Well, after years of waiting, and what may be seen another 4-door aggravation for Porsche purists, we have the Porsche Panamera. It represents yet another potential boost to Porsche’s already massive financial “conglomerate”, as we have previously discussed. But what will Porsche do with all of the cash?
ATLANTA – January 5, 2009 —- Porsche AG will present the new Panamera to
the public for the first time at Auto Shanghai 2009 in China, scheduled from April
20 to 28, 2009. Porsche’s unique, four-door Gran Turismo will be making its
world debut at a press conference on April 19 and will be entering the market in
late summer 2009 with the first models in U.S dealerships in the fall.
The four-door Panamera will combine a wide range of features seemingly
contradictory at first sight, and will offer a unique synthesis quite unparalleled in
the premium segment. The Panamera will come with all the sporting and
dynamic characteristics of a genuine Porsche combined with a very high
standard of driving comfort. Despite its extra-low and sleek coupe silhouette, the
Panamera will offer more than ample space and roominess inside for four
passengers and variable loading space for a substantial amount of luggage. The
Panamera will also boast power units offering a high standard of fuel efficiency
despite the car’s outstanding performance.
All Panamera power units will be modern V-configuration engines with either six
or eight cylinders covering a power range from 300 to 500 horsepower and
featuring Direct Fuel Injection. All engines will provide outstanding power and
torque, together with very good fuel economy and exhaust emissions reduced to
a minimum.
The Panamera will make its debut with a normally aspirated V8 power unit, as
well as a V8 featuring twin-turbocharger technology.
In the United States all Panameras will feature Porsche’s new seven-speed
Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) (Double-Clutch Gearbox). This will give the
Panamera both a particularly sporting and an extra-comfortable character on the
road.
As an option the Panamera will be available with Porsche’s Sports Chrono
Package, giving the car even more sporting and dynamic engine and gearshift
characteristics and enhancing its dynamic performance to an even higher level of
perfection.
The Panamera S with its normally aspirated V8 engine will come with rear-wheel
drive as standard. The Panamera 4S and the twin-turbocharged Panamera Turbo
will feature Porsche Traction Management (PTM) with extra-light, active all-
wheel drive. In the future Porsche also will bring both a V6 and a hybrid version
to market.
In addition to the regular steel suspension featuring variable dampers for a
sporting but comfortable driving experience, the Panamera also will be available
with a brand-new optional adaptive air suspension system with additional air
volume. This system, standard on the Panamera Turbo, will ensure a particularly
wide range of suspension characteristics with an even higher standard of
motoring comfort on the one hand and extremely sporting driving dynamics on
the other.
In the Sport Plus Mode the air suspension will lower the entire car even further,
giving the Panamera an even higher standard of aerodynamic efficiency and
improving its center of gravity and enhancing driving safety and reducing fuel
consumption. Panamera also will be available with the optional Porsche Dynamic
Chassis Control (PDCC) system that actively compensates body roll in turns
while improving the car’s response and smoothness on bumpy roads when
driving in a straight line.
Intelligent lightweight technology making appropriate use of high-strength steel,
light alloys such as aluminum and magnesium, as well as high-tech plastic
materials will serve to reduce the weight of the car to an appropriately low level
in its class, benefiting not only fuel economy, but also driving dynamics.
Source: Porsche