Porsche Panamera Off-Road Performance? New Fuel Injection in Chile Patagonia [Taboleo]

eFuel, Artificially Produced Gasoline
Classified as Carbon-Neutral Fuel by Capturing CO₂
Produced Locally at Porsche Chile Plant
Punta Arenas~Torres del Paine
730 km Road and Off-Road 'Without Obstruction'

What does a luxury sports car look like to you? You might imagine a car body shining brightly under the sunlight, with glass windows free of any dust. But have you ever actually seen a sports car covered in dirt and dust, its color turned to ochre? Unless you participate in the Dakar Rally, the toughest race on Earth, it’s hard to see such a sight. A "dirty sports car." Porsche tried it themselves.

A peak in Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is covered by clouds.
Photo by Oh Gyumin moh011@

On the 24th and 25th of last month (local time), Porsche held a test drive event where they drove vehicles fueled directly with e-fuel (a renewable fuel that can be used in internal combustion engines as is). They transported seven top-tier Panamera sedans all the way from Germany to Chile. They personally drove a 730 km course from Punta Arenas, Chile, to the Torres del Paine National Park, known for its breathtaking scenery. Vehicles fueled with a 50/50 mix of e-fuel and regular gasoline showed no difference in driving performance compared to those running on regular gasoline. Although more than half of the entire course was off-road, the Panamera’s performance still stood out.

What is e-fuel?

e-fuel is artificially produced gasoline. When energy generated from wind power is combined with water and subjected to electrolysis, hydrogen molecules are created. By capturing carbon dioxide from the surrounding air and compressing it with the hydrogen, e-methanol is produced. Based on this, gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, and others are made. e-fuel has the same components as gasoline, so exhaust gases are emitted. However, because carbon dioxide is captured during the fuel production process, it is classified as a carbon-neutral fuel.

e-fuel produced at the Porsche Chile Haruoni Plant
[Photo by Porsche A.G]

Because of this, Germany has put a "wrench" in the European Union’s (EU) plan to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. Germany and Porsche are leaders in the internal combustion engine automobile industry. To avoid giving this up, they are pressuring for e-fuel to be included as an eco-friendly fuel. They argue that it can be used directly in internal combustion engine vehicles while contributing to carbon neutrality.

In reality, e-fuel was difficult to distinguish from regular gasoline. Its color was more transparent than gasoline. A Porsche official said the smell was similar to gasoline. The refueling process at the gas station was exactly the same as with gasoline. The downside is the price. Currently, producing 1 liter of e-fuel costs 16,000 KRW. Compared to gasoline prices, consumers have no reason to choose it yet.

What kind of model is the Panamera?

The test-driven vehicle was the Panamera 4S. This model name is derived from the Carrera Panamericana. In 1950, the Mexican government held a race event crossing the 3,373 km-long Pan-American Highway over six days to celebrate its opening. Porsche participated in this race and achieved results such as finishing third overall. The model name Panamera commemorates this. The Panamera is Porsche’s first four-door sedan.

[Photo by Porsche A.G]

It is especially popular in Korea. Last year, the top country for Panamera sales worldwide was China (20,755 units), followed by North America (4,224 units) and Korea (1,332 units).

What is the difference in performance between paved roads and off-road?

Except for the inability to speed on off-road, Porsche is still Porsche. The first course was from Punta Arenas Airport to the Porsche Haruoni plant producing e-fuel, then to Puerto Natales via highway. This section consisted mainly of well-paved roads and open plains. On the endless two-lane road, the Panamera’s performance was prominently felt. When a section appeared where slower vehicles could be overtaken, the driver turned on the hazard lights and accelerated to overtake.

During the drive, the Panamera showed no difference in performance compared to vehicles fueled only with regular gasoline. The exhaust sound remained robust, and the explosive power was still present when the Sport Response mode was activated. On the return trip to Korea, the same course was taken. The weather was clear that day, allowing a view of the endlessly stretching horizon.

The second course was the "highlight." Most roads around Torres del Paine National Park were unpaved. The sound of stones hitting the underside of the vehicle was so loud that even Porsche’s proud engine exhaust sound could not be heard. Even on paved sections, numerous potholes awaited. When passing over potholes, the vehicle body shook violently up and down.

However, the Panamera’s driving ability remained intact. Despite the bad weather with intermittent rain, it passed over unpaved roads without slipping. Even when the body shook, it did not scrape the ground. On steep mountain slopes, a herd of guanacos (a type of llama) crossed the road beside the vehicle, allowing a direct experience of Patagonia’s nature as a bonus.

Of course, problems occurred during the drive. A small "puncture" happened on the left front tire, but it was not immediately noticed. It was only when the vehicle maintenance team detected and replaced it during a break that the issue became apparent.

A drawback of the Panamera itself is that, except for the far left of the driver’s seat and the far right of the passenger seat, the climate control must be operated electronically. This means that when you want to change the direction of the air conditioning or heater, you have to touch the display multiple times while driving.