The 2025 Porsche Panamera's V8 Engine Will Make You Rethink Hybrids

In November 2023, Porsche unveiled the updated third generation versions of the company's luxury sports sedan, the Porsche Panamera. At the time of the announcement, the company revealed three new models of the vehicle: the standard Panamera, the Panamera 4, and the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid. A couple of months later, Porsche strengthened the lineup by adding two new hybrid models, the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid and the 4S E-Hybrid. Fast-forward to July 2024, and Porsche has returned yet again with the 2025 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and the 2025 Panamera GTS.

While the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid distinguishes itself from the rest of its siblings by being the most powerful production Panamera ever produced, Porsche describes the Panamera GTS as a more powerful and "agile" variant of the standard ICE (internal combustion engine) Panamera. If not already evident from the naming scheme, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid car that features an internal combustion engine mated to an electric motor. The Panamera GTS, on the other hand, is a pure ICE car targeted at petrol heads who don't want anything to do with hybrids.

The Panamera GTS, with its turbocharged V8 engine, is also special in that it is the most powerful ICE-only Porsche Panamera currently available for purchase until the more powerful ICE-only Turbo models arrive. While both these cars are available to order right now, Porsche only expects the first of the U.S.-bound cars to reach the States in the first quarter of 2025.

The 2025 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid stands out as the most powerful, and fastest, production Porsche Panamera to ever exist. The model features the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine already used in the latest Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, though with a greater 591 horsepower output, paired with a 187 horsepower electric motor. Combined, this combo's collective output sits at 771 hp, which is a significant 81 hp increase over the previous generation model. The total system torque figures on the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid have also gone up to 737 lb-ft.

Thanks to this increase in power, the 2025 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is capable of doing a zero to 60 mph sprint in 2.8 seconds, making it 0.2 seconds faster than the previous generation model. It also hits a top track speed of 202 mph, an improvement of 8 mph in top track speed over the previous generation model, according to the automaker. The latest-gen model also boasts a larger 25.9 kWh battery compared to the previous generation. This larger capacity enables the car to store 45% more energy, ultimately boosting the range in full electric mode.

The 2025 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, being part of the Turbo lineup, also features several design elements to help this variant stand out from the rest of the Panamera variants. Among the more noticeable ones include the distinctive rear bumper and front fascia in the exterior color. The car also features tailpipes in Dark Bronze color, while the yellow brake calipers also add a distinctive touch.

Since the launch of the first Porsche Panamera GTS model back in 2011, this variant has always been portrayed as the everyday car for petrol-heads. The car has largely stuck to this formula for most of its production run, with great success. For the 2025 edition, the Porsche Panamera GTS features a more powerful engine, which also makes it a quicker car compared to its predecessor. With 493 hp of power, the re-tuned V8 on the 2025 Panamera GTS now makes 20 hp more than the outgoing variant. 

These changes to the powertrain ensure that the car does zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, making it 0.1 seconds quicker than the outgoing model. There has been no change to the top speed of the car, with a claimed top track speed of 188 mph. One of the most notable aspects of Porsche's GTS lineup was the legendary roar of the V8. Porsche claims to have retained this aspect of the car, and even the standard sport exhaust system on the Panamera GTS is designed to create what the company describes as a "powerful, emotional" exhaust note.

Porsche has also added several distinctive design cues to the Panamera GTS so that it can be easily identified. The most obvious among these are the black GTS logos on the sides and rear of the vehicle. Another way to identify a GTS model is to look for the red brake calipers, the different-looking front fascia, and HD Matrix Design LED headlights in black.

Customers can already order these freshly introduced Panamera models, but availability in the U.S. won't start until around the end of Q1 2025, according to Porsche. The automaker has confirmed that the Panamera GTS will have an MSRP of $154,200, while the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid will be significantly pricier at $226,500. As always, this MSRP does not include tax, title, registration, and dealer charges. There is also an additional $1,995 delivery, processing, and handling fee.

To put these prices into perspective, pricing for the standard Porsche Panamera starts at $102,800. This model is followed by the Panamera 4, which will set you back by $109,800. Going further up the price ladder, we have the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, which starts at $115,500. Then there is the Panamera 4S E-Hybrid, which starts at $126,800. Finally, positioned just below the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, which has a suggested MSRP of $191,000.