Home - Automobile Reviews - Forthcoming Panamera Creating Waves Of Expansion


Forthcoming Panamera Creating Waves Of Expansion



When Porsche announces that they plan to build a whole new model line, it'sbig news. Recent models like the Cayenne and Cayman were met with great interest from both media and enthusiasts alike, so much so that the Cayenne is the best selling vehicle the company offers and the Cayman continues to impress 911 devotees. What makes these cars so good is the one thing they all have in common; they're Porsches. They deliver all of the day-to-day convenience and luxury capabilities their owners need, plus they offer unparalleled driving pleasure.

Fans of the marque will recall the 928 (1980-1995), Porsche's last true GT car. It broke with tradition with its front-engine, rear transaxle layout, not to mention its big V8 driving the rear wheels. To this day, its design elements are as distinctive as they are attractive.
The orange parts of the building are what's planned for the expansion of the existing Leipzig facility. (Photo: Porsche)
Porsche seems to share this opinion, and has decided to apply some of the 928's aesthetic fundamentals to its upcoming four-door Panamera. Rather than a sedan, think of the Panamera as a highly evolved 928 and you'll be on the right track. It's sort of a four-door coupe, along the lines of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Along with the CLS, the new Porsche will also go up against Maserati's Quattroporte, Aston Martin's upcoming Rapide, BMW's long-anticipated four-door coupe, shown this week in Shanghai as the Concept CS, and others.

Insiders expect this car to launch in 2009, although no concrete
Could this be what the Panamera will look like? (Photo: Artist's Rendering)
details have been confirmed at this point. Engine choices will probably be sourced from the Cayenne lineup, resulting in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged variants of Porsche's 4.8-liter V8. Since the Cayenne Turbo mill now produces an even 500 horsepower, it'll have no problem providing thrust for the lighter Panamera. There have been hints that the V10 from the mighty Carrera GT may find its way into the engine bay (in limited numbers and at a premium) in the future.

As far as the rest of the mechanical bits go, we'll all have to wait until Porsche comes forward with more information closer to final production. Although only speculative, the company is in heavy development of a dual clutch transmission. This only makes sense, of course,being that Porsche now owns controlling interest in Volkswagen, which makes
Porsche released a sketch of the Panamera not too long ago. The idea of a four-door Porsche has peoples' minds working on overdrive. (Photo: Porsche)
the much revered DSG transmission. If produced, this would mean that the Big 5 German manufacturers would all offer a sequential manual. Other automakers would be wise to catch on fast, as this seems to be the sporting transmission of the future. The other big surprise is that Porsche is hinting at a hybrid variant, a first ever for the company.
Page:  1  2

ADD TO:
Digg
Del.icio.us
Google
Blink
Furl
Simpy
Spurl
Y! MyWeb

Add to Technorati Favorites

Your Comments
Enter review title
 Choose a star rating
 Type in your review
Your Name (optional)
 Your Email (optional)


Relatd Vehicle Listings
User Tools
Discuss in our Forums
Photos of Porsche Panamera
Print this Auto News
Email this Auto News
NEW Porsche PRICE QUOTE
Get a FREE, No-Obligation Internet Price Quote for Porsche !
Find Porsche Dealer | Search Auto Listings for Porsche



Acura   Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo