clemsondds

Thinking about getting a new/23 or 24 GTS. Can anyone share their thoughts on them? I had a '19 turbo s e-hybrid. Loved the power and torque! But was always concerned longterm about the battery. So thought I might go GTS or Turbo-s. Can't seem to find a turbo-s, so thinking to go GTS. My main concern is turbo lag. Anyone seem to notice this much? Curious if anyone has installed a pedal commander. Thanks for your thoughts!

onedae

I have a 23 GTS. It's a fantastic car - very fast, handles great, comfortable and more. The GTS has all the goodies you will ever need and, with the sport package, looks great too. Yes the Turbo S is faster but the GTS feels much more sporty.

clemsondds

Thanks. Around town, do you ever feel it's a little laggy? (turbo lag). just do a lot of in town driving and worried about having to really stomp on it to feel the power. thanks for your response!

PandaSPUR

Love my 2023 GTS. I went from a BRZ to this so quite a change but I have no complaints about handling or maneuverability. For example, rear wheel steering lets me do the same U-Turns I've always done on the much smaller BRZ.

Power delivery feels great to me too. In Comfort/Normal mode there might be half a second of lag when you push down on the pedal but no need to floor it to really get a response and its never been an annoyance for typical driving situations like passing another car on the highway.

In sport and sport plus, its even better.

I've even taken mine to autocross:

Shuga

With all that construction on the loop you could have just went there hahaha.

What it's like to drive a car still under warranty haha

PandaSPUR

Eh? Not sure what you mean. The people in safety vests? they're other participants at the event doing their work shift (i.e. cone duty for half the time, driving the other half)

clemsondds

appreciate the feedback! Any other thoughts?

PandaSPUR

Hmm i could probably say a ton about this car if you have any specific questions.

• Comfort wise, its not as smooth and floaty like an S-Class but still plenty comfy. Good balance of feedback from the road and comfort. TBH I don't notice much difference between sport and comfort PASM settings though.
• Love the folding spoiler.
• Ventilated seats are great for the summer, although on the highest setting on the driver's side it sometimes whistles. Varies with my seating position.
• Piano black plastic surfaces in the interior are annoying but I had interior PPF done so at least they wont get super scratched up over time.
• Racetex (aka alcantara) wheel feels great. High subjective topic though, some people hate it because it can get dirty and gross. I had an alcantara wheel on my last car and it was fine, so it likely depends on how naturally oily/greasy peoples' hands are.
• The car is nimble but no amount of tech changes how large and heavy it is.
• Seating position isnt as low as my BRZ but still feels lower and sporty compared to a typical sedan
• PSE was standard and I love it. Subtle pops and bangs in sport mode, not nearly as aggressive as V8 AMGs but I prefer this.
• I got the burmester system along with acoustic/thermal windows. Sounds good but not mind blowing. I never compared it to the Bose or base system though.
• Sound isolation is good overall, main issue is you still get some road noise at highway speeds.
• Downside of sound isolation is you dont get to hear your own exhaust as much.
• Very comfy and spacious rear seating. I got the bench option for the back seats. More plush than the front seats.
• I also optioned the power blinds but rarely use them. The power blinds for the rear windshield require digging through the touch screen, which annoys me. The rear passenger blinds just require an extra push or pull on the window controls.

MFC993

Have a '21 GTS after the refresh with PDCC .. great car.
Big, fast, sporty and very nice looking with a superb exhaust note.
It is not, however, a 911. You can feel the size and the weight even with the upgraded suspension.
As a daily badass ride though, it can't be beat

Irish Guy

OP - I have a 2022 Panamera GTS, 2023 Taycan GTS, and 2022 GT3. Even in that company, the Panamera stands out as a fabulous car. I’ll answer your questions as best I can, explaining why I like it as much as I do, while also being forthright about its limitations.

What makes it so wonderful? A unique combination of attributes: an intoxicating V8, induction noise to die for in the mid-range, the astonishing speed of the PDK shift under power with a simultaneous sharp bark from the exhaust, the way that the engine at the very top end of the rev range keeps pulling that little bit longer than you think it will, a shockingly rear-biased AWD system (seriously, under some power in damp conditions in sports mode, the rear kicks way out - much further and more readily than the Taycan), agility in sports/+ modes that is unlike any car its size, the ability to become a serene and plush cruiser for hours on end, Burmester + tasteful/restrained ambient lighting + noise-insulated glass combining at night to make an immersive experience, the super-cool spoiler deploying and retracting to dramatic effect, and the aggressive GTS trim making the car stand out. All of this amounts to an experience that is altogether different than my Taycan or GT3.

You’re coming from a 971.1 turbo s e-hybrid. I suspect that three things will leap out at you.

First, the GTS will be far more agile. Throw a 2023 GTS into a series of turns on a mountain road, and you’ll be astonished. It’s far lighter than your old car (500 lbs?). You’ll feel the difference every time you turn into a corner, break, or do anything other than point the car straight. It’s not every drive, but when you’re in, it’s magic.

