Hoping to remind car enthusiasts of the emotions they felt when the 918 Spyder was introduced, Porsche now offers the 2018 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. It’s the new range topper for its one, and only, sedan. It relates to the 918 Spyder in the sense that the new Panamera is both the highest performer of the model line and a hybrid.
The heart of the operation is a longitudinally mounted 4.0-liter V8 with 90-degree banks, four chain-driven camshafts with variable timing and direct injection. It’s a “hot-v” setup, meaning the intake ports are outside the V, and the exhaust ports are inside, where two twin-scroll turbochargers lie. Those compressors help spin up 550 hp at 5,750 rpm and 568 lb-ft of torque at just under 2,000 rpm.
The hybrid capability comes courtesy of a 136-hp and 295-lb-ft-of-torque electric motor, which bolts directly to the back of the V8 and ahead of the eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission. The parallel system includes an electric decoupler so that the internal combustion engine and electric motor can work in concert or on their own. Total system power comes to 680 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, which is available, effectively, whenever.
That’s a lot. Good thing power is distributed to all four wheels. Unlike the 918, that power comes mechanically from the same package, no separate electric motor to drive the front axle. Instead, a slathering of differentials, clutches and software manages what power goes where. As a result, several computers decide how much the front and rear axle receive, and indeed how it's distributed between the driver and the passenger side.
Also unlike the 918, the Panamera carries four doors, stretches 199 inches and rests on a steel structure. Not to mention all the luxuries and niceties shoved in. All told, the E-Hybrid weighs about 5,100 pounds, which is within 300 pounds of a base Chevrolet Tahoe. Part of that heft comes from the 14.1-kWh battery in back, allowing the E-Hybrid to run on electricity alone for 31 miles.
Efforts to belie physics and usual penalties involved with weight, Porsche engineers mounted an air suspension to each corner in lieu of steel springs. These are standard equipment and give the E-Hybrid adjustable ride height. The high setting allows for better clearance up inclines like steeper driveways. It can ride low while cruising the interstate to slip through the air a little better and increase badassness while doing it.