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driving it home

Raising the bar for performance and luxury, the new 550-hp Panamera Turbo S is the pinnacle of Porsche's four-door lineup.Hand-Out

Porsche Canada has yet to release pricing, but we know the Porsche Panamera Turbo S will carry the lofty sticker of $174,175 (U.S.) when it speeds into American showrooms this spring.

Porsche has yet to show the car publicly, though we have pictures supplied by the German auto maker. The actual car will be unveiled in April at the New York auto show.

The calling card for this Panamera is a 550-horsepower, 4.8-litre V-8 with 553 pounds-feet of torque. An overboost feature allows for output to reach 590 lb-ft of torque in sport and sport-plus modes.

The V-8's increased power comes from upgraded twin turbos and a modified engine control system.

Porsche says the Panamera Turbo S can do 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed of 306 km/h. Fuel economy is expected to be similar to the regular Turbo: 14.1 litres/100 km city/8.6 highway.

Oh, and one other piece of Porsche news: For just short of a cool million dollars ($845,000 U.S.) you will be able to buy Porsche's plug-in hybrid, the 918 Spyder in late 2013.

Yes, the 918 Spyder is more than four times the price of a Panamera Turbo S, but you get more car - and one that uses much less fuel.

The 918 Spyder has a 3.2-second 0-100 km/h time and top speed of more than 320 km/h. Porsche says the car managed to tour Germany's famed Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

Here's the real kicker for such a high performer: Porsche says the 918 Spyder is expected to have a combined fuel consumption of 3.0 litres/100 km, equating to CO2 emissions of 70 g/km.

A few facts:

  • The Porsche has a V-8 engine with more than 500 horsepower and an additional two electric motors that will produce at least 218 hp.
  • Porsche will limit production to a maximum of 918 units.
  • The 918 Spyder is more than a mere hybrid; it's a plug-in hybrid. The car's liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery can be recharged from a standard household outlet and will allow for pure electric driving range of some 25 kilometres. Porsche says that under the right conditions the 918 Spyder can be driven at up to 150 km/h on electric power alone.

Consider these two announcements, then. The Panamera Turbo S is a pretty traditional luxury/sports sedan. The 918 Spyder is a showcase for where Porsche plans to go with many future products - into high-performance hybrids and electric vehicles.

Cleary the transformation of Porsche has begun in earnest.

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