Second, the power delivery will be dramatically different. The GTS pulls harder as the revs climb, and it really gets going past 5,000 rpm. It won’t be like the torque-rich and consistent hybrid.

Third, the power will be underwhelming.

I want to emphasize that point (and another soon to follow). The ultimate performance falls just shy of what it takes to excite. Here’s the reality: the 473 hp in the GTS make the car feel genuinely fast and invigorating at low speeds - 1st and 2nd gear. Combined with the sound - hell, yeah. It’s good stuff. But stay in it and the power ultimately isn’t what it should be. At highway speed, pedal to the metal feels swift, but never intense. In some ways, it’s a letdown. Half power is my favorite. There, intake sound is rich and heavenly, while the associated torque feels substantial and effortless. I love that. It feels like planting your foot will unleash some ferocious power. But when you really got for it, the top-end power just isn’t there. It’s nowhere near as explosive at high end as the GT3 (not a fair comparison, of course). And the Taycan GTS is not only in a different universe of speed from a roll, it has much more top end, too. The Panamera GTS’s engine clearly has much more to offer.

That’s the GTS trim, I suppose. Porsche tunes it to be fast, but not fierce. But on the Panamera, the engineers should have given it at least 50hp more. It’d be so much better with that. You’re going to notice the power shortfall coming from your 2019 turbo S. I’d recommend trying before buying.

My second and final point of emphasis: the response is not as sharp as it should be and will be a noticeable difference coming from the hybrid. Porsche’s sports cars (911 and 718) bring immediate throttle response. I had a 2018 Carrera T before the GT3. Even though it was turbocharged, the car responded immediately to throttle input and then surged further as boost built up. The Panamera isn’t like that. There’s a delay. It isn’t bad. And once you’re underway the power delivery is relentless because the PDK keeps everything on boil and shifts with seemingly impossible speed. But you don’t get instant, neck-jerking response to a prod of your toe. Even in Sports+, planting your foot brings a further downshift and then hard acceleration. You need to hit “push to pass” to really get an immediate kick. To be clear, the car responds well to throttle. I can’t think of any ICE sedan that reacts faster and sharper. But it’s not in the same league as anything electric or naturally aspirated.

Good luck with your choice. Let us know!

PandaSPUR

Haha I think underwhelming is gonna be subjective. Coming from a 6MT 200HP BRZ, the PDK 473HP of the GTS always brings me joy. On highways cruising at 50-60, floor it, im suddenly pushed back into my seat and at nearly 100mph within what feels like 2-3 seconds.

Of course nothing compared to a 911 or a 971 Turbo SE hybrid with its crazy 690HP.

I'd say the 473HP of almost linear power from the GTS lets you have more fun at legal speeds.

Irish Guy

Lol - fair enough! The GTS certainly isn’t slow. And its core stats show as much - 3.2 to 60, 11.7 quarter mile, 4.2 5-60 (all C&D). It’s a fast car. But those numbers are partially a function of the world-class PDK. At full boil, it’s very clear that the GTS engine tuning isn’t at the same power level as top-tuned, otherwise-comparable V8s - like the M5, E63, RS7 performance, etc. You can tell that Porsche dialed back the boost. The engine is capable of a lot more. I feel that at highway speeds. It’s probably because I’m spoiled by other hardware.

To be clear, I love the GTS. I just think that even 50 more hp would make it materially better. And to the topic of this thread, I worry that the OP may not find the hp sufficient given what he’s moving from!

clemsondds

ok thank you for the feedback. It’s so hard to find one to test drive. Did you ever drive a turbo-s? The non e-hybrid version. Sounds like that might fit a little better. Just hard to find. Really want ptv and pdcc…I think those make a difference with the panamera. I found a few gts’ with them, so thats why I was thinking gts but I am concerned about hp. Thanks again!

Irish Guy

Hi, clemsondds - I never drove the Turbo S, though I nearly ordered one over the GTS. It was a close call (https://rennlist.com/forums/panamera...on-hybrid.html). Ultimately, the $50K saving and sportier suspension tuning sent me toward the GTS. I did order all the performance bits, including PDCC and RWS. It really is astonishing how well the car turns in. It feels far more agile than any other car its size that I've ever driven, including the M5.

FWIW, I doubt that the Turbo S would help in terms of responsiveness. If anything, with that much boost, the engine is likely to react somewhat less quickly than the GTS's mill. I've never driven the TS, though, so I'm merely intuiting. The TS is reported to be savagely fast, though, and likely faster than your old one given the lower weight. I've kept an eye out on the used market for an attractive TS option myself (I love the cherry metallic on my GTS). Alas, there are few non-hybrid Turbo S Panameras for sale in the US.

I wish you good fortune on your hunt!