Porsche Panamera GTS And Panamera GTS Sport Turismo Arrive Packing 453 HP

Could the middle Porsche trim actually be the best one?

The Porsche Panamera is a car with a very broad spectrum of power. At one end, the base Panamera produces 330 horsepower from a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. At the other, the Turbo S E-Hybrid pumps out a whopping 680 hp from a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, which is mated to an electric motor. But what if the base Panamera is simply too slow, and you don't have $190,000 to spend on the Turbo S E-Hybrid?

Well, now there are two new Panamera models that will be perfect for you. Introducing the Panamera GTS and Panamera GTS Sport Turismo.

These new GTS models are exactly what we expected them to be, a nice middle ground between the Panamera S and the Panamera Turbo. Both versions of the GTS are powered by the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the Turbo, but detuned to produce 453 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. This may be less than the 550 hp produced in the Turbo but it is 20 hp more than the last generation Panamera GTS.

Both cars send power to the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) all-wheel-drive system through an eight-speed PDK transmission. The sprint to 60 mph takes just 3.9 seconds for both cars, with the GTS reaching a top speed of 181 mph and the GTS Sport Turismo 179 mph.

As always, the GTS trim offers standard features that are only optional on the S trim. These include dynamic chassis systems with three-chamber air suspension, unique design elements, Sport Chrono package, and Alcantara interior trim.

Other standard gear includes a Sport Exhaust with blacked-out tailpipes, and 20-inch Panamera Design wheels, while optional goodies range from a GTS Interior package to a head-up display with multiple configurations.

Porsche says the new GTS models are available to order now starting at $128,300 for Panamera GTS and $134,500 for the GTS Sport Turismo (excluding $1,050 for delivery). Expect to see them arrive in dealerships in the second half of next year.

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This Is When The Porsche 911 Hybrid Is Likely To Arrive

Porsche is waiting for battery technology to evolve before it unleashes the most powerful Porsche 911 ever made.

One of the most anticipated model debuts at the 2018 LA Auto Show was the stunning all-new 2020 Porsche 911. Porsche showed off the new Carrera S and 4S at the show, but eventually, the line-up will be joined by a new 911 Turbo, GT3, and, for the first time in the model’s history, a hybrid, since the new platform was built to accommodate an electric motor.

We’ll have to wait a long time for it to arrive, however, because according to AutoExpress, the Porsche 911 Hybrid isn’t expected to launch until at least 2022. “It will be the next evolution of this car [and] that means at least four years from today,” Porsche 911 product line director August Achleitner explained. This suggests the 911 Hybrid won’t arrive until the car’s mid-cycle facelift in around 2023.

It should be worth the wait, though. Porsche has previously hinted the 911 hybrid will be the most powerful Porsche 911 ever made. “When I am thinking about a hybrid version of the 911 I do not mean like the Panamera or Cayenne, I mean like the 919 Le Mans car,” Achleitner added. AutoExpress believes this means it’s unlikely to be a plug-in hybrid powertrain and will instead have an exhaust energy recovery system and a lithium-ion battery powering an electric motor mounted to the front axle.

There could also be two hybrid 911s: a mid-range model as an alternative to the regular Carrera model, and a range-topper to sit alongside the flagship 911 Turbo. Porsche boss Oliver Blume has previously said it could produce as much as 700 hp. According to AutoExpress, there’s a lot of internal debate surrounding the hybrid 911. Engineers are currently unhappy about the weight and performance capabilities of existing battery technology, which is why the model is being delayed as the technology evolves.

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