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2021 Porsche Panamera GTS: The 300km/h Luxury Family Car

When it comes to a Porsche, you likely think about a 2-seater speeder that can easily go from road to racetrack. And you are absolutely right, it can.

A lot of people find themselves not considering a Porsche in their garages because it’s hard to justify the price maybe, but more importantly, maybe they have families. So they opt out for something more ‘practical’.

I can tell you this. As soon as I stepped and sat in the new 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS, I found that the car was beautifully balanced between that feeling of a speedy Porsche and a car with a ton of practical nature to it.

It took some years to get here though. The original Panamera’s design and massive unbalanced back didn’t last long and for good reason. But, the new ones are incredibly sleek, especially for a four-seater that has a top speed of 300km/h.

The original catered to the passengers but not the passerby. Comparing the original to this model, they look completely different, and that’s wonderful news. Out with the old and in with bold.

Porsche Panamera GTS, 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS, Porsche Canada, Ottawa

How The Panamera GTS Drives

Before I get into the details of the car, the exterior, and interior. Let’s talk about the drive. My goodness, this car is smooth. It has less take-off than the exceptional Porsche Taycan Turbo S, but not too far off.

On the city streets, it’s a comfortable ride for stop-and-go traffic. It was hungry to get out on highways and winding roads though. The revving sounds from the engine as it ups and downshifts will keep you interested as you go along about your day.

Once you hit the winding roads, I just find that the suspension is so on-point. It’s easy to manage, easy to drive and very well behaved, even at higher speed corners. I am convinced you can head out to drop off your kids at school and then head to the race track right after with it and have a great time.

Highway driving at higher speeds is solid, planted, and accelerating for on-ramps make it easy to lane change and get passed the cottager with the big canoe on the highway holding everyone up.

I took the new Porsche Panamera GTS from Toronto to Ottawa for the drive. It’s a 5-hour drive and honestly, as soon as I got to Ottawa after a pit stop for food, the driver fatigue was very little. Impressive.

I’m convinced that if I forgot something in Toronto and had to drive all the way back, I’d probably be okay too.

The Exterior Of The Panamera GTS

With any Porsche, the design of the car really is all about the back and how that’s managed. The front is that classic Porsche look with more streamlined lights than your classic round one from vintage models. From the side and back is where you really find the difference out between a well-designed Porsche and another Porsche in the lineup.

The profile shows a longer wheel-base design made particularly evident by the windows that really show the curve to accommodate the four-door design. Then from back there, you have this spoiler, that finds itself folding out at higher speeds and changing the look of the overall car for those moments. It’s a neat Easter egg for both the driver and those behind the Porsche as it accelerates and the wing seemingly comes out of nowhere.

Porsche Panamera GTS, 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS, Porsche Canada, Ottawa

The back of the car shows that beautifully modern backlighting strip going to some classic backlights. The back tapers back really nicely with or without the folding spoiler.

What a particularly like about the Porsche Panamera GTS is the fact that if you were looking at the front or the back of the vehicle, you would have no idea that it was a 4-seater. It is a little bit of an optical illusion. The profile really showcases its true length, however, it feels proportional, it doesn’t feel like a stretched-out Porsche.

The Interior Of The Panamera GTS

Porsche Panamera GTS, 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS, Porsche Canada, Ottawa, Inteiror

It’s so nice that the Panamera GTS’ exterior really plays nice with the interior of the car. It’s not weighted to one side.

Some stand-out features of the interior are the materials they use for the steering wheels, seats, and dashboard. The leather seems like it would wear well over time and considering how many times we get in and out of our cars, it’s needed.

The screen and BOSE® sound system are standout features as well. I have been a big fan of the modern and sleek designs of their latest Porsches and the screens themselves. One thing that I would love to see is Porsche isolating which gas stations that take Super Premium gas. One of the things I had trouble with was finding 93+ octane gas, which is much harder to find compared to a regular gas or even electric vehicle charging stations.

Moving on from the front seat, the back, and the trunk, you find yourself realizing that this car is a lot more functional than you think. It has that full row of seating, providing two very comfortable passenger seats at the back and a good-sized trunk that fits my golf clubs, luggage, and all of my camera equipment.

It was impressive that you can have such a great sports car that can easily manage daily tasks. Some people might find the 4 instead of 5 seats limited, but as a child with my brother in a four-person family, we didn’t find ourselves using that centre seat much and would much rather have different amenities.

Porsche Panamera GTS, 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS, Porsche Canada, Ottawa

Quick Details Of The 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS

  • 473 hp
  • 0 – 100km/h in 3.9 seconds
  • Top Speed: 300km/h
  • Price of the model that was driven in this review: $177,050 CAD

The Bottom Line

The new 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS is definitely something to consider when looking at a functional Porsche. Even though Porsches were known for a long time as the ‘everyday sports car’ this brings that to another level. It was an absolute joy to drive and really provided an overall great experience for a road trip and a full and eventful weekend covering different interests and luggage pieces all at once. If I was looking for a car that handled it all before I wanted to go into luxury SUV territory, this would be difficult to beat. I loved the car.

For more information about the 2021 Porsche Panamera GTS, be sure to visit their website.

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