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

Off the line, the Panamera S hits 100 km/h in 5.16 s versus 5.77 s for the Panamera 4. The 0.61 s gap is negligible: both vehicles are neck and neck.

At 200 metres, the Panamera S is doing 140 km/h against 128 km/h for the Panamera 4. The gap is 0.32 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Panamera S crosses the line in 13.31 s versus 14.11 s. The 0.79 s gap represents roughly 34 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the Panamera S continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 197 km/h versus 177 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the Panamera S finishes in 23.98 s versus 25.94 s, with a 1.96 s lead.

The Panamera 4 features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Panamera 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.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Panamera S is capped at 283 km/h, the Panamera 4 at 256 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (4.43 kg/hp vs 5.99 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 9.39 seconds. The 0.61 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.