Panamera Spied at the Nurburing

[Wellardmac]

.. and not that I intended that to be ganging up on you, but the Porsche is WAY more that the VW - it has far superior engineering than the VW and handles significantly better than the VW both on and off the road.

Really, there is commonality in some of the systems, but the Cayenne is still a Porsche thoroughbred, even thought it's a platform that is shared with VW. You will remember that Porsche has done platform sharing many times over the decades.. remember, there was a VW version of the 356 and that's a well loved car.

It doesn't make me look at it any less like an illigitimate step-child, and dislike it in principle, but it is a well engineered (if not pretty) car.

[356D]

Well, it may not have been out first, but it should bring some competition to the four-door sports coupe(?) segment. Mercedes won't have a lock on it anymore. Although Aston Martin will precede the Porsche with it's offering by a year, at least we'll beat BMW to the show! Bimmer won't be out until 2011.

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Motor ForecastHere's the latest info:




2010 Porsche Panamera

Four Doors & More






By GREG KABLE

AutoWeek[/i] | Published 04/13/07, 9:02 am et
Less than a year after the first rough-looking Cayenne-based engineering mule ventured into the open, the eagerly anticipated Porsche Panamera has been stripped of much of its disguise. Testing of the big four-door is moving into high gear more than two years ahead of its expected premiere at the 2009 Frankfurt show.

The new car, depicted here in exclusive computer-generated images revealing its true production shape in more detail than ever before, is Porsche’s first front-engined sedan. When it goes on sale in the United States in early 2010, the 16-foot-long Panamera will seat four adults behind a turbocharged V8 that can take it beyond 180 mph. That will make it a rival to the Audi S8, the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG and the Maserati Quattroporte Sport.

Still, there’s more to the new car, codenamed G1, than performance. With a hybrid version planned for 2011, Porsche is relying on the Panamera to lead it into the potentially lucrative market segment of environmentally conscious consumers.

As with the rest of its lineup, Porsche has chosen conventional unibody construction for its fourth model line (joining Boxster/Cayman, Carrera and Cayenne), though it is reportedly considering an aluminum spaceframe for future Carreras. Much of the Panamera driveline is shared with the Cayenne, although the rest of the mechanical package is described as unique, including the suspension, double wishbones up front and a multilink arrangement at the rear with air springs offering a variable ride height.

Porsche has committed more money to the development of the Panamera than any other car in its history, say high-ranking Zuffenhausen insiders. But with its coffers flush with capital right now following its acquisition of a majority stake in Volkswagen, the big spending appears justified, with various components likely to find their way onto other Porsche models, including a rumored crossover line. The Panamera is significant not only because it is the first Porsche sedan but also because it is the first model styled under new design boss Michael Mauer. Despite the former Saab designer’s desire to stamp his influence on the new car, the finished product appears to boast many longtime Porsche cues evolved by his predecessor, Harm Lagaay.

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In a move that provides a tangible design link to the 928—Porsche’s first front-engined model, launched in 1974—the Panamera eschews a conventional trunk in favor of a sloping liftback, which hinges from above the rear window to reveal a sizable cargo area. The tradeoff is aerodynamic lift, according to AutoWeek sources. So Porsche has developed an innovative rear spoiler, which it has gone to elaborate lengths to hide during the car’s early testing.

The Panamera initially will be offered in rear-wheel-drive form only. However, a four-wheel-drive option featuring a modified Haldex-style multiplate clutch from the 911 Turbo (rather than the older setup, which continues to be used on the 911 Carrera 4) is expected within the first 12 months of production.

Under the hood sits a 4.8-liter version of Porsche’s four-valve-per-cylinder, 90-degree V8, as unveiled in the facelifted Cayenne earlier this year. The longitudinally mounted unit uses a new direct-injection system plus the latest in exhaust-gas recirculation and cylinder-deactivation technology to ensure competitive fuel mileage and emissions, while serving up the needed power and torque to challenge competitors.

