Porsche Panamera

Infobox Automobile

http://www.autowizja.pl/gfx/news/samochody/porsche_panamera_1.jpg]


boxcolor = darkgreen
name = Porsche Panamera
manufacturer = Porsche
production = 2009- (planned)
class = Full-size luxury car
platform = N/A
body_style = 4-door sedan
engine = V8 4.8 liter Petrol Engine
V6 Parallel hybrid
TDI Engine (2011)
transmission = N/A
length = N/A
width = N/A
height = N/A
weight = N/A
predecessor = Porsche 989 concept car
4 door 911 based prototype
successor =
aka =
related =
similar = Aston Martin Rapide
Maserati Quattroporte
Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG
designer =

The Porsche Panamera is a four-door, four-seat sedan, currently in design stage, set to be launched in 2009. [cite web|title=2010 Porsche Panamera - Car News|publisher="Car and Driver"|url=http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/13377/2010-porsche-panamera.html|date=July 2007|accessdate=2008-02-01] [cite web|title=Future: Porsche Panamera|publisher="Motor Trend"|url=http://www.motortrend.com/future/concept_cars/112_0510_2010_porsche_panamera|accessdate=2008-02-02] It will be front-engined and rear wheel drive and powered by a modified version of the 4.5 L V-8 found in the Cayenne, equipped with the FSI system as used by Volkswagen (Porsche and Volkswagen collaborated on the Cayenne/Touareg sport utility vehicle platform). Base spec models will be engineered with a 3.6 liter V-6 found in the 2008 facelifted Cayenne, and there is even a hybrid version [cite web|title=Porsche Panamera Hybrid - Car News|url=http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/green_machines/porsche_panamera_hybrid_car_news|work=Car and Driver|date=January 2008|accessdate=2008-07-01] 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. A rumor is also around that the V-12 diesel from the Audi Q7 could make it into the Panamera.

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 Hanover.

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 [cite web|title=2012 Porsche 928 Car news|publisher="Car and Driver"|url=http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/11785/2012-porsche-928.html|accessdate=2008-02-02] . It will be marketed as a direct competitor to automobiles such as the BMW Gran Turismo, 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 is the first V8-engined sports car built by Porsche since 1995, when the 928 was discontinued and 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 [ [http://www.caradvice.com.au/9042/2009-porsche-panamera-cgi/ Porsche Panamera Computer Generated Images] ] paint a car with a very similar front to the 911 and Boxster.

The Panamera's name is derived, like the Porsche Carrera line, from the Carrera Panamericana race. Earlier prototypes of four-door sedans such as the 1991 Porsche 989 prototype or the even earlier 4 door 911 based prototype, never went into production.

On the 20th of April 2007 a spy video of the Porsche Panamera became available on the net. [ [http://www.caradvice.com.au/2280/porsche-panamera-spy-video/ Porsche Panamera Spy Video] ]

In September 2008, Porsche released the first teaser image for the Panamera [www.porsche.com/panamera]

Production

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.cite news | url=http://www.porsche.com/usa/aboutporsche/pressreleases/pag/?pool=international-de&id=2007-04-12-1 | title=Porsche expands Leipzig plant for 150 million Euro | publisher=Porsche AG | date=12 April 2007 |accessdate=2007-04-13]

References

External links

* [http://www.porsche.com/panamera Porsche Panamera] official info off the Porsche website
* [http://www.leftlanenews.com/porsche-panamera.html Spy shots: updated Apr 2008] - "LeftLaneNews.com"
* Performance testing for the Panamera has also been carried out at the famous Nordschleife circuit in Germany. Spy shot's of the test car can be seen at [http://bridgetogantry.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=152&Itemid=54 Bridge to Gantry] along with some colourful first impression comparisons.