2012 Panamera GTS Concept Review

Sportiness in pure form combined with a Panamera. The Porsche engineers are compelled to push the standards higher. Perhaps it is this obsession mixed with pure, unadulterated driving pleasure that led them to create the Porsche Panamera GTS. A sports sedan for sports car purists. The 2012 Porsche Panamera model range combines uncompromising dynamic performance with comfort and incorporates everything that Porsche stands for: the passionate crafting of highly efficient sports car. Once again, our engineers have made further advances in this respect. The result is the Porsche Panamera GTS sportiness in pure form.

These are three letters that have secured themselves a place in history alongside the Porsche name, both on and off the racetrack. Three letters that symbolize the marriage of supreme performance and superior sportiness in a single car that is suitable for everyday use. What exactly is it that distinguishes the 2012 Panamera GTS concept? The answer may lie in the following facts: a 4.8-liter naturally aspirated engine delivering 430 hp power output and 383 lb.-ft. torque, 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and active all-wheel drive. Yet, pure facts alone are not an adequate way to describe the character of the new Panamera GTS.

This car does more than simply bridge the engine power gap between the Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo, it is the purist expression of a sports sedan in the Porsche family with a clear focus on performance. For this reason, we gave it everything we could to make it more responsive, emotive and sporty, aesthetically and technically, inside and outside. Typical Intelligent Performance. Four doors and four seats: but you knew this already. It’s time to learn about how we paired pure driving pleasure with pure power.

How can one describe the appearance of the Panamera models? A low, wide stance, a sleek roofline: true sports car proportions. The front, shoulders, and rear all have instantly recognizable Porsche traits. The face that stands out in the crowd. However, the Panamera GTS goes one step further. Even closer to the road, its sporty character is even more clearly demonstrated. Let’s start at the front. The Panamera GTS is equipped as standard with Bi-Xenon headlights, each with four LED daytime running spot lights. These have been carried over from the Panamera Turbo, but with one difference: the headlight housing is finished in black. These are matched by the front light units taken from the Panamera Turbo, with LED light guides as a border for the indicators.

Other Panamera Turbo styling features include the SportDesign front fascia with large air intakes on the right and left for supplying air to the two GTS-specific air filter modules (refer to the ‘Engine’ section for more information). The side air outlets behind the front wheels are finished in high-gloss black. So, too, is the side window trim, the covers of the headlight cleaning system, the trim strip on the rear, and the rear diffuser. As a stylish complement, the lower section of the Panamera GTS is finished in matte black. Starting from the side ends of the front fascia and moving back along the door sills through to the rear fascia and the tailpipes of the sport exhaust system, the line drawn appears more dynamic. In conjunction with the 0.39 in (10 mm) lower suspension, the contour accentuates the sporty overall impression.


For greater downforce and driving stability at high speeds, the Panamera GTS is equipped with the Panamera Turbo rear spoiler. From a speed of 55 mph (90 km/h), it deploys automatically tilting up and spreading out, too. To cope with the increased engine power output, the Panamera GTS is equipped as standard with 19-inch Panamera Turbo wheels and the brake system of the Panamera Turbo, recognizable by the red brake calipers. The Panamera GTS is available in the same exterior colors as the other models in the Panamera range. An additional color, Carmine Red, is available as an option. Set against contrasting black, it creates a sportier effect. The ‘Panamera GTS’ logo on the rear hatch and the optional logos on the lower edge of the front doors add the finishing touch to the overall appearance. Sportiness in a pure form. Be honest, would you have expected the Panamera GTS to be anything else?

Posted in: Porsche