Thursday 3rd November 2016

New Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake pictures

Don't go buying a Cayenne just yet!

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Nine months is a long time in the car industry. Back when the last spy shots of a Panamera Shooting Brake emerged in February, the new Panamera was still to be seen. Following that car's disguised debut at Goodwood, the full debut soon after and a motor show reveal, we now know a lot more about the saloon. And yes, a drive is coming soon too. But even before then, there is more to be said about this Shooting Brake.

Hang on, is this a Turbo?

It looks largely similar to the saloon up to about the B-pillar, with the same grilles and 911-inspired headlights. From there back it actually appears a fairly conventional estate, though more on the CLS Shooting Brake end of the scale than an E-Class or A6. Note as well the secondary spoiler that will surely contribute to a suitably daft lap time around the circuit it's seen testing on; there's only a SEAT to beat, after all.

Expect the interior to replicate the Panamera saloon as well, with the fancy digital display and touch controls. Five seats with a bit more boot space than the saloon would also seem more likely than seven.

A final note on the spec here too. The yellow calipers and wheels look like those from a Turbo, implying that a 550hp flagship will make it to the estate as well. Which is rather exciting. Should make for quite a comparison with the new Alpina B5 Touring and E63 wagon when they arrive as well. More news when we have it!

[Photos: S.B. Medien]

[Thom]

So what... This is just how the Panamera should have been in the first place.
The original/current hatch design was always a remarkable exercise in ugliness and waste of useful space.

Btw this is an estate, not a shooting break.
A shooting break is a 2 door car.

Edited by Thom on Thursday 3rd November 13:44

[Thom]

Btw this is an estate, not a shooting break.
A shooting break is a 2 door car.

[Thom]

NJ72 said:

Narp. Shooting brake is an estate car, plain and simple:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

It can refer to a 3 door, but encompasses both

I don't give a rat's arse about what wikipedia says, simply because it's completely wrong.

A shooting break is a 2 door car based on an existing coupé, modified with a larger luggage area and using a hatch.
An estate is a 4 door car based on an existing saloon/sedan, modified with a larger luggage area and using a hatch.

[Thom]

kambites said:

As long as you understand that no-one else agrees with your definition, that's fine.

Well, if anyone else believes that Porsche built this new version of the Panamera for hunting parties, I'm happy to stand by "my" definition. In fact a Cayenne or a Range Rover are probably more "shooting brakes" than this

[Thom]

kambites said:

I suspect everyone else believes that Porsche built this to make money and thought the name "shooting brake" would make them more money than the same "estate". The same as every other manufacturer of the last 70 years who has called anything a "shooting brake".

Agree with the first part, but not quite the second part. Here are some proper "shooting brakes" that most likely were not built to generate profits.

[Thom]

kambites said:

Each to their own. For me "shooting brake" just means "estate car for people who don't want to admit they drive an estate car". Number of doors is irrelevant.

Well, if the number of doors is irrelevant then a "4 door shooting brake" is necessarily and merely, as we pointed out, an estate.

The term "shooting brake" keeps some legitimacy if limited to "fancy" coupés modified with a big boot and a hatch, as I'm trying to point out.

That some marketing boffins within car manufacturers have always tried in the last decade to pull the wool over the eyes by mixing terms just shows how low their creativity has collapsed.