Ten things we learned about the new Porsche Panamera

And that’s not just because the diesel-powered Panamera 4S isn’t restrained by a spoilsport 155mph limiter (it’ll actually run on to a massive 177mph). It’s the acceleration: 0-62mph takes just 4.5 seconds. Spec the Sport Chrono to take advantage of the eight-speed PDK’s launch control and that drops to 4.3 seconds. Yes, that’s a diesel luxury saloon that’ll peg a well-driven Cayman GT4 off the line. Oh, and it’ll do over 42mpg. If any car can make diesel cool beyond Audi’s LMP1 effort, it’s this.

It’s a small thing, but the car-shaped lozenge the last Panamera introduced as a key looks to have been binned, so Porsche can standardise keyless entry. But how to keep the trademark stiffly-sprung ignition barrel to the left of the steering wheel? There’s a twistable flattened knob permanently in its place.

Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed a split in philosophy for the next Panamera S e-Hybrid. First, there’ll be an economy focused entry-level version at a lower price point: handy for snapping up fleet customers on a CO2-bent budget.

Meanwhile, we’re also promised a pricier, much faster plug-in hybrid, using lessons learned from the 918 Spyder and 919 Le Mans winner to deploy electric boost in the name of eye-watering performance first, and saving fuel second. Think of it as the natural segue to Porsche’s all-electric Mission E. That’s the Tesla-fighter, coming in 2019.

Regular Panameras now integrate a much neater rear aerofoil into the tailgate. But the Turbo is king of the wings, brandishing an even more outlandish fold-out origami piece that’s pure Bruce Wayne. Don’t panic, poseurs: there’s still a button to raise it at town speeds if you’re a complete tart.

Another small detail, but a very cool one. The twin 7-inch screens which bookend the chronograph-style rev counter are slightly cantered in towards the centre, so the whole gauge cluster wraps around the driver’s line of sight. That alone makes the cabin feel deliciously selfish and driver-focused when you sink down into the chair – which now drops 10mm lower than before for the full GT3 seating experience.

Okay, plastic-fantastic engine bays are hardly exclusive to Porsches, and we don’t expect many owners of a £100k uber-saloon to get mucky hands changing oil and spark plugs in their own garage. But when the rest of the new car looks so handsome inside and out, is it just us that thinks the dreary under-bonnet shroud is fairly underwhelming considering the titanic performance the motor in here can churn out?

Porsche Chief Designer Michael Mauer doesn’t like the dark. Not in a ‘there’s monsters under my bed’ way, but more because he bemoans styling a handsome new car like the Panamera only to see it ‘lose its identity once it becomes night time’. So, he’s borrowed a cue we’re used to seeing on 911 Carrera 4s: the full-width rear light bar. The board likes the idea because it makes Porsches instantly recognisable in the dark, and the designers like it because it makes the car look wider. More planted. So much so, it’s going to feature on all future Porsches, we’re told. Nice.

Simple test: set driving position for a six-foot-one driver, then jump straight in the back. The new Panamera doesn’t crick your neck. Foot room is a bit tight under the low-set front seat (perfect priorities, we say), but you’re not hemmed in around the shoulders and despite dropping the roofline by 20mm, you won’t bang your head on the ceiling either. And if you need even more space...

Yes, the Audi RS6 Avant is about to have a major headache in the warp-factor family runabout game. Porsche will follow up the four-door, four-seat Panamera fastback with a proper estate version, closely resembling this stunning 2012 concept car, the SportTurismo. It’ll have a bigger boot, and for the first time in a Panam, three rear seats across the back instead of two individual buckets. Have your ‘all the car you’ll ever need’ bingo cards at the ready.