Porsche lot in the 2025 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. I’d geared up for a pure adrenaline rush, something to blast canyon roads and leave tire smoke in the rearview. But nope, this thing’s got layers. It’s the top-shelf addition to Porsche’s revamped third-gen lineup, hot on the heels of that new GTS and the tamer V6 hybrids. They tweaked the review with real dyno numbers last weekend, and honestly, after a couple hundred miles in SoCal traffic and twisties, I’m hooked.
Porsche calls this the “top dog,” and they’re not wrong. It’s got a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 under the hood making 591 hp and 590 lb-ft by itself, then they slip in a 187-hp electric motor for a combined 771 hp and 737 lb-ft. Nuts, right? Feels like they engineered it to rewrite the rulebook on what a big luxury sedan can do.
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (15)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (14)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (13)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (12)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (11)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (10)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (9)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (8)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (7)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (6)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (5)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (4)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (3)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (2)
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E (1)
Power That Punches Without the Drama
Diving into the engine bay—or whatever you call it in a hybrid these days—this setup’s a beauty. The V8’s got that low-end growl you’d expect, but the e-motor’s wedged right in line with the eight-speed dual-clutch trans, so torque delivery’s instant and buttery. I clocked 0-60 in 2.5 seconds flat during our instrumented run, then 100 mph slipped by in 6.1. Quarter-mile? Done in 10.5 at 132—enough to make you forget you’re in a four-door hauler weighing over 5,000 pounds.
The hybrid bit’s no gimmick either. That 22-kWh battery promises 27 miles of EPA EV range, but push it on the highway at 75, and you’re flirting with 48 miles before the gas kicks in. I did the Irvine-to-LAX haul in E-Power mode—pure electric through the snarl—and showed up with 12 miles left, no sweat. It’s quiet, torquey, and yeah, it mimics a full EV better than most plug-ins I’ve chased. Top it off with an 11-kW Level 2 charger, and you’re golden in a couple hours. My mixed-bag average came in at 18 MPGe, but that’s me being… enthusiastic. Official numbers: 19 mpg hybrid, 52 MPGe total. Not bad for a beast.
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E
Handling Tricks That’ll Blow Your Mind
Alright, enough gushing over the shove—let’s talk about keeping it on the blacktop. Porsche Active Ride is the star here, standard issue on this Turbo S E-Hybrid, and it’s some next-level stuff. Picture air springs and dampers teaming up with electric pumps at each corner, all powered by that 400-volt hybrid juice. Result? The body stays dead level. No lean through sweepers, no plunge when you brake hard, no tail-wag on launch. I hammered some undulating straights near Malibu, and it soaked up the chatter like it was paved yesterday.
Now, the “helicopter mode”—don’t roll your eyes yet. In Comfort or Normal, it gives a slight forward tilt on accel, rearward on decel, and a whisper of bank in turns. Sounds corny as hell, like they’re aping a tiltrotor. First lap, I nixed it because it felt off-putting, like the car’s got a mind of its own. But give it a few miles, and it grows on you—adds this playful edge without messing with the poise. In Sport Plus, it’s gone anyway, and that’s where the fun ramps up: Drops the ride height 1.4 inches, rear-axle steering sharpens the turn-in, and those Michelins (275/35-21 up front, 325/30-21 out back) hook up for 1.05 g on the skidpad. Felt like cheating, honestly.
One oddball perk: Swing the door open, and the suspension hikes the body 2.2 inches in a heartbeat. Jarring at first—like, “Whoa, settle down!”—but brilliant for scraping into tight spots. And braking? Those 17.3-inch carbon-ceramic fronts with 10-piston grabbers haul from 70 in 153 feet, 100 in 298. Softer than the lighter gas Turbo S from back when, but with 650 extra pounds of batteries, I’ll take it. Headlights don’t twitch under panic stops, either. Small wins add up.
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E
The Cockpit: Plush Enough to Lull You, Sharp Enough to Wake You
Inside, it’s Porsche doing Porsche—clean lines, supportive seats, and enough gadgets to keep you fiddling for days. Our test car’s Club Leather in Espresso wrapped everything nice and warm, with vents fore and aft battling the October heat (yeah, still SoCal). The $5,180 Premium pack bundled InnoDrive cruise control that actually anticipates traffic, plus four-zone AC for backseat whiners. And that Burmester 3D stereo? Dropped $5,940 on it, but man, it turned podcasts into surround sound.
Price tag starts at $228,495—loaded from the jump with Active Ride, ceramics, torque vectoring. Ours tipped to $249k after Oak Green paint, dark bronze tailpipes, and comfy rear seats with memory. Easy to balloon past 250 grand if you chase every carbon trim or sunshade, but even stock, it’s a steal for the kit. At 5,350 pounds, it carries the weight well, never feeling boatish.
Bottom Line: This Panamera’s Got Me Rethinking My Garage
Flaws? It’s a brick on the scales and a black hole for cash if you’re option-happy. Helicopter mode might stay off for the purists among us. But the wins— that endless thrust, the ride that’s plush one minute and pinned the next, EV chops that fit real life—make it a standout high-performance hybrid vehicle. Pits it right against the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E or BMW M8, but with Porsche’s razor-edge feel.
If you’re torn between track days and school runs, hunt no further. This 2025 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid nails the brief. I’d snag one tomorrow, probably keep the tilt on for the laughs. Who’s with me?
Snapshot Specs: 2025 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
Setup: Front V8 + front e-motor, AWD, 4-seater liftback
Grabbed these shots on our coastal jaunt—exteriors nail the hunkered stance, cabin pics flaunt the leather and dash details. Drop a comment if this tempts you or if I’ve lost my mind.
