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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 (minus roll out), 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!
Thanks for the writeup, I sometimes still consider swapping the Panny GTS with the Taycan variant. This is mostly on days where I can’t seem to get above 16 mpg. But then the right slope in sports mode prompts V8 to fill the cabin with a growl so angry and seemingly confident, hard to describe with the written word. I then exit the vehicle and glance back as to why I got my license plate.
On my 2nd Pan, had a Taycan for loaner and couldn't stop watching the battery gauge. While I like to be fuel efficient when I can Im not moving from my Pan anytime soon. The Taycan has all types of software issues/updates and feels way more plastic than the pan. It appears we will be forced to go EV in the future so Im going to enjoy my V8s as long as possible.
Thanks for your nice write-up! I have a 2014 Panamera 4S and a 2023 Audi e-tron GT. I actually chose the e-tron GT as I didn’t like the fit and finish of the Taycan. The Audi is splendid. I agree with a lot of what you wrote. The Panamera really is suited for the open road. I live in urban location and my average commute is 10km with an average speed of 40km/h. I go through a lot of gas for such an a short commute. Sadly, the Audi will stay and the Panamera will be going up for sale shortly. I have enjoyed every minute of the last 7 years of ownership but time to go another way…
As a fly on the wall, I appreciate all the thoughts and insights here.
Having been a previous EV owner and now back to gas, I’ve been looking for a more exciting replacement for my ‘18 Macan Turbo. PGTS and TGTS/TTS have been primary on my radar. Cayenne lightweight package also has my interest peaked.
My gut says gas now, give industry time to settle with electric…
Nice write up! I have a similar EV experience but sold a Model S long range for a Panamera Turbo. Model S was great for quiet comfort in commuter scenarios but felt out of place in any sort of spirited driving. Felt like driving on top of a RC car. Winter driving zapped the range and made long distance trips even longer. So I sold it after a little over a year.
Latest Gen Panamera turbo has a split personality unlike any car I've seen that can check both boxes. My Panamera has every option expect for carbon ceramic brakes and massage seats. I am so impressed with the lack of body roll, grip, acceleration, and sound of this car. Then with a turn of a dial, it has a comfy air suspension ride, noise insulated glass, vented seats, burmester sound, and can churn out 30mpg+ on the highway.
What do you go to from here? For real. This car with have a long term spot in the garage.
I tried the base Taycan and could live with it as a commuter vehicle. Have 3 GTS ICE models (991.1, 2014 Panamera, and 2022 Cayenne), the Panamera is my all around favorite although the Cayenne has a quicker responding motor and the tech is vastly improved over the panamera and the 911.1. The 991.1 is a different category. Panamera will wear out but I’ve decided to buy another if they are still available when that happens. Bottom line for me is improved performance from newer models (including electric drive) is nicer but it is unlikely to convince me to upgrade.
Latest Gen Panamera turbo has a split personality unlike any car I've seen that can check both boxes. My Panamera has every option expect for carbon ceramic brakes and massage seats. I am so impressed with the lack of body roll, grip, acceleration, and sound of this car. Then with a turn of a dial, it has a comfy air suspension ride, noise insulated glass, vented seats, burmester sound, and can churn out 30mpg+ on the highway.
What do you go to from here? For real. This car with have a long term spot in the garage.
Thanks!
I’m with you on the Panamera. My only issue with the P. GTS is the lack of impressive, top-end power. My favorite part of the powertrain is half-throttle. There, the V8 sounds best and the car feels like it has the potential to be much faster than it actually is when you bury your foot. On the other hand, the chassis dynamics are fabulous and it may be that the GTS has a mildly spicier suspension tune.
All told, if they’d had a Turbo option when I ordered new, I may have gone with that. But it had been discontinued in favor of the 4S e-hybrid, and I had no interest in the weight, complexity, and other demerits associated with the e-option. I was also committed to a V8. I almost ordered the Turbo S, and - in retrospect - I perhaps should have. But it was over $50K more and the depreciation would have been savage.
