Panamera, Guajira Panamera!
Spyshot photographers of the world: Look for another target. Today, Porsche released the definitive official pictures of their 4-door sportssedan Panamera. (Thank you, Automobilwoche.) The first Porsche with a decent rear bench (ignoring the Cayenne for a while) will be physically present in spring, and shall go on sale throughout the world by the end of Summer 2009. It will be hard to overlook: 16 feet 4 inches long, and six foot four wide, the Panamera will be nearly 2 feet longer than 911, even the S-Class is 2 inches slimmer around the waist. For motors, there will be six and eight bangers, ranging from 300 to 500 horses. No true Porsche driver would touch an automatic. The engine of the Panamara is mated to six gears, operated by a stick. Dual clutch with 7 gears optional. The power goes to the rear wheels, all wheels drive optional. A green-sheened hybrid is “in the works.” Something Porsche may want to hide: The body of the Panamera is welded in VeeDub’s truck plant in Hannover, final assembly takes place in Porsche’s plant in Leipzig. More official details as they become available.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Look, if this thing is fast and handles like a charm what is the problem? The way I see it, it is just another choice in the Porsche portfolio that is serving needs that no other current Porsche can forefill. The people that can NOT understand the Panamerica are those that are putting toooooooo much personal stock in the Porsche brand image as though by owning a Porsche people will somehow take them more seriously. Sorry guys it is just a car! Considering the performance or lack of, of every Porsche costing less than $80,000 grand today it is imperative that Porsche continue to open up new markets. Performance and hertiage will NOT sell Porsches once everyone knows that lowly Chevys and Nissans are more than just competitive.
whatdoiknow1 : Look, if this thing is fast and handles like a charm what is the problem? That it looks like a caricature. The 911 owed its looks to nothing but itself - function before form - and it still works. Porsche, in my mind, stood for functional design executed in a minimalist yet elegant way. Not just in road cars, but also other products designed by Porsche. The Panamera seems to have lost the plot somewhere around the A-pillar. I am sure it will perform well, but I wish they had done a more subtle job of making it "look like a Porsch-uh".
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I happen to like the way the Panamerica looks. It would serve no purpose for Porsche to build a sedan that looks like an Audi, BMW, or MB. The Panamerica looks like a Porsche, and I admire the fact that Porsche had the balls to make it a hatchback and not a run of the mile trunk sedan. While I only have pictures to go on now I get the impression that the Panamerica is a complex design that will only be able to truly be appreciated in person. A good case in point is the Cayman. Viewed from certain angles in pictures it has what appears to be a rather ungainly shape, the front looks way too long. In person the Cayman has one of the most balanced shapes of any car today. It is beautiful in a classic way but also looks fresh and unique were the AM Vantage (also a beautiful car) looks like it has come out of that same "sportcar" thought box that 99% of all front engined sportscars come from.
its essentially a Cayenne - same running gear, same underneath - just been lowered and had the top chopped. lame.