now a proud / content owner of a Taycan GTS ST.

The Panamera IMHO is now pointless (I thought this from the start and 3 years later into Taycan ownership I wouldn't deviate (or go back)). Sales are low and so it's only a question of time before it's gracefully retired. They've already stopped making the ST which IMHO was the only variant to have.

 

[f1eng]

It is possible to do a hybrid without a gearbox, but at a price!

https://www.carthrottle.com/news/en...igsegg-regera-hypercar-drives-without-gearbox

The patented Toyota hybrid system doesn’t need a gearbox, that is why it is so much lighter and simpler than all the other hybrids I know of.
It is very clever and the reason I bought one in 2005.
I expected not to keep it long but liked it and my daughter has it now, still on its original traction battery.
We have had at least one Prius in the family ever since.
They are excellent pieces of engineering and the fact Jeremy Clarkson doesn’t like them is an added attraction.

 

[Hanny]

lol….found this thread quite entertaining, only clause that I can’t assimilate is the topic of age…..not sure what or a car is classed as for old or young….i would gladly have Stirling Moss or Jacky Stewart show me how to drive and I’m sure the make or model of car would not be restricting.

ive always said, ‘there are no bad cars, just wrong car for the wrong job’

 

[Redhot2474]

outside of charging not sure why someone would choose the Panamera, less performance, not as good looking , might just be to sexy and to low for some ….

 

[irrelevant]

Such brilliant cars!

A lot has been written about the Taycan and Panamera, especially as to whether one will displace the other. I’ve read ardent expressions in favor of the Taycan, so much so that the Panamera is supposedly an anachronism. It’s not. I’m a member of the rare species that owns both. My experience with both cars has surprised me. Hidden personality traits have revealed themselves, giving me a new-found appreciation for the old.

Let’s dispense with the obvious: both cars are four-door, family-friendly sports sedans that display that exquisite Porsche trait of enthusiastic turn-in, tactile steering, and athletic chassis dynamics. Why own both?

My situation may be atypical. I live in the DMV area, but routinely do > 400-mile drives with family up to New England and back. Such driving needs couldn’t be in more tension. The work commute is a traffic-ridden nightmare of stop and go that sees me hit 12 mpg in the Panamera GTS on a good day. That slog begs for an EV solution; not a V8. Meanwhile, the long drive along the I-95 reveals any non-Tesla’s Achilles’ heel. Charging remains a treacherous process, betrayed not simply by an inadequate number of chargers, but by their seemingly innate unreliability. The Panamera? I routinely exceed 31 mpg on the highway, giving me a range of over 700 miles. The motorway is its natural hunting ground.

And yet when I first got my Taycan, I was so smitten that I openly hypothesized the Panamera’s imminent demise. Wow, the Taycan is smooth to drive - in a way that no other car I’ve ever helmed can hope to be. It soothes the soul after an intense work day. Immersed in tranquility (check the acoustic glass option), you can simply glide to your destination, comfortable in the knowledge that a mere tap of your toe will thrust you toward the horizon. The pinnacle of luxury driving is effortlessness, and this car has it in spades.

The talents of Porsche’s first EV surpass the day trip. It’s an exquisite highway cruiser. Serene and bestowed of instant passing power - any speed, any time - the Taycan delivers. Indeed - and, in hindsight, hilariously - my first Electrify America experience was A+. I stopped, immediately found an open charger, and was back on the road with no fee after 30 minutes ready for the last 210 minutes of my journey. I started to question the rationale for the other car.

When I next picked up the keys to the Panamera, that intuition grew. Throttle response felt laggy, while the ultimate power seemed underwhelming. (The Taycan GTS is in a different speed category.) I thought that the death knell had sounded.

But then I really drove the Panamera, spiritedly and with purpose. It is some machine. At first blush, it’s less tied down than the Taycan, which feels more solid, agile, and precise in normal mode. But hit sport or sport plus in the Panamera GTS and a transformation follows that’s larger than the equivalent shift in the Taycan. The Panamera now wants to dive in. And here’s the big difference - it wants to rotate under power. That Panamera GTS really kicks its rear end out in “go mode.” I’ve had it rotate to crazy angles that the Taycan has no interest in emulating. To be sure, the Panamera lacks the initial turn in of the Taycan, but has more ultimate grip (no surprise - wider rubber plus 500 pounds less weight). And it’s shockingly agile. I refer here only to the Panamera GTS. I lack comparable seat time in the other Panamera models. And for as well as the Taycan masks its weight in regular driving, its sheer mass reveals itself with the subtlety of a sledgehammer when you really push (I got a nice, stable, four-wheel skid on an empty road in the wet, and suddenly those 2.5 tons make themselves abundantly clear - easy recovery notwithstanding).

