Monday 24th November 2008

Porsche Panamera: Pics and Details

First the SUV and now the five-door hatchback...

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Porsche has officially released images of its new four-seater Panamera, a five-door car that will be the fourth model in its range. Sounds confusing, but the reality is this is a 911-lookalike for the family man - a car that Porsche seems to have talked about for decades. If the looks were not controversial enough the fact that Porsche has confirmed confirmed a hybrid version is being developed should be enough to upset the purists.

It is being called a four-door, but in fact it has a hatch like boot and folding rear seats for added versatility. Inside there are four individual seats and although it is a completely different model, Porsche is happy to admit that it carries the DNA from the rest of the range.

This means that you get 911-style lights and bonnet, and rear lights reminiscent of the Boxster and Cayman. It has an overall length of 4970mm, and is 1931mm wide and 1418mm high. The coupe silhouette is reminiscent of the popular Mercedes CLS, which effectively kick-started this niche, and the forthecoming Aston Rapide.

The Panamera will be offered with six and eight cylinder engines, ranging in power from 300 to 500bhp, and some of the units will use a turbocharger. There is also a chance that the car could use the turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine recently announced for the Cayenne SUV. The flow of power to the wheels goes either through a manual six-speed gearbox or the Porsche seven-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK), or double-clutch gearbox. The grand tourer will be offerted in both two and four-wheel drive.

Further details on the engines, transmissions, performance, prices and equipment will be disclosed in the spring 2009. The Porsche Panamera will be built at the company’s Leipzig Plant, where a production hall measuring 22,000 sq m (almost 237,000 sq ft) and a logistics centre are currently under construction.

While the engines featured in the Panamera are built at the Main Porsche Plant in Zuffenhausen, the painted bodyshells will be supplied by the Volkswagen Plant in Hanover. The Leipzig Plant will then assemble the Panamera for final delivery, with an annual sales target of 20,000.

Porsche is once again cooperating largely with German suppliers in the production of the Panamera, with 70 per cent of the car’s overall value being created domestically. The new four-door Porsche Panamera gran turismo will be making its world debut in spring 2009, and the first models will be arriving in Porsche Centres worldwide from late summer next year.

 

[Mike Rob]

The 4S looks good but the rest needs a bit of growing. Bought one of the first Cayennes when they came out and that looked ok in the end.

Will my letter of intent turn into a sale? Let's see it in the flesh first.

[madrob6]

The 4S looks more powerful than the Turbo. Overall better than I thought it would be but the front end looks like a Corvette C6

[Andyuk911]

Not keen on the front ...

[dawson2k5]

Guess it fills a niche, but it wouldn't be my money, nice car though.
Thanks,
Andrew

[lordlee]

Is it me or is this just another ugly generic Porsche design?? This makes the Cayman's rear end look well proportioned!! (sorry Cayman owners) When will we see a good looking Porsche again?

[cvegas]

That looks rubbish. If you'r going to spend mega bucks on a saloon you want something that looks good. Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes CLS and Jaguar XF look much better than this.

[general190]

That front is reminding me of the latest gen MR2.

Its an ok looking car though. The Aston Would get my money over this though.

And how do you know the other is the Turbo version? I know you can seen the 4S badge on the rear shot of the blue one, but their is nothing to show you that the other is the turbo?

[stuart-b]

I like it a lot! Porsche needed another car with a decent boot space that wasn't an SUV. The 944/968 are so usable every day, can fit a lot in the back, a lot more than the 911.

I wonder if Santa can fit one though my chimney?

[macca5050]

May be offensive to children or people of a sensitive disposition!

[Hitch78]

I like it - but some of the earlier teasers showed a more cohesive design.

[johno_VR6]

Not entirely sure of what to make of it, to me theres something quite 612 Scaglietti about it below the shoulder line. The blue example looks a lot nicer, but then just proves it's yet another car thats been designed on massive wheels, akin to the new mondeo & 3-series.

I have to agree that the front has a ring of Corvette C6 to it, but thats no bad thing. I really want to hate this car, but I don't think it looks that badly resolved. Having said that, the Rapide looks the far better car.

[schmalex]

Such a promising early design has turned into a dogs dinner of a production model

[RichardR]

The Article said:

This means that you get 911-style lights and bonnet

Why does everyone appear to feel the need to say that any new Porsche model has '911-style lights'?

Unless this means that they turn on and off and illuminate the road in front of the car in the same fashion as the headlights on a 911, I fail to see how the Panamera lights can be labelled 911-style. Which 911 model has this style of lights?

[Frimley111R]

Predictably derivitive but not as hideous as the Cayenne. Will appeal to families who just see the badge like the Cayenne owners. The AM 4dr is far far more attractive though.

[Bladedancer]

Next stop - 1.2 shopping cart.

[JayKaybi]

Mike Rob said:

The 4S looks good but the rest needs a bit of growing. Bought one of the first Cayennes when they came out and that looked ok in the end.

Will my letter of intent turn into a sale? Let's see it in the flesh first.

Wait...


(cough) *ahem*

http://www.pistonheads.com/GASSING/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by JayKaybi on Monday 24th November 11:30

[Essex Exile]

Now THAT is ugly!!!!!!!

[Lawrence5]

Saw the prototypes testing in Navada and the proportion is not right...... 911 details are ok but why ?

Pimp my brand

[silly chap]

people will buy it,

A safe and conservative stretch of a 911.

Not exactly pushing the boat out

[mc_blue]

I honestly think it doesn't look that bad. The blue one here looks quite nice.