Nothing is official yet, but minor adjustments should allow output to rise slightly above that of the recently introduced Cayenne, with naturally aspirated Panamera S versions starting at 400 hp, while the top-of-the-line Panamera Turbo should hit 520 hp—the latter backed up by a prodigious 516 lb-ft of torque. With standard rear-wheel-drive versions of the new car said to weigh 4100 pounds, this should ensure 0-to-60-mph acceleration in about 4.5 seconds and, with new advanced aerodynamics, a top speed in excess of 180 mph.

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Porsche also plans a base version of its sedan running a reworked version of VW’s 3.6-liter V6 producing 300 hp. The move is significant, as the compact 15-degree engine forms the basis of a hybrid-drive system that is also under way at Porsche, which has joined forces with both VW and Audi to speed development and reduce costs.

Also planned for the second-generation Cayenne due out at the same time, the gasoline-electric hybrid system mates the base Panamera’s V6 with an electric motor driven by a lithium-ion battery pack. Together, they are rumored to provide as much as 400 hp along with the capability of pure electric, zero-emissions propulsion for short periods.

Although Porsche considered equipping the Panamera with a transaxle (an arrangement used on the old 928) to achieve the best possible weight distribution, the complexity and cost led to a decision to tread a more conventional path, with the gearbox mounted to the rear of the engine. Two units are planned: a standard six-speed manual and an optional seven-speed double-clutch setup, the latter expected to appear on the facelifted 911 at Frankfurt in September.

The Panamera will be built alongside the Cayenne at Porsche’s Leipzig factory in Germany, beginning in August 2009, according to supplier sources. Final assembly will bring together drivelines from Porsche’s Zuffenhausen headquarters and steel bodies from Volkswagen’s Hanover plant. Official figures place annual production at about 20,000, although this is considered conservative, even by Porsche standards. AutoWeek understands the carmaker is installing capacity for as many as 30,000 cars per year, some 35 percent of which are expected to find their way to North America.

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What's does everyone think?   I'll see if I can figure out how to do a poll.

[Wellardmac]

yup, just as I figured... looks like an updated 989... cover the middle and the front and back look like a carrera.

I like it, but it's hardly innovative in styling.

[Tony356993]

It's alright:

I did not like the NSX when it 1st arrived and it grew on me. I think they could have done a bit more instead of just make it look like all of the other P-cars. Maybe it will grow on me. A Cayenne also seats four, drives great, is more versatile & much cheaper. They have a history of knowing what they are doing.

 

[Marty Kocse]

It reminds me of one of the most beautiful sedans in the world, the Mercedes CLS - except it has that Porsche touch which makes it unique.  I think it looks great for a sedan.

[catchacab]

I will probably wish I could justify buying it. 

One bad thing about owning a Cayenne, is that it serves many rolls:  Bad weather transportation, tow vehicle, mall cargo hauler (designed smaller to limit wife's purchasing capacity), child hauler, double date taxi and daily driver.  I only wish it came with a manual trans.

Panamerica station wagon?  Good idea, ever drive a BMW 5 Series wagon?  Too bad they don't import the 8 cyl. any more.  Now a Panamerica woody... bad idea.

What if Porsche buys Chrysler, from Mercedes?  Guess the hillbillies will ask if there is a Hemi in it.  Porsche minivan? 

I got to stop posting late at night.

[michael lang]

Based on the way it looks, it appears that Porsche is going after the M-series & AMG crowd. Maybe even picking up a few people who are, willing to spend more but haven't really seen anything that excites them enough to spend the extra money, crowd. I like it, definitely going to be a battle for Mercedes with their 219 body cars.

 

[thomschoon]

A couple of German car rags had some of the same info, price around $110k, they are doing it to grow the brand and thereby profits, capture more market share, etc. I was at Weissach a couple weeks ago and they have added new fencing so you cant see much of the track but there were some vehicles making laps but you really couldnt get a good idea as they are covered up pretty good. I go back in a couple of weeks and will try and have another meeting there so I will see if I can get them to take us out, cant really get any pictures as they take everything but it would still be fun.