Love it or hate it, the Porsche Panamera will be a sales hit. It’s a 911 that seats four people, too. When Porsche released information a few years back that they were preparing a saloon that would compete with the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Aston Martin, people thought they were crazy. You see, the main problem is that most people can’t see Porsche doing anything other than sports cars like the 911, Boxster and Cayman. That’s why so many people hate the mass-market Cayenne. But, no matter what you say or think about the Cayenne, it’s the reason Porsche is able to survive. The same goes for the Boxster.
When I first saw pictures of the Panamera, I, too, thought it was a tad confused in the styling department. The front looked good. The side looked okay. And then, what the hell is that on the end?! However, I trusted my gut that Porsche would not do themselves wrong. And after seeing more and more photos of it, I got used to it. But now, ladies and gentleman, I’ve seen it in person, and it’s gorgeous! One of the most elegant and understated cars of our time. It has a subtle perfection that only Porsche can seem to produce properly. I’m a fan, and also officially am obsessed.
The Panamera is offered in three trim levels in American form; first you have the Panamera S and 4S models with the same 4.8L 400hp/369lb-ft of torque V8 out of the Cayenne. Then you’ve got the mac-daddy Panamera Turbo with the same 500hp, 516lb-ft of torque (568lb-ft with Sport Chrono) twin-turbocharged 4.8L V8 that comes in the updated 2010 911 Turbo. Porsche claims a 0-60 time of 4.8 seconds for the Panamera 4S that I went and saw, or with the Sport Chrono Package (this one had the option checked) a 4.6 second time. But, let’s be honest, Porsche has always been a tad too modest with their claims. So I’ll go ahead and guess a 4.4 second 0-60 time… If you get the Turbo you can have a 3.8 second 0-60 with the optional Sport Chrono Package. Again, that’s modest…
With all of this now in the open, let’s get to the finer points; the curves of the Panamera. Like I said earlier, when you first see images of the new Panamera, you’re just like, ok…maybe. But, I trust Porsche to stay within their family tree, and they did. You look at the headlights and you notice the Carrera GT. Look at the taillights and you’ll notice the Cayman and Boxster. But, you don’t really see a whole lot of the 911’s shape in there. Which is good. Porsche is obviously staying away from copying that style in sedan form. After all, they wouldn’t want the 911 to be tainted if this thing flops. Which is next to impossible that it will. Regardless, it’s still going to be more of a 911 with four doors. But, if you look very closely, you’ll notice a body shape designed similar to that of the original Porsche; the 356 coupe.
If you look at any of these photos and don’t like them, I urge you to go check out the new Panamera at your local Porsche dealer. Even if you do like it, run over there as soon as you can anyway. All of the thumbnails below are high-resolution. So, just click on the image, and once you get to the next page, click on the image again and you’ll get the real size of the image.
Also available below is the new Porsche advertisement for the Panamera showing the family tree of Porsche.
Enjoy!
-Josh
“Happy Motoring!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YssFS12jVUU&feature=player_profilepage
[Video taken from Porsche’s YouTube]
[Porsche 356 Coupe images taken from WebRidesTV]
