TechArt 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo: Tuner Special

LEONBURG, Germany — TechArt has unveiled a performance package for the 2010 Porsche Panamera that upgrades output on the luxury sports sedan to 580 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque.

Like a lot of tuners these days with boosted vehicles, TechArt simply installs a software upgrade that squeezes an extra 80 hp and 96 lb-ft out of the Porsche's 4.8-liter twin-turbo V8. The difference here is that the power is only available when the driver wants it — TechArt installs a button on the center console that will unleash that extra boost of power at the driver's discretion.

Thanks to the chip, TechArt cuts 0.2 second off the 0-60-mph sprint with a new time of 3.8 seconds. It can also get to 124 mph in just 12.5 seconds (down from 13.2) and tops out at a 7-mph-faster speed of 195 mph.

The German tuner says that the "power kit" will not compromise the durability of the engine or driving shaft, and, like all TechArt products, it comes with a two-year warranty. It will be available in August at all of the company's licensed dealers. Pricing has yet to be announced.

A variety of other aesthetic and performance upgrades are also offered on the TechArt Web site.

Inside Line says: TechArt gives the driver complete control of its new power kit with the unique activation button on the center console. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent