Porsche Panamera 4S 970.1 vs Porsche Cayman S 981: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Panamera 4S hits 100 km/h in 4.67 s versus 4.90 s for the Cayman S. At this point, the Panamera 4S leads by 0.22 s and sits roughly 5 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Panamera 4S is doing 143 km/h against 147 km/h for the Cayman S. The gap is 0.13 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the Panamera 4S crosses the line in 12.87 s versus 12.90 s. The 0.03 s gap represents roughly 1 m of track

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. Past 400 metres, both rivals hit the same electronic ceiling at 277 km/h. Neither can claw back ground through top speed - the outcome hinges on the acceleration curve between 100 and 277 km/h.

At 1,000 metres, the Cayman S finishes in 23.17 s versus 23.39 s. The 0.22 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

The Panamera 4S features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Cayman S’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Electronically capped at 282 km/h, the Panamera 4S never reaches its natural aerodynamic ceiling in this duel. That’s not a physical limit of the motor - it’s a deliberate manufacturer decision, typically tied to standard-fit tyre ratings or model-range positioning.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.23 kg/hp vs 4.00 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Unknown).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 7.12 seconds. The 0.22 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.