Motor Trend calls it "genuine four seat luxury limo designed for 175mph." Porsche insists it will sell 20,000 examples this year, recession or no recession, at six-figure prices. And the styling? It's been...well...divisive.
Porsche used the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show, beginning this week, as an opportunity to unveil its first sedan, the 2010 Panamera. Motor Trend reports, "Three versions of the Panamera will be available at launch -- the S, powered by a 400 hp, naturally aspirated 4.8L V-8; the 4S, which gets the same engine and all-wheel drive; and the Turbo, which has a 500 hp version of the 4.8, and all-wheel drive as standard." Porsche told members of the media in Shanghai that the standard Panamera S would have 0-to-60 times of "less than 5.4 seconds... less than 5.0 sec for the 4S; and less than 4.2 sec for the Turbo." This despite a luxurious cabin meant to exceed anything built by the German brand before, with an emphasis on rear-seat comfort. "The rear seat passengers sit low, separated by the transmission tunnel, Motor Trend explains, which "helps reduce the car's center of gravity, and actually makes riding in the back at high speeds more comfortable."
Future versions may include a hybrid. Autoblog reports, "Some markets will also get Audi's new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 and a hybrid system will join the lineup in 2011."
The first Porsche sedan, the New York Times reports, "Has been met with controversy at every stage of its development, from the very idea of a sedan wearing the Porsche badge to the car's final design, which was revealed in photos a few months ago." Its unusual proportions, including an exaggerated sportback rear, have been met with skepticism by many. Porsche design chief Michael Mauer told the Times the design "had to have the brand identity, Porsche DNA: hood lower than fenders, low air intake instead of grille, and so on." However, he said, "we had to avoid making it look like a blown up 911. It had to have product identity." The unusual rear proportions, he said, were part of the solution. The pronounced rear bulge, Mauer says, "is wide and says power, and the way the greenhouse tapers - this is typical Porsche. It is a very dramatic proportion."
Jalopnik, however, says simply, "it has a big butt."
The Panamera, according to Bloomberg, will retail for more than of $120,000. Porsche Sales chief Klaus Berning told reporters, "Despite the difficult conditions we are all experiencing right now, we maintain our firm objective to sell at least 20,000 units." Porsche believes the key to surviving the downturn will be an increased presence in emerging markets - hence the unusual decision to unveil the new model in Shanghai rather than at the Geneva Auto Show. "Porsche expects 90 percent of Panamera customers to be new to the brand. About one-third of the model's sales will come from the U.S, one-third from Europe and one-third from the rest of the world."
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