Great Drive: 2010 Porsche Panamera S 4S and Turbo

Weight is the enemy The normally aspirated and twin-turbo V-8s powering the Panamera are close kin to the Porsche Cayenne's M48 engines. New weight-saving measures include magnesium head and cam-chain covers retained by aluminum fasteners, aluminum intake-cam adjusters, and turbocharger housings cast integrally with the exhaust manifolds. The Panamera's PDK seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is a claimed 33 pounds lighter than a conventional six-speed automatic. A computer-controlled multiplate clutch, beveloid gears, and a hollow driveshaft (running at an eleven-degree angle from horizontal) route power to the front differential, which is bolted to the right side of the engine block. A shaft passing through the crankcase just below the fourth main-bearing cap drives the left front wheel. The Panamera's unibody is a well-engineered mix of high-strength steel and aluminum. The lighter metal is used for the front longitudinal rails, front and rear subframes, front fenders, all hinged body components, and nearly all of the steering and suspension parts. Window frames are cast magnesium. These exhaustive weight-saving measures allowed Porsche to pile in all those creature comforts without seriously deteriorating the Panamera's driving performance.