My epiphany was last month in a long drive through the Poconos mountains. There, the P. GTS revealed itself. Turn toward a steep, extended uphill climb; click the mode selector to sports; and push the throttle halfway to 4K rpm or so, and the result is euphoric: A deep, rich, V8 bellow fills the cabin, along with a sense of strong, endless thrust as the car heads for the heavens. Pedal down all the way and the PDK shifts with one sharp kick after another. The power isn’t overwhelming, but it’s real. It’s interesting how Porsche tuned the V8 in the GTS - it makes max horsepower higher in the rpm band than the other Panameras. I can’t tell the difference in first or second - it’s over too quickly. But in third or above, there’s a noticeable increase in urgency just when you think it’ll die off - right before red line. It’s cool.

I drove for hours that day, having more fun than the Taycan would have possibly allowed, faster as it may be. That experience was subsequently juxtaposed by hours-long waits for functioning chargers along the I-95 when I decided to try the long drive with the electric option with the family.

Although the Taycan feels like the faster car just about everywhere, there is one exception. On launch, the Panamera GTS kicks much more violently. It and and the Taycan GTS both hit 60 in 3.2 (roll out subtracted), but it’s no contest from there - the EV pulls much harder. The drama and initial punch of launch control of the V8 Panamera are much more exciting, though - holding at 5,000 rpm and then dumping the clutch. The Taycan, by contrast, is smooth to a fault. I suppose that’s what the Turbo S is for…

I still (much) prefer the Taycan as my daily in the DMV area, scooting between traffic and enjoying a respite from the stresses of the day. And the car is deeply exciting in its own way. The roll-on performance in first gear is nuts. I was enamored with the base, RWD model when I first drove it; and sometimes think I should have gotten that model instead. But I got a killer deal on the Taycan GTS, and have no regrets. The sense of endless, on-tap torque is its own reward in that model.

All in all, neither of these cars is a true replacement for the other. Porsche knows what it’s doing offering them alongside each other. Which one is right for you depends not just on your use case (everyone talks about that). But also on what really motivates you as a driver. Each has something special to offer. But they’re different, and not just in the obvious ways. The Taycan has the world’s worst reversing camera. It’s a little smaller inside and less ornate (except for the mood lighting at night - so sweet). And it has a smaller and less usable trunk. But so what? Those are mere details. The driving differences are profound.

I hope that these impressions are valuable to at least some of you and of interest to more. Best to all!

It's seems you have the perfect use case for the new Panamera Hybrid.

 

[Novemberwhisky]

Every time I get out of the Taycan I look back and love its looks ( GTS ST). My son too and we just nod. The most imaginative individual would surely struggle to be inspired by the lumpen, outdated design of the panamera. IMHO. Plus what he said about performance etc.

 

[Murph7355]

....
ive always said, ‘there are no bad cars, just wrong car for the wrong job’

You've evidently never driven a Vauxhall Corsa from around 2010. Or an 80s Nissan Micra.

 

[Irv09]

Great thoughts! I currently own a 23 Panamera GTS and a 20 Taycan Turbo. I will say that the EV acceleration is without rival. The fit and feel of the Taycan versus the Panamera is like the Macon to the Cayenne. The technology of the Taycan is not better than the Panamera and I will say that I have not experienced a loss of the LTE with the Panamera. I am at the end of my Taycan lease and I am slightly torn with buying off lease, but I may look at a Polestar 2 for the daily commute.

 

[Hanny]

You've evidently never driven a Vauxhall Corsa from around 2010. Or an 80s Nissan Micra.

Actually I have but before that when Corsa was called a Nova and in the forces we called the Micra’s ……. Nissan Mess Tins!

 

[Irish Guy]

I've had a Pana ST before my first Taycan 4S and now a proud / content owner of a Taycan GTS ST.

The Panamera IMHO is now pointless (I thought this from the start and 3 years later into Taycan ownership I wouldn't deviate (or go back)). Sales are low and so it's only a question of time before it's gracefully retired. They've already stopped making the ST which IMHO was the only variant to have.

Congratulations on the new ST! It’s a fabulous car.

The Panamera can do things that the Taycan cannot, such as drive for ~ 700 miles at a time on the motorway. The way that the PDK shifts under power is brilliant, and is its own form of entertainment. The V8 power band is something that I personally love (the Panamera really starts to pull from 5K onward). It creates an immersive experience beyond the off-on nature of EV acceleration, at least in my view. I say this notwithstanding the undeniable fact that the Taycan is (much) faster and that EV motors are inherently superior in terms of objective performance. But fun is a subjective experience, and I’ll always want a thrilling ICE engine in my garage.

Here’s the big point, though: At least in the US, the charging infrastructure is wholly inadequate. If you drive up the I-95 with family as I do, there are chargers littered all along the route north and back, but there are too few of them, painful queues are the norm, and it’s rare that all chargers work. EA is a national disgrace, as we all know. And if you head west instead of up or down the coast, then it’s a whole other world. Sparse charging coverage is a real problem. So, no, the Panamera is not pointless in light of the Taycan. You can take the Panny anywhere in the country, at any point, and without any concern. Oh, and its extra size and boot space make it more practical for family trips, too.

Enjoy your ST! I’m not a fan of wagons generally, but the ST and RS6 are two big exceptions. Beautiful machine!

Btw, how do you find the performance of the Taycan GTS relative to the 4S you used to have?

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