We’ll see. If Porsche sells a non-hybrid Turbo S - or, even better, Turbo GT - for this new generation of Panamera, I’d be all over that. It says a lot about the sad state of affairs that a Cayenne, of all things, gets the GT treatment before the Panamera.
I’m with you on the Panamera. My only issue with the P. GTS is the lack of impressive, top-end power. My favorite part of the powertrain is half-throttle. There, the V8 sounds best and the car feels like it has the potential to be much faster than it actually is when you bury your foot. On the other hand, the chassis dynamics are fabulous and it may be that the GTS has a mildly spicier suspension tune.
All told, if they’d had a Turbo option when I ordered new, I may have gone with that. But it had been discontinued in favor of the 4S e-hybrid, and I had no interest in the weight, complexity, and other demerits associated with the e-option. I was also committed to a V8. I almost ordered the Turbo S, and - in retrospect - I perhaps should have. But it was over $50K more and the depreciation would have been savage.
We’ll see. If Porsche sells a non-hybrid Turbo S - or, even better, Turbo GT - for this new generation of Panamera, I’d be all over that. It says a lot about the sad state of affairs that a Cayenne, of all things, gets the GT treatment before the Panamera.
The Cayenne was always Porsche's baby that they where proud of, The Panamera was too far ahead of its time. the market leans towards SUV's now, it makes sense that they'd give the GT treatment to the Cayenne before the Panny. I'm surprised that the Panamera hasn't been cut tbh.
I absolutely love our 2019 Panamera GTS. It sounds SO good, like a grizzly bear compared to our 992 4S. Deep and throaty, almost angry! I've stated several times that if we could only have one Porsche...this would be the one.
He says Panamera all day every day over the Taycan. Main takeaway is you get to use the car as intended, no need to plan just get in and go wherever you want. No worries on charging.
This is the end and if you want that last non EV's this is the year to grab one depending on MFG. I don't like EV's although in a luxury car it makes sense as it aids in the quietness.
I was shocked at how cheap the base tycoon interior looked. Couldnt imagine paying $100k plus for it.
I have spent the last week thinking what my last not EV assisted or EV vehicle will be as the time is near. Kind of like a last meal on death row. I think a MaseratI QP with the V8 is a contender as it is the best sounding V8 although a financial disaster. Why not go out with a bang.
This is it so choose wisely. Get the Pan and soon it will all be EV anyway.
I have spent the last week thinking what my last not EV assisted or EV vehicle will be as the time is near. Kind of like a last meal on death row. I think a MaseratI QP with the V8 is a contender as it is the best sounding V8 although a financial disaster. Why not go out with a bang.
This is it so choose wisely. Get the Pan and soon it will all be EV anyway.
l like your thinking.
End of an era or not. As a car enthusiast you can only hope that there will be synthetic fuels on a larger scale available at some point in the future.
Always liked the Maserati Quattroporte GTS from the first generation. There is a beautiful scene at the very beginning in a French movie Intouchables. This is another scene that has nothing to do with the move, but capture the essence of the Quattroporte.
The Panamera GTS 970 generation capture some of that core value but more robust against weather elements all year round.
Unfortunately many newer cars loose more and more of the analog and mechanical feeling. If someone want to experience them as daily drivers I think it’s time now as you never know what’s around the corner. The governments around the world do what they can to make the manufactures build electric and hybrids.
I prefer the same car without the hybrid batteries. You carry a lot of dead weight. Even Porsche can’t mask that on the Cayenne and Panamera. They are also more complex to repair at some point. Might not be the first owners problem but someone will have to deal with it. The same can be said about Taycan however impressive job Porsche has done with their first try.
It will be interesting to see how Porsche succeed with the new fully electric Boxster, Macan and hybrid 911. At this point I can’t see myself owning one like Porsches in the past however good they are.
12-19-2023, 11:31 PM
Panamera GTS vs Taycan GTS
