Porsche Panamera: This is a great name for a supercar that will become a trend setter among four-seater coupes, with plenty of power, generous space for four people, and flexibility in use. In fact, the performance of the Panamera is on a par with that of many two-seater supercars.
With sleek lines, the Porsche Panamera is as smooth a design as you could want, and very clearly a Porsche. This new car is 6 inches (150 mm) longer and 1.8 inches (46 mm) taller than the Bentley Continental, which is one of the few very high performance four-seater supercars available. So it will have generous space inside.
Panamera looks typically Porsche
The nose is typically Porsche, with a wide, low grille flanked by a pair of quite large air intakes, a smooth nose without a visible bumper, and faired in headlamps. The grille slopes back, and has a slight bulge in the middle to leave room for the engine.
Side air extractors behind the rear wheels give the car a sporty look, while the length of the car makes it look low. At the rear, the tail bulges upward compared with the 911 to give more interior space, but this looks a Porsche through and through.
Tailgate and folding seat backs
To make people feel they are in a sports car, there is a wide central tunnel running through the whole passenger compartment, dividing the space into four individual places.
Rear access to the luggage space is provided by a tailgate, and the rear seat backrests can be folded forward to provide more luggage space when there are only one or two people in the car. Without doubt, the Panamera will make a great grand tourer.r.
300 to 500 bhp direct-injection engines -
All Panameras will be powered by direct injection V-type engines similar to those used in the Cayenne, but with power outputs from 300 to 500 bhp. These are built in Porsche's plant at Stuttgart but the bodies for the Panamera are being built by the VW plant in Leipzig, where the Phaeton is built. Incidentally VW is now controlled by Porsche.
Initially, Porsche is offering two versions of the 4.8 liter direct injection V-8 which develop 400 bhp, while the Panamera Turbo has a turbocharged version producing 500 bhp. Performance is as might expect from Porsche, with the Panamera S reaching 60 in 5.3 seconds, and going on to 176 mph – no speed limiters here.
The 4S model, which shares an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system with the Turbo, has similar performance to the S model, but the Turbo is a good deal faster, reaching 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, and has a top speed of 188 mph, so these are very fast cars.
- and six or seven-speed boxes and four-wheel drive
Porsche offers the six-speed manual transmission as standard, but most buyers will surely opt for the twin-clutch sequential seven-speed unit, which gives the advantages of a manual – including good fuel consumption - with the ease of use of an automatic. It is standard on the other two models.
Four-wheel drive is standard on the Panamera 4S and Turbo, and this is under electronic control and is similar to the unit on the Porsche 911 Turbo.
Air suspension with variable-volume springs
Unusually, Porsche is offering customers the choice of steel coil springs or air suspension. The air suspension is designed so that the volume of air can be altered as needed according to road conditions. As the image shows, the front double wishbone suspension is made mainly from aluminum, and the air springs fit neatly in place of coil springs.
Stability control and traction control are included in the package, in addition to a clutch of electronics.
Other interesting features include a full undertray to reduce drag, and an adjustable rear spoiler on the Turbo, which can be set to four different positions.
Porsche has made efforts to reduce weight, with the use of high-strength steel for most body panels, and aluminum doors based on pressure diecast frames, and magnesium door frames.
The kerb weight of the Panamera is 3,898 lb (1,770 kg), which compares well with the most obvious competitor, the overweight Bentley Continental GT at 5,250 lb (2,385 kg). It is also a little lighter than the Audi RS6 Biturbo which weighs in at 3,965 lb (1,800 kg), which is not so hot as that is the same size, and is a wagon.
