A 740 HP Electrified Porsche Panamera May Join the Current Lineup

author: Manish Kharinta   

The Porsche Panamera plug-in hybrid.

In July, German sports car manufacturer Porsche introduced a rear-wheel-drive only version of the Taycan electric sedan in China. According to industry speculations, the company is now working on revamping its Panamera nameplate on a major scale.

If the rumors turn out to be true, Porsche will reboot the Panamera sedan as a battery-only offering and position it above the fully-electric Taycan in the company's upcoming EV lineup. 

Porsche did not officially comment on the possibility of a battery-powered Panamera, but when Speaking to Australia's Go Auto, Thomas Friemuth, Vice President of the Panamera Product Line, recently divulged that a battery-electric version of the luxury sedan could be put in production.

"We have to think where are the markets going and we have to now follow what's happening with our Taycan, our smaller limousine in terms of battery electric vehicles. Then we will see in the future what is happening," he said.

The 2021 Porsche Panamera facelift made its global debut last month in Australia. During the event, Friemuth also elaborated on various aspects of the Panamera that help the luxury limousine distinguish itself from the Taycan. 

Friemuth explained that Panamera was designed to be spacious with a focus on luxury and comfort more like the Mercedes Benz S, which is why it's highly improbable that Taycan's target audience will overlap with that of the Panamera.

In the current auto industry climate, the popularity of electrified models is on an all-time high which is another reason why the Panamera hybrid model is the best-selling variant around the world for Porsche. 

However the Panamera won't be the company's first internal combustion engine model to get an all-electric overhaul. The company also confirmed that sometime around 2022, Porsche's mid-size Macan SUV Macan will also receive a battery-only makeover.

During the recent launch of the all-new 911 Targa, Frank-Steffen Walliser, the Global Head of the 718 Model Line, hinted at the possibility of an all-electric 718 model joining the company's EV portfolio soon. 

Much to the delight of Porsche 911 purists, Walliser claimed that neither he nor the company have any plans to develop a battery-electric 911.

As of now, Porsche sells three plug-in hybrid variants of Panamera in North America. These models include the 4E-Hybrid, the 4S E-Hybrid, and the Turbo S E-Hybrid variants which are offered in 10 trim levels. 

Right now, the Turbo S E-Hybrid is the most powerful PHEV in Panamera's lineup. Its electrified powertrain produces a peak horsepower of 677 with 567 lb-ft of maximum torque.

According to industry reports out of Germany, there is a possibility that Porsche will introduce the next installment of the outgoing Turbo S E-Hybrid model quite soon. 

Speculations suggest that Porsche might couple a 100 kW electric motor to the engine offered in the all-new Panamera Turbo S model which is a 620 horsepower 4.0-liter V8.

This means that the next-gen Turbo S E-Hybrid might get a plug-in drivetrain capable of producing a combined power output of 740 horsepower, which will make it more powerful than the outgoing 700 hp Porsche 911.2 GT2 RS model, the most powerful non-street legal sports car Porsche ever built.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.