Quit Complaining And Just Buy A New Porsche Panamera GTS Already

Car enthusiasts love to come up with silly excuses why a certain car isn’t right for them, nitpicking away because the perfect car for their needs allegedly doesn’t exist. It’s even worse when they’re shopping for a performance-oriented vehicle, especially at the higher end of the price spectrum. “I want a sports car but none of them are practical enough,” they complain. “I hate all SUVs, even the actually sporty ones,” they groan. “Sedans are all so boring,” they sigh. “These performance models are great, but they’re all too sporty,” they exclaim. It’s exhausting.

There is a simple answer, though. If you’re a person of means who needs a family car that will still get your heart racing, I’m here to tell you that you should just shut up and buy the redesigned Porsche Panamera GTS, now in its third generation of existence. There are basically no other cars on sale with the Panamera GTS’ combination of driver enjoyment and genuine practicality and dailyability, and it does it all without being boring.

Full disclosure: Porsche gave me a Euro-spec 2025 Panamera GTS with a full tank of gas and let me do as I please with it for about 24 hours.

Ever since Porsche brought the GTS moniker back in 2010 the trim levels have been hugely successful, offering an excellent mix of performance and standard features at a reasonable (for Porsche) price on everything from the 911 and 718 to Macan and Cayenne. Usually the GTS trims are smack-dab in the middle of the lineups, coming with the sportiest powertrain and chassis options but without the excessive power of something like a Turbo. The new Panamera GTS doesn’t stray from that formula, but it’s even easier to recommend now that the Panamera lineup is so hybrid-heavy.

If you want a V8 that doesn’t have any electrification added on, the GTS is the only model in the Panamera lineup you’ll want to look at. The base Panamera has a turbocharged 2.9-liter V6, and while the Turbo and Turbo S both have V8s, they’re also E-Hybrids that are equipped with a plug-in-hybrid system. But the Panamera GTS uses the same twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 as the Turbos (the same one as before), with no sort of hybrid assist, and it is glorious.

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The GTS’ V8 puts out 493 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque, making it more powerful than a 911 Carrera S, and the engine redlines at a respectable 6,800 rpm. That torque is sent to all four wheels through Porsche’s tried-and-true 8-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic, which is as perfect as ever. Porsche says the GTS will hit 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds when using launch control, which is easy to engage, grips immediately and gut-punches me with acceleration force. In real life it’s surely quicker than Porsche’s claim, and the GTS keeps pulling with vigor once past the 60-mph mark. While in-gear acceleration is not quite as brutally rapid as launch control is, using the Sport Response button to automatically drop a few gears and raise the revs makes highway passing maneuvers a delight. The engine feels just powerful enough to be genuinely fast without being too much for the road, especially when it comes to hitting the canyons, and the standard sport exhaust sounds good, emitting nice barks and bangs but never being totally obnoxious. I love the dark bronze tailpipes, too.

Despite weighing 4,639 pounds, the Panamera GTS feels pretty light on its feet. As usual, Porsche has dialed in some of the best steering of any modern car, both in terms of feedback and directness, and the available rear-axle steering is definitely worth the extra $1,350 for the additional stability and agility it adds. 21-inch center-lock wheels are standard (though you can get various normal five-lug wheels as 20s or 21s), and this test car is fitted with the no-cost optional summer tires, in this case Michelin Pilot Sport 5 S rubber. Is that overkill for a big sedan? Maybe, but pushed hard on Angeles Crest the GTS sticks like hell and rockets out of corners with aplomb. After a few minutes of zipping through the mountains, I’ve forgotten I’ve got an extra set of doors and seats behind me. Standard Porsche Torque Vectoring+ variably distributes torque to the rear wheels, and it’s also got an electronic rear differential for further cornering prowess. There’s no hint of understeer, and the GTS is happy to let the tail shimmy a bit even with all the stability control functions left on.

