Porsche is a brand with plenty of varied supporters and detractors. What’s funny is, some of those supporters are also detractors. Whether it was the 911 going to a water-cooled engine, the 911 getting the nose of the Boxster, the 911 going to electric power steering, the Cayenne launching, or the idea (even the idea! For shame!) that Porsche would–GASP!–produce a four door sedan. Any change, and they start screaming.

I’m not one of those people. The Panamera has been a big hit for Porsche financially and I have seen more and more of them on the road since the car’s 2009 launch in America. I hadn’t driven one yet and for some reason, just didn’t think much of it until I was at the Porsche Zentrum at the Quail Lodge in August. When I arrived, I signed up to drive this four-door Porsche, only because the 911s on hand were all booked completely. I thought I’d regret this decision until I turned the key…

The Looks

Porsche’s been using the same design language for years. Some think that it’s so intricate that it should never, ever be used on anything other than a sports car. I get it. I do. It’s a very specific set of styling standards and it should be applied carefully. Luckily the Panamera, for all of its knocks, isn’t ugly. It’s no beauty and won’t win a pageant, but I like the style. It’s not sleek or muscular, but it is definitely different and you won’t mistake one for anything else. It looks like, well, a big Porsche. If you’re a Porsche extremist, you’ll want to throw stuff at it. If you’re not, and you like interesting styling, you’re going to really enjoy the styling of this car.

I love the Panamera’s interior. The lines are all very logical and I found that everything looked perfectly in line. It is, again, not going to win a beauty contest, but its attractiveness is in its logic. Everything looks organized and therefore I have trouble finding a lot of faults with it.

The interior also succeeds at walking a fine line between luxury and outright sport. Porsche has done an excellent job making function look like form inside and out in the Panamera GTS. I’m not a fan of black interiors most of the time, but count this one as an exception–it fits like a glove.

Score: 3.0/4.0

By the Numbers

Porsche is known for quality–in fact, I think it is a byword for quality. Say what you want about the styling and the lines of this thing, but it’s built like a bank vault on the outside. Shut lines are pencil thin, and the silver paint finish looks very deep and rich. When coupled with the aggressive front fascia and air dams, the quality looks great. The black-colored rims on this example add plenty of depth.

On the inside, the interior materials are chosen well for the price. Mine was finished with the SportDesign steering wheel, a welcome change which includes real paddle shifters (as opposed to the sacrilegious buttons Porsche puts on the standard steering wheel), as well as Alcantara inserts on the seats. Comfort is excellent and the controls are all easy to find–even the myriad of buttons on the center console are easy to figure out. The paddles feel nicely chiseled up and the finish is beautiful. The steering wheel rim is also slathered in Alcantara. Now, it’s true that this Porsche costs around 150 grand with these options installed, but for that sort of money, I’m expecting plenty, and plenty is what I got in spades.

Score: 4.0/4.0

At the Helm

It’s not fair to call this a four-door sedan that happens to be a sports car. In fact, I’d find that as an insult. This thing is a true-blue sports car that just so happens to have a rear seat thrown in for good measure. One stab of the gas pedal and I was addicted–it’s like heroin. You take one hit and that’s all it takes–this thing grows on you without effort. Thumping away under the big hood is a 4.8L V8 punching out 440hp, according to Porsche, and it’s one of the best small V8s I’ve had the pleasure of operating.

This engine gets hooked up to a standard Porsche PDK transmission only–and that’s fine, because this updated PDK is plenty better than the one I had in a Boxster Spyder a few years ago. I liked it there, I love it here–this gearbox shifts smoothly when I’m not driving like a mental case, and then shifts like a banshee when I ask it to. The engine is matched well to it also, and thanks to this combination, I would reccommend watching the speedo. For legal reasons I will not reveal how fast I was going–but the smile on my face was a slight indication that I was having quite a good time.

In corners, this car’s sports-car intentions are very obvious. The steering is smooth and communicates chillingly well. The brakes are strong and even in their application. However, what stood out to me is how well the Panamera GTS holds up–the tires grip exceedingly well and there’s very little body lean even in the tightest of turns. While on a backroad slightly off the test route, I found the GTS almost unflappable. I was astounded that a car this big (it happens to weigh two tons and is 16 and a half feet long) could feel so small in corners. I thought the Jaguar XJR I drove that morning could handle well, until I drove this. What surprised me in the end also was that this car is equipped with AWD, but I couldn’t tell much at all from behind the wheel–I never felt as if the power was going to the front wheels even once. Ride quality is good for a sports sedan like this one–the ride is firm and you feel everything, but this only allows the car to constantly communicate.

Score: 4.0/4.0

The Bottom Line

Among the other odds and ends on this Porsche, the price really does need to be discussed. The Panamera GTS starts at a cool $113,400 and in the case of my test car, didn’t stay there very long. In fact, my tester’s final cost was north of $130,000. That’s always going to be a large amount of money for a car–but when it comes to value, the GTS isn’t bad. It only seats four, but once the goal of this car is taken into account, that price looks decent. It’s not trying to be a super-limo. This thing is a sports car with another set of doors out back. I have to respect that. However, it still has tricks up its sleeve.

First off, there’s more than enough room inside for four people. There are plenty of amenities available, including the obligatory refrigerator and heated rear seats. Practicality is all there too–the hatchback body style (a great touch by Porsche) allows for plenty of storage space. The cargo area in this thing could easily fit a few suitcases for a multi-day trip.

The EPA rates the Panamera GTS at 16 city, 24 highway–not that impressive, but its huge 26.4 gallon fuel tank should make up for it on range. Overall, I could knock this car for its fuel mileage and for its high price, but it does too many other things well that make it all worth it.

Score: 4.0/4.0

All things considered, I had a difficult time picking out faults for the Panamera. When it comes to performance of intended function, Porsche products tend to be very hard to beat. The Panamera GTS is no different. It’s a sports car first, sedan second. It’s got everything I want for a sports car–great handling, a scintillating engine note, blistering straight-line performance, and a serious “wow” factor after I get out and close the door. It’s expensive, like most Porsches–and it could be a better value with options–but I gaurantee that most people buying a GTS are going to really enjoy it.

Porsche needed to build this car to increase market share and allow for more revenue that could be shifted towards development of their 911. Purists may scoff at this car, but I’m not even going to dare at that because if Porsche can be judged on how well they do their job in a segment, the Panamera is a winner.

3.0+4.0+4.0+4.0 = 15.0/16

Grade: A