TESTED: 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid

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The suspension is comprised of front aluminum double wishbones, and an aluminum multi-link in the rear. This provides a lightweight sports car set up with the comfort required in a saloon of this size.  The suspension is electronically adjustable into 3 settings plus a “Raised” mode for coming into parking lots etc.

 

 

There is a Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus mode. There is a noticeable difference in suspension feel driving on the apocalyptic Southern California freeways.  Comfort was exactly that, and Sport definitely firmed up the ride while keeping about the same suspension height. Putting it into Sport Plus lowered the car about 1.5” all around and took the firmness to another level.  I wasn’t able to put this car on the track, but believe it would be very capable for a 4300 lb car.  The “Raised” setting lifted the car another inch above Comfort for additional clearance and is only available at low speeds.  One of the cool and amazing things was actually feeling the car come up and down when setting the different suspension settings WHILE driving down the road.

 

 

Standard brakes are 360mm, 6 piston monoblock fixed calipers in front, and 330mm 4 piston monoblock fixed calipers in rear. Turbo models are slightly larger. The brake calipers on the Panamera, Panamera 4 and Panamera Diesel are finished in black; on the Panamera S models they are silver coloured and on the Panamera Turbo models they are red.  All rotors are standard slotted. An electric parking brake and hill hold are also standard. Porsche Ceramic Composite braking is optional, and will come with the yellow calipers. You see yellow calipers, you see the “true baller”. 

 

 

Panamera S Hybrid stock brake option.True-baller ceramic composite brake option.

 

 

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