I wish you could get the fancy Active Ride suspension on the GTS, but it’s exclusive to hybrid Panameras. That system has modes that counteract pitch and roll, it automatically raises up when the doors are open, and it rides better than the GTS’ setup does. That isn’t to say the Panamera GTS rides badly though, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Sure, with wheels this big and tires this sticky Los Angeles’ potholes and rough pavement do send some shockwaves bristling up my spine, but in most situations the Panamera feels composed and pliant, certainly in the league of other luxury sedans. The GTS’ adaptive air suspension has the car sit almost half an inch lower than other Panameras, and it has model-specific rear anti-roll bars and chassis tuning. Even when driving calmly around town in the comfiest drive mode, the Panamera is still an engaging experience.

Though it’s nearly identical in size to the outgoing generation and has a pretty evolutionary design overall, I do think the third-gen Panamera is a great-looking car, with more straight lines and crisper surfacing than the second-gen model and a silhouette that’s a far cry from the first-gen Panamera’s hunchback. Its wide-open toothy mouth of a front end is off-putting to some, but the GTS’ standard Sport Design bumpers are cooler than what you get on lesser Panameras. It really helps that my test car is slathered in Oak Green Metallic Neo paint, worth every bit of its $2,980 price tag. And I love the active rear spoiler, which has a transformer-like action where it splits in half as it rises up to increase the surface area.

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The doors slam shut with a satisfying thud, and the new Panamera’s cabin will feel familiar to anyone who drove the previous model or has had seat time in the Cayenne or Taycan. It’s even more streamlined and has fewer buttons than before, and Porsche has stuck with the old model’s air vents that are adjusted through the 10.9-inch touchscreen. Five metal toggle switches and a bunch of capacitive-touch buttons are found in the taller center console for some of the most used climate functions, at least. And purists will definitely decry the loss of the old analog tachometer in favor of the new 12.6-inch curved gauge cluster display.

I don’t mind the screen-forward interior, though. The new infotainment system is really easy to use and the fantastic gauge screen is nicely configurable. My friend appreciated the optional $1,630 passenger screen in front of him, especially its performance data page that shows things like g-forces and speed, and when you opt for four-zone climate control rear-seat passengers also get a control screen. Larger cupholders and bigger storage cubbies are welcome, and the adaptive sport seats are as supportive as ever. Porsche continues to make some of the greatest steering wheels on the market, too. Another thing purists will probably hate but I like is the shifter placement — instead of taking up a bunch of center console space, it’s now a small toggle switch just to the right of the steering wheel. Much better.

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While the Panamera’s interior looks pretty boring in just the standard black, at least the GTS’ Race-Tex suede upholstery gets a cool pattern to it, and everything feels high quality and well put-together. I’d definitely spring for one of the colorful leather upgrades, and go for one of the wood options for the thin trim pieces along the dash, console and doors — a no-cost option! The back seat is still spacious and comfortable, and even though cargo space is a bit down over the last model, the hatchback can fit a good deal more stuff than a Taycan’s traditional trunk.

Okay, yeah, the Panamera GTS is expensive, starting at $159,250 including destination for the 2026 model year. But you’re the one who clicked on a Porsche review, you shouldn’t have any sticker shock these days. That MSRP makes it around $50k pricier than a base Panamera, but it is nearly $40k less than a Turbo E-Hybrid (and almost $75k less than the Turbo S E-Hybrid), so maybe it’s actually a bargain? Of course, it’s very easy for the GTS’ price to skyrocket when you start adding options, but at least the GTS already comes with basically all of the sporty stuff you’d want to add.

There aren’t many other cars to compare the Panamera against, either. The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door both offer V8 engines still, but both are old as hell and not as comfortable or good to drive as the Porsche. I’m sure some of you will make an argument for getting a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing or a BMW M3, but I want you to get a grip. Personally I would rather have a Taycan GTS, which starts at $151,050, but I know that not everyone is ready to go electric.

If you’ve got the money and want a daily driver that feels like a sports car but is still very practical, without being an SUV or having any other un-cool attributes, you’ve just got to buy the new Porsche Panamera GTS. You might still find some things to complain about, or reasons why you say it’s not actually perfect, but that doesn’t matter. The Panamera GTS is what you want, and what you need.

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik

Daniel Golson / Jalopnik