Porsche wraps a 4-door hulk in racy corset

On the Turbo, the four-piece rear wing deploys in stages until, at 127 mph, it attains a 10-degree attack angle for max down force until the car reaches its top speed of 188 mph. I hit 180 mph, and the car couldn't have been more civilized and nailed down. What kind of sick mind makes a car cabin quiet at those speeds?

Yes, the Bentley Flying Spur is faster, with a 202-mph top speed, but the Panamera Turbo would obliterate the Bentley on a road course.

Obviously, there's a lot of technology on this car, and one enormous fig leaf of environmental respectability. The Panamera comes with a stop-start feature that will, under the right circumstances, kill the engine at a stoplight to improve fuel economy.

Yes, but for the lake of fire under the hood, that's very efficient.

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dan.neil@latimes.com

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo with Sports Chrono package

Base price: $132,600

Price as tested: $145,000 (est.)

Powertrain: Turbocharged and intercooled direct-injection 4.8-liter V8 with variable valve timing and lift; seven-speed dual-clutch transmission; all-wheel drive

Horsepower: 500 at 6,500 rpm

Torque: 516 pound-feet of torque (567 pound-feet in Sport Plus mode)

Curb weight: 4,344 pounds

Wheelbase: 115 inches

Overall length: 195.7 inches

0-60 mph: 4 seconds

EPA fuel economy: 21 miles per gallon city/highway combined

Final thoughts: Spectacular and very Porsche-like . . . but not

Source: Porsche