Porsche Cayenne S 958.2 vs Porsche Panamera 4 970.1: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Cayenne S hits 100 km/h in 5.13 s versus 5.78 s for the Panamera 4. At this point, the Cayenne S leads by 0.66 s and sits roughly 3 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Cayenne S is doing 137 km/h against 128 km/h for the Panamera 4. The gap is 0.33 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Cayenne S crosses the line in 13.45 s versus 14.10 s. The 0.65 s gap represents roughly 28 m of track - two to three car lengths.

Past 400 metres, the Cayenne S continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 191 km/h versus 178 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Cayenne S finishes in 24.50 s versus 25.92 s, with a 1.42 s lead. Both vehicles have similar top speeds (251 (i.e. 155 mph - industry threshold) vs 243 km/h), preventing any comeback.

Both rivals share the same electronic speed cap: the Cayenne S and the Panamera 4 are governed to 257 km/h. At that speed, standard-fit tyres approach their safety threshold - an industrial ceiling common to most electric vehicles in this segment. Neither car shows its true aerodynamic potential in this duel.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.96 kg/hp vs 5.99 kg/hp) and transmission (Unknown vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 9.32 seconds. The 0.66 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.