Porsche Panamera Facelift Spied Testing as Turbo S E-Hybrid on Autobahn

This one appears to be the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, the flagship sports sedan with an insane and quite complicated plug-in hybrid system. This is the sort of car that wins every drag race it enters and so far the engine isn't found in any other car, though a Cayenne is pending. It was spotted on the Autobahn by DrGumoLunatic and has only a bit of camouflage here and there.

Unlike other manufacturers, who even opt for flashy wraps, Porsche hides its changes under black cladding that invisible against the equally black bodywork. But we already know where to look to find changes. For example, at the back, this car has new and narrower taillights.

To be accurate, the bits that are on the trunk lid are new and small; the ones over the fenders are carried over for now. At the front, the Panamera has some masking over its nose, though with at least a year to go before its reveal, Porsche has time to make bigger upgrades.

Big upgrades aren't really their thing, though. When the new Cayenne came out, people were mistaking it for the previous generation. And while Mercedes was more comprehensive with the first Panamera, it was downright ugly at first.

This super-Turbo plug-in is powered by a combo of 4-liter V8 and 136 HP electric motor. We don't know if that will change, but it could do with a bit more electric range. Meanwhile, the normal Panamera models could enjoy a 48V mild-hybrid configuration, as seen on the latest Audi models. Heck, they might even add the frugal but powerful 3.0 TDI. This could be the last batch of engines before the big electric push.