8 Things You Need To Know About The Surprisingly Un-Ugly New Porsche Panamera

1. It’s finally good looking

Yes, we knew this already from last week’s leak - and we’ve even mentioned it in the title - but it’s still worth talking about some more. No longer is the Panamera the 911’s fat, misshapen cousin.

We wouldn’t go as far as calling it a stunner, but the proportions look better this time around, the rear end looks tighter, and the 718 Boxster and Cayman-inspired elements at the front and rear are welcome additions. It would have been nice if Porsche had made it look a little more like the gorgeous Mission E concept, but still - it’s come out jolly nicely.

2. New ‘hot V’ engines with more power

From launch, you’ll get the choice of a Panamera 4S V6 petrol, a Panamera Turbo with a V8 petrol, or a V8 Panamera 4S Diesel - all of which are new and twin-turbocharged. The petrol engines are particularly interesting, as they feature a ‘hot V’ layout which puts the twin-scroll turbochargers between the cylinder banks, giving a shorter path between the combustion chambers and the blowers, and making for a more compact engine that can be mounted lower.

In the 2.9-litre V6 you can enjoy 434bhp and 405lb ft of torque, while the 4.0-litre V8 petrol serves up 542bhp and a tasty 568lb ft of twist.

Prefer the oil burner option? Prepare yourself for the most powerful diesel engine ever fitted to a Porsche, with 416bhp and 627lb ft of torque on tap.

3. All models are stupidly quick

You’re looking at 0-62mph in just 4.2 seconds for the 4S and a manic 3.6 seconds for the Turbo, so long as you option the Sport Chrono Pack. The 4S tops out at 180mph, and the Turbo at 190mph. Oh, and the Turbo also managed a 7min 38sec Nurburgring lap time.

The oil-burner meanwhile will dispatch the 0-62mph sprint in 4.3 seconds. It’s also the world’s fastest production diesel, with its 177mph top speed comfortably ahead of the 171mph on offer in the previous record-holder - the Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo.

4. It has rear-axle steering

After being played about with and then abandoned by manufacturers many years ago, it seems four-wheel steering is firmly back on the agenda. The bonkers Ferrari F12 tdf has the feature, and you’ll also find the tech on the Porsche 918 and the current 911 Turbo. The system found in those cars has been adapted for the Panamera to give more nimble handling.

5. The interior is a futuristic screen-fest

The old Panamera was beginning to show its age inside, but the cockpit of the new one has brought things bang up to date. A 12.3-inch screen stuffed in the middle of the dashboard dominates proceedings, while most of the buttons have been replaced with fancy touch-sensitive surfaces. In the back, there’s a separate control panel and screen combo for the rear passengers, assuming you option the four-zone climate control.

Like the 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman and 991.2 911, the Panamera also gets a 918-inspired steering wheel with the same rotary drive mode selector.

6. It has the nerdiest ever cruise control

Well, cruise control isn’t quite the right word - it’s actually something called ‘Porsche InnoDrive’ which incorporates cruise control. It’s so brilliantly geeky and complicated, that we’ll let Porsche describe it in its own words…

“Based on navigation data and signals from radar and video sensors, it computes and activates the optimal acceleration and deceleration rates as well as gear selections and coasting phases, for the next three kilometres. In doing so, this electronic co-pilot automatically takes bends, inclines and speed limits into account.”

Crikey.

7. No rear-drive models?

Only three models are mentioned as being available from launch: the 4S (€113,027), 4S Diesel (€116,954) and Turbo (€153,011). That’s right, no mention of any rear-wheel drive variants just yet. Whether or not rear-wheel drive models will join the range eventually, we’re not sure - we reached out to Porsche to get the answer and are awaiting a reply.

8. The Turbo has a cool split spoiler thing

Nope, that split in the middle of the boot lid isn’t some quirky design feature. It’s there because as the automatic rear spoiler rises, it splits apart, increasing the surface area and making it more effective.

What do you think of the new Panamera? Let us know in the comments!