Porsche reveals Panamera... partially
At last, an official image of Porsche's keenly anticipated Mercedes CLS fighterHere it is... the first official glimpse of Porsche's long-awaited Panamera Gran Turismo.
The Zuffenhausen mob has just released this teaser image of its upcoming four-door GT, and the pic shows no more than a tantalising peek at the car's nose, with the rest of the Porsche family looking on at their new sibling.
Porsche plans to whet buyers' appetites with a drip-feed approach to releasing details -- via this website here -- about its first front-engined sports car since the defunct 928.
You won't find a whole lot on the website at the moment, but Porsche says the next "highlight", beginning on October 20, is an advertising campaign in specific markets offering a sneak preview of the newcomer.
"The four-door Panamera will naturally benefit from 60 years of Porsche sports car lineage and technological development and provide a high level of driver involvement typical of the marque," boasts Porsche.
"However, the Panamera combines this sporting character and dynamic driving quality with superior comfort and interior accommodation for four adults -- making the Panamera truly a Gran Turismo without compromise."
No technical details have been released for now, but the car will be offered with V6 and V8 power, as well as a hybrid powertrain.
It's believed the Panamera will be all-wheel drive, and its platform is expected to form the basis for the next-generation Cayenne SUV.
When it goes on sale next year, the Panamera will be pitched against the likes of the Mercedes CLS, Maserati Quattroporte and upcoming Aston Martin Rapide.
As suggested by Porsche's own blurb, it will have a slightly softer orientation than the focussed 911 and Cayman, and will target buyers seeking a more rounded everyday package than the rear- and mid-engined coupes.
It's a significant car as it represents Porsche's first crack at a front-engined sportscar since the 1990s 928 and 968. The German carmaker hasn't deviated too far from its existing design manual though, as the teaser image reveals a face that's not hugely dissimilar to that of the 911 and Cayman.
In case you're wondering about the origins of the Panamera name, it's derived -- like the Porsche Carrera line -- from the Carrera Panamericana race.
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