Porsche Panamera GTS promises pure driving kicks

Porsche absolutely loves building new versions of its Panamera. There are now a whopping nine iterations of its bonkers four-door supercar, the latest of which is a new driver-oriented GTS model.

Porsche says the GTS is the 'purest' member of the Panamera family. It has most in common with the mid-range Panamera 4S, but features upgraded brakes, lowered suspension and a V8 engine that delivers more power than any non-turbocharged Panamera.

The modified 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine delivers 430hp and 384lb-ft of torque -- an increase of 30hp and 16lb-ft and over the Panamera S and 4S. This jump in power provides a noticeable increase in performance. The car dispatches 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and can reach a very respectable 178mph. The 4S, for reference, dawdles behind with a 5-second 0-60mph time and a 175mph top speed.

Straight-line performance is only half the GTS' story. Its naturally aspirated engine should mean the car is a more manageable drive than the uber-fast Turbo and Turbo S models. It should, we expect, deliver its power in a more linear fashion than its stablemates, without the sudden, often distracting spikes in performance typically seen in turbocharged cars.

Though Porsche markets the GTS as a pure Panamera, it hasn't shied away from performance-boosting gadgets. The car will use a fancy dual-clutch Porsche DoppelKupplung (PDK) gearbox that drives all four wheels, and uses an adaptive air suspension system that keeps the car level no matter how hard you corner, or how lardy your passengers.

It'll also feature some funky cabin tech, including a display that shows lateral and longitudinal acceleration. Porsche has yet to announce pricing for the Panamera GTS, but it'll likely cost slightly more than the £84,129 Porsche asks for the Panamera 4S.

Have a gander at official pics of the thing in our photo gallery above, then let us know what you think in the comments section below, or on our Facebook page.