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Porsche reveals new Panamera Turbo S ahead of Tokyo debut

For many buyers in the market for a luxury sports sedan, style is as important as performance. But while the Porsche Panamera undoubtedly delivers in the latter category, it falls somewhat short in the former. Porsche went to some lengths (if not quite far enough for some tastes) to improve its four-door model's visual appeal with the facelift revealed earlier this year, but now it's time to up the performance game with the new Panamera Turbo S.
Set to be revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in just a few weeks from now, the new top-tier Panamera benefits from several key upgrades over the existing Turbo and the pre-facelift Turbo S. For one, its 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8 now produces 570 horsepower (up from 520 in the new Turbo and 550 in the old Turbo S and the latest Cayenne Turbo S) and 553 pound-feet of torque (up from the current Turbo's 516 but the same as the previous model). Despite the power boost, however, Porsche is quoting the same 3.6-second 0-60 time for the new Panamera Turbo S as it did for the previous one - but then that hardly required improvement in the first place. Top speed, however, is up to 192 miles per Autobahn-blurring hour, two mph faster than the previous model.
Other features include carbon-ceramic brakes (hopefully with more durable bolts than sister companies Lamborghini and Bentley have been using) packed inside the wheels from the 911 Turbo and an exclusive shade of greige called Palladium. And for the first time, customers will be able to order this top-spec model in long-wheelbase Executive trim. But don't expect it to come cheap: MSRP (before delivery and options) is quoted at $180,300 for the standard wheelbase and $200,500 for the stretched model. That's two and a half times the price of a base Panamera, and makes the new Panamera Turbo S Executive both the most expensive and most powerful Porsche your can buy this side of a 918 Spyder. Haven't passed out yet? There's more to digest in the press release, so head on down below to take it all in.

Porsche 918 Spyder could lap the 'Ring even quicker [w/video]

Porsche had a lot to crow about at the Frankfurt Motor Show last week. Not only did it debut the new 50 Years edition and Turbo versions of the 911 and the new hybrid and diesel versions of the Panamera, but while unveiling the final production version of the new 918 Spyder, it revealed the record lap it set around the Nürburgring.
The 918 Spyder's 6:57 lap time makes it the fastest street-legal production car ever to lap the Nordschleife and the first to break the seven-minute barrier. But the driver who clocked the time thinks it can go even faster.
That driver was Marc Lieb, who has won the Nürburgring 24-hour race four times, making him something of an expert on the subject. In speaking with Australia's Drive TV, Lieb suggested that they could get even more out of the car, as you can hear for yourself in the video below.

2015 Porsche Macan S

I'd be willing to bet that 99 percent of all Porsche Macan owners will never take their vehicle on a track or see any more off-roading than a dirt path to a summer cottage, yet I maintain that there is no better venue to explore the absolute outer limits of the automaker's newest small family transport than on a racing circuit and an off-road course. It's testing at each extreme of the vehicle's operating envelope, with both challenges requiring very different capabilities. With that in mind, and looking forward to dirty floor mats and corded tires, I jumped at the opportunity from Porsche to wring out its new Macan S at Willow Springs International Raceway, located in Southern California's high desert.
The range-topping Macan Turbo (base price $72,300 plus $995 destination), with its 400 horsepower twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 gets most of the glory these days. But many, including myself, would argue that its slightly less powerful sibling, the Macan S, is actually the pick of the new litter. Despite having 60 fewer horses under the hood and giving up six-tenths of a second in the sprint to 60 miles per hour, it costs a massive $22,400 less - money better spent on equipment that improves the crossover's ride comfort and capability, or perhaps a well-used Boxster for weekends.
Despite a reasonably attractive starting price of $49,900 (plus destination), very few Porsche buyers will leave the showroom with a base model. My Dark Blue Metallic Macan S tester was equipped with a slew of mechanical upgrades, including air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), Sport Chrono Package and 21-inch 911 Turbo Design wheels. A Premium Package and a few other miscellaneous options bloated its price to $69,870. That's a very steep price for the premium compact crossover segment, but it's still less than a base Macan Turbo.