2010 Porsche Panamera

(from Porsche press release) Stuttgart. Roughly nine months before the actual market launch, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has released the first official photos of the Panamera in its final look. In its design, profile and silhouette, Porsche’s unique four-seater stands out clearly as a new member of the Porsche family. Conceived and designed as a four-door grand touring sports car, the Panamera combines numerous talents in typical Porsche style: sporting driving dynamics, a generous and variable interior, and the supreme driving comfort of a Gran Turismo. Joining the 911, Boxster and Cayman sports cars as well as the sporty SUV Cayenne, the Panamera is Porsche’s fourth model series.

The designers of the Panamera have succeeded in positioning this unique car as a brand-new and truly different model while nevertheless retaining the looks of a typical Porsche. Through its proportions alone, the Panamera stands out clearly in its market segment: measuring 1931 millimetres or 76.0 inches in width, the Panamera is wider, and measuring 1418 millimetres or 55.8 inches in height, lower than comparable four-door models. The unmistakable, sleek GT silhouette is created by the car’s overall length of 4970 millimetres or 195.7 inches and short, sporting overhangs front and rear. In its styling and details, the Panamera follows the design philosophy refined over decades on the 911 and successfully implemented also on the Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne.

Porsche has developed superior and up-to-date power units for the Panamera again reflecting all the qualities typical of the brand – the V-engines within the engine compartment come with six and eight cylinders and range in power from 300 to 500 bhp. Some of the engines use turbocharger technology, Direct Fuel Injection making them both fuel-efficient and powerful all in one. The flow of power to the wheels goes either through a manual six-speed gearbox or the new seven-speed Double-Clutch Gearbox, the so called Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK).

In addition to sporting rear-wheel drive, the top version of the Panamera comes with even more sophisticated all-wheel drive, which is also available for the other versions as an option. As a further highlight, Porsche is preparing a particularly fuel-efficient version of the Panamera with hybrid drive. Further details on the engines, transmissions, performance, prices and equipment will be disclosed next spring.

The Panamera will be making its world debut in spring 2009 and the first models will be at dealers worldwide in late summer of next year.

© Source: seriouswheels
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2010 Porsche Panamera Spied In Vegas

Porsche engineers were out in full gear, with a parade of at least 5 prototypes,giving photographers more chances to take pictures of the Panamera. The entry-level powerplant will be Volkswagen's 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine with 300 bhp, while Porsche's own drivetrain will be a direct-injection eight-cylinder petrol engine, available in naturally-aspirated guise (350 bhp) and with twin-turbo (560 bhp).

In addition – we’re also expecting the Panamera S version. The interior — although apparently still in its prototype stage — is highlighted by a center-mounted LCD screen and a typical Porsche gauge cluster. The exteriors seem to vary for instance some have exhausts similar to the Porsche Boxter, while some have quad-exhausts-seems the quad exhaust is for the turbo version. The Panamera is scheduled for an official presentation at the 2009 Geneva show. As of now, I personally don't like the car all that much, but in the end it should be good…hey it's a Porche.

© Source: carversation
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2010 Porsche Panamera

Porsche’s much-anticipated 2010 Panamera “four-door coupe” does not go on sale until the fall of 2009, but we caught the four-passenger car doing hot laps at the Nürburgring, revealing a number of 911-esque styling cues, especially in the headlights.

We credit the Carrera for the turn signals and, unfortunately, the Cayenne for the greenhouse. We don't know where else to point the finger for the droopy, bloated rear end. Additionally, we see nothing to get excited about on the side panels, and the profile is—dare we say?—a trite conventional. All in all, the car certainly is no raving beauty, and the use of 17-inch 996 wheels doesn't help. We have to hope these are for the entry-level Panamera, with at least 18-inchers on tap for most models.

Meanwhile, we’ve been working to sort out the pedigree and powertrain for this Mercedes-Benz CLS fighter that Porsche officials tell us is a joint venture with the VW Group—contrary to original statements by Porsche chief Wendelin Wiedeking that Porsche was developing a separate platform for a fourth vehicle in its lineup. Of course, Wiedeking’s assertions in 2005 that there would be no joint venture with another automaker preceded what is amounting to a takeover of Volkswagen by Porsche.

Some of the confusion could stem from reports that the body of the Panamera will be built at a VW plant in Hanover, Germany, with final assembly at Porsche’s Leipzig plant—pretty blatant job sharing at least at the manufacturing level.

© Source: caranddriver
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