The Porsche Panamera is a four-door, four-seat luxury sedan, set to be launched in 2009. It will be front-engined and rear wheel drive, with four-wheel drive available on top versions.
At launch, the Panamera will have three engine choices - a 3.6 L V6 found in the 2008 facelifted Cayenne with 300 hp (224 kW; 304 PS) in the base Panamera, a 4.8 L V8 with 405 hp (302 kW; 411 PS) in the Panamera S and Panamera 4S], and a turbocharged 4.8 L V8 with approximately 500 hp (373 kW; 507 PS) in the Panamera Turbo. There is even a hybrid version in the pipeline. Rumors suggest that the V-10 engine from Porsche's limited-run Carrera GT supercar may be offered as well, although this is still extremely unlikely given the expense of manufacturing the engine and that Porsche does not currently have a facility capable of producing a suitable number of the V-10 engines per year. It is also rumored that the V-12 diesel from the Audi Q7 may be used in the Panamera. US models include engine start/stop system. Turbo version includes active aerodynamics with a multi-stage, adjustable rear spoiler. The Panamera is being marketed as a sedan, however this is technically inaccurate. It is in fact a five-door hatchback, complete with a wide-opening rear liftgate and more trunkroom than a typical sedan. Hatchbacks, especially in America, are considered down-market, so Porsche has chosen to use the term sedan to better compete with true sedans such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the Maserati Quattroporte. While the hatchback design adds greater utility through more cargo room, it has led to criticism that car is ugly and has an oversized rear end. Transmission European models use 6-speed manual gearbox on the rear-drive, normally aspirated model. All US models, as well as all-wheel drive and turbo models, use 7-speed PDK transmission. Handling Porsche Traction Management includes fully-controlled all-wheel drive. PTM is standard on both the Panamera 4S and the Panamera Turbo. Optional Sports Chrono Packages includes a Sport Plus button, which includes tighter damping and air springs and drops the car body by 25 mm (0.98 in). The final assembly of the vehicles will take place in Leipzig. Engines will be assembled in Stuttgart, and the car's painted body will come from the Volkswagen facility in Hannover. The Panamera is generally considered to be the long-awaited fruit of their 989 concept from the late 1980s; some argue that it also presents itself as a successor to the 2-doored 928, but there may be plans to develop a new 928 too. It will be marketed as a direct competitor to automobiles such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, Aston Martin Rapide, Lamborghini Estoque and Maserati Quattroporte and (to a lesser degree) a less expensive alternative to vehicles such as the Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari 612 Scaglietti.It will be produced in the new plant at Leipzig alongside the Cayenne. The vehicle has been caught testing at the Nürburgring and the original sketches are a little more sleek than the taped up model spied testing. Artist renderings of the car already distributed by Porsche show a low-slung, four-door sports car with narrow side windows and flowing lines. However spy shots of the Porsche Panamera testing at the Nürburgring show a more blunt car than the artists renderings. Recent artist impressions paint a car with a very similar front to the 911 and Boxster. At a topping out ceremony at the Leipzig Production Plant, Porsche announced the expansion of their Leipzig plant to include a Panamera production facility. The new facility will measure 25,000 square meters, plus a logistics center with an area of 23,500 square meters. The exterior of the assembly building will be ready by September 2007 making way for the installation of the assembly equipment for the new model series. Porsche will also unveil its second generation hybrid powertrain for the Cayenne and Panamera families around this time. 2008 will see the first assembly of the Panamera line. Production is to start in April 2009, one month after its debut in the Shanghai Motor Show in China. Porsche will keep production rate at around 20,000 cars per year.
