2010 Porsche Panamera S First Test

Porsche could have given its radical, new four-door gran turismo a fitting name, such as the Peculiar or the Polarizer, what with a profile that suggests a 911 stretch limo. Instead, the fabled sports-car maker dubbed it something obscure -- the Panamera. (The name is derived from the legendary La Carrera Panamericana sports-car race of the 1950s; yes, the same race inspired the 911 Carrera designation, too). No matter, the title "Panamera" has a rarified ring to it and seems a fitting moniker for a coupe-silhouetted four-door capable of a claimed top speed of 175 mph.

While we weren't able to verify Vmax during evaluation -- road test editor Scott Mortara did see an indicated 172 mph during a high-speed run on a closed track -- we did confirm that the Panamera S we tested could slip from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds and through the quarter mile in 13.5 at 105.8 mph. For a 4108-pound 400-horsepower vehicle, those numbers are respectable.

But Porsche has always been about more than just respectable -- try intimidating and elite. The similarly sized (193.6 x 73.7 x 55.9 in), priced ($101,425), and positioned Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG four-door "coupe" easily outguns the Panamera S, needing a scant 4.3 seconds to hit 60 and just 12.7 at 113.0 mph to nab the quarter. Further, both the $89,325 BMW M5 (4.1, 12.5 at 115.3) and the $80,000 Jaguar XFR (4.4, 12.7 at 114.1) are significantly quicker. Some view the larger and stately Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series as Panamera competitors and there's an argument to be made there -- prospective buyers of $100,000 luxury sedans will occasionally cross-shop these heavyweights to the Porsche -- but those five-seat Teutons are 200 inches in length or longer and just seem discernibly bigger than the low-slung four-seat Panamera.