In the world of high-performance luxury cars, these three are some of the best money can buy. BMW’s M6 Gran Coupe, until the M2 came along, was probably BMW’s best M car for quite some time, as it’s the best looking, features an incredible interior and driving dynamics the baffle the mind. The new Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe is also a very special thing, with drop-dead gorgeous looks, a stunning cabin and bullet-train speed. But the new Porsche Panamera Turbo might have both beat, as it’s now actually quite pretty, has a ballistic missile-grade twin-turbo V8 and all-wheel drive traction.
So which is best? Autocar finds out.
The Porsche Panamera’s weapon’s-grade 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 develops 550 hp and sends power through a ZF-sourced eight-speed dual-clutch automatic to all four wheels. Porsche rates the Turbo for 3.6 seconds to 60 mph, which is damn quick for such a big, heavy luxury sedan with a hatchback trunk.
We’re already pretty familiar with the BMW M6 Gran Coupe Competition Package. With the extra Comp Pack, the M6 GC develops a monstrous 600 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque from its 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8. When paired with a seven-speed DCT, the big Bimmer gets from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds which, while not as fast as the Porsche, is very quick. The Panamera probably gains a couple of ticks on the Bimmer thanks to its all-wheel drive system compared to the M6’s rear-wheel drive.
The Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe is the outlier, here. First, it’s the only coupe, as both of the other cars are sleek four-doors. It’s also by far the most luxury oriented. Comparing these cars’ performance isn’t the fairest of things, we know, because the big Merc is an S-Class underneath and designed for comfort and luxury. However, despite that, it still packs 577 hp from its 5.5 liter twin-turbo V8 and can hustle to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, also thanks to all-wheel drive.
Autocar puts these three through the same test and it’s one that determines performance and comfort in a single test while also being funny. So they put a driver behind the wheel, obviously, and a passenger in the back seat. They then hustle each car around the same course while the passenger in the back draws a picture. Whichever car gets the fastest lap time while also providing a decently clear drawing wins.
In the end, the Porsche Panamera won the test, with a 36.95 second course time and providing a nice and smooth ride for the passenger to draw a clear penguin picture. The BMW M6 Gran Coupe had the second best time and probably the second best drawing, while the Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe was the slowest and had the worst drawing. They don’t give a second or third-place designation, but it’s clear which is which. However, it’s worth noting that the Merc was more comfy and luxurious than the M6 and the latter car was sportier. So the difference between those two really comes down to taste. But, in the end, the Porsche Panamera combines the best of both worlds in an effortlessly cool package. Plus, have you seen that freaking deployable rear wing?(!)