I found this on the Motor Authority website today...
Whether you love it or loathe it, Porsche’s new Panamera sedan is due to hit the streets in 2009 and is expected to change the performance sedan market forever. Buoyed by the success of the Cayenne SUV, Porsche’s managers have seen fit to put their famous badge on a four door car measuring approximately as much as a Mercedes S-class. Thanks to new reports coming out of Germany we can finally reveal everything you wanted to know about the Panamera, from its dimensions to the engine range.
The production Panamera is a large car – it’s almost five meters long and two meters wide and the base version weighs in at around 1800kg. Owners of the top-of-the-line 4.8L V8 Turbo model will be looking at a kerb weight of almost 2 tons. Porsche will launch the Panamera with three engine choices – a 3.6L V6 with 300hp, a 4.8L V8 with 405hp, and a 4.8L Turbo model with approximately 520hp. Even with the base model you’ll be able to hit 250km/h on the Autobahn, but if you decide to buy the Turbo you can nudge 300km/h, according to Autobild.
Porsche will use the Panamera to showcase its commitment to green motoring with the introduction of a hybrid model using the 3.6L V6 mated to a 110hp electric motor. Porsche’s hybrid drive system will allow drivers to use any combination of the two engines, much like today’s Toyota Prius.
Base prices will begin at €80,000 for the V6 RWD model and go up to €125,000 for the Turbo AWD variant. Porsche will expand its workforce by almost 1,000 to cater for Panamera production and the company hopes to sell 30,000 units a year. Sales will begin in early 2009 but only the V8 models will be available at first. You’ll have to wait until 2010 for the V6 model and 2011 for the long-awaited hybrid variant. The Panamera will also get Porsche’s upcoming 7-speed dual-clutch technology, though the company will have been beaten to the market by everyone from Nissan to BMW. Also available to customers will be adjustable shock absorbers and a number of sports modes to tune the character of the car.
On tap are a number of Audi/Volkswagen-sourced engines such as the V8, V10, and V12 TDI that could make their way into the Panamera depending on customer demand. Also available is the V10 originally used in the Carrera GT, though it’s likely Porsche will wait a couple of years before launching a model with this engine, if at all.
Early reports are also claiming the interior is typical Porsche but that the seating space inside the Panamera is very comfortable, even for four long-limbed adults. We’ll have to try it ourselves to believe it, but this may be the reason why Porsche had to make it so long.
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