RE: Panamera Hybrid Makes Geneva Debut
Tuesday 1st March 2011
Geneva sees the debut of Porsche's first significant addition to the Panamera range, the S Hybrid. As the name suggests this is a petrol-electric version with a specification closely mirroring that of the Cayenne Hybrid.
At £86,227 it sits between the 4S and the Turbo, but you do get 19" wheels and air suspension thrown in for free.
Panamera Hybrid Makes Geneva Debut
Love it or loathe it - the Panamera now comes with batteries
It uses the same 330bhp supercharged V6 and 44bhp electric motor with a Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack and an eight-speed automatic transmission. 0-62mph takes 6.0sec, with 168mph achievable flat out.
For those sold on the big Porsche's er, 'unusual' blend of four-seat luxury, looks and performance, the real significance of this car is in the numbers. To be precise, it offers 41.5mpg economy on the combined cycle, with 159g/km of C02 - just below the 160g/km cut off point and therefore allowing company buyers to offset more of the value against tax.
Discussion
Ozzie Osmond said:
These cars are ridiculously "ungreen" as they drag around so much additional weight.
If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
or cycle..... on my push bike this morning I beat a C4S from Chelsea embankment to Southwark Bridge (and |I stopped at the same red lights!).If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
But how can this be positioned between the 4S and the turbo when it is slower
Something has got to give in the end, so I guess we will have to get more used to these sort of cars springing up. On the plus side if more cars liek this are sold in to companies sales will be up so the Porsche salesmen will earn more money and then spend more money in the shops and so the economy will be restored !!
Ozzie Osmond said:
These cars are ridiculously "ungreen" as they drag around so much additional weight.
If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
It's not really about being green though is it. We all know that cars like this and the Prius are not the saviour to the planet that they are marketed as. Especially when most are bought by salesmen travelling full throttle on the motorway day in, day out, so making minimal use of the hybrid eco features.If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
The purpose of this car is to:
1) reduce the average emissions over the Porsche range so that they can keep making the cars we love.
2) get more company car fleet sales due to the tax breaks it gives the customers.
It doesn't excite like the new 911 would but I can see the reasoning for it, and I think it will sell well.
Thing is though....a well resolved hybrid is actually pretty nice to drive. Forget the green credentials and think about the fact you still got petrol performance and sound when you want to go fast, but with extra refinement if you're potering about. It's actually quite nice when you're crawling along in traffic not to have the engine chuntering away the whole time...plus it saves some fuel which, at the current prices, can only be a good thing!
Try and resist the typical Clarkson-like reaction and just accept it for what it is!
Try and resist the typical Clarkson-like reaction and just accept it for what it is!
Ozzie Osmond said:
These cars are ridiculously "ungreen" as they drag around so much additional weight.
If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
ABSOLUTELY.If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
This "green" business is stupid.
(and not only because Jeremy Clarkson laughs about them)
Electricity is the most formidable invention ever, but it is NOT non-polluting.
And as you say, why make such huge cars and then pretend to be green.
Anyhow, those who are not interested in cars and see one of those Panameras will of course think: "what a lot of petrol it must swallow"!...however electric it may be.
I just cannot understand how Porsche, such a sporting-minded firm, can make such enormous ugly hippopotamusses.
ArosaMike said:
Thing is though....a well resolved hybrid is actually pretty nice to drive. Forget the green credentials and think about the fact you still got petrol performance and sound when you want to go fast, but with extra refinement if you're potering about. It's actually quite nice when you're crawling along in traffic not to have the engine chuntering away the whole time...plus it saves some fuel which, at the current prices, can only be a good thing!
Try and resist the typical Clarkson-like reaction and just accept it for what it is!
If its like the Hibrid Cayanne launched recently "what it is" is a duffer. Rediculous delay between foot down and anything actually happening as the computers struggle to apply the required power source. A sop to the regulators to allow them to keep selling big turbo V8s.Try and resist the typical Clarkson-like reaction and just accept it for what it is!
Ozzie Osmond said:
These cars are ridiculously "ungreen" as they drag around so much additional weight.
If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
Because I'm sure that someone in the market for a four seater, 170mph super-coupe/limousine would find the Toyota iQ an apt alternative...If you want to be kind to the environment, buy a smaller car!
The Hybrid is the future for Porsche and I reckon in the not so distant future we will see this technology on all their cars. They not aiming for the 'greenies' its all about great performance with improved fuel economy. All the testing on the 918 and current production will ultimatly reduce the cost to the consumer.
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