DRIVING through the streets of Mexico City is not for the faint of heart, as the term “give way” appears obsolete. But, test driving a million-dollar Porsche Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo on the right side of the road through the bustling thoroughfares is a whole different ball game.

That was the task assigned to my Trinidad & Tobago counterpart, Aleem Khan, and myself on Wednesday morning. We would leave the comfort of Live Aqua Mexico City Hotel and Spa and trek for three hours to compete against our colleagues in a stage of the famous La Carrera Panamericana rally. Accompanying us on our sojourn was Tim Bravo, press and public relation manager — Porsche Latin America, Inc. We were part of a eight-car convoy outfitted with a lead car and one at the rear.

The new four-door Porsche Panamera 4S is expressively designed — with extended, dynamic proportions, flared shoulders, athletic flanks, and a faster roofline. Its “flyline” creates a stylistic link to the 911 design icon. Its body is in aluminium/steel hybrid construction: door panels, bonnet, boot lid, wings, side panels, and roof all consist of aluminium.

On the inside, Porsche’s Panamera and Panamera Turbo advanced cockpits boast state-of-the-art connectivity. Black panel surfaces and interactive displays combine the visuality and intuitive operation of smartphones with practical aspects of controlling an automobile. Keyless engine starting system, part-leather seats (4S) and all-leather upholstery (turbo) add to its appeal.

Rest your foot on the acceleration pedal and the 4S’s 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine gets hauled by 440 horses; trees at the side of the road appear to rush by as they try to keep pace with the 550 Nm of torque produced. The Turbo is pulled by 550 horses and has a four-litre V8 engine.

As our convoy slowed to make it through smaller towns, locals would try capturing the moment on their cellphones as the teem of Porsches filled their vision.

After reaching our venue for the start of La Carrera Panamericana rally, we were briefed on safety issues, while cops blocked the roads to give us an hour of uninterrupted access.

Donning our helmets up and down the open road we went at 30-second intervals, pushing the Panamera to its limits. Its new dual-clutch tansmission (PDK) with eight speeds and all-wheel drive made the session a date with performance and luxury.

The roar of the engines dominated the air as teams took turns to conquer the rally stage.

On our way back to the hotel, and exchanging our 4S for a Turbo, somehow we got separated from the pack.

No worries! Just like a smartphone we plugged in the hotel’s name on our 12.3-inch touch-screen display of the next generation Porsche Communication Management System. The experience became a guided one, and in English, of course. “Turn right in a 100 metres, corner coming up in 800 metres, and continue for 2.7 km” were some of the instructions issued in a timely manner. And in short order, we were back where we started.

The Panamera is equipped with many standard and optional assistance systems, which makes driving more convenient and safer. The key new systems include a night-vision assistant. It utilises a thermal imaging camera to detect people and large animals and displays a colour-highlighted warning indicator in the cockpit. Each LED Matrix headlight contains a total of 109 LEDs for all lighting functions. The LED Matrix module alone comprises 84 individually-controlled LEDs, which can activate the ranges of both the dipped beam and the adaptive main beam lights via lenses and reflectors.

The new Porsche Panamera and Panamera Turbo are redesigned from the ground up, but still maintains its core values.