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Most Practical Porsche Ever

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For a while there have been rumours flying around about a new secret four-door Porsche. They have now been confirmed. The name is Panamera, Porsche Panamera. The international car of mystery will be a combination of a coupe and sedan.

Despite the hype, there are many Porsche enthusiasts who are not too thrilled about the production of the Panamera. They feel that too much has been taken away from the original feel of a Porsche.

There were also a lot of negative whispers regarding the Porsche Cayenne, which was often labeled as 'ugly.' But in my opinion the Panamera looks very balanced and stunning in comparison to the four door concepts shown by Aston Martin & Lamborghini.

The Panamera has proper space for four adults and four doors. The car is supposed to be a successor to the Porsche 928. The rationale for this car may disappoint many Porsche purists? Well, Porsche has nothing to offer to the market that loves it, but needs four doors and space for four adults.

BMW, Mercedes Benz and Maserati are the manufacturers catering to that market, and the Porsche can surely make a dent there. The company's association with Volkswagen too will come in handy.

Porsche says that the Panamera is 76 inches in width, making it an especially wide sedan. A Mercedes-Benz S-Class, by comparison, is less than 74 inches wide. The Panamera measures 55.8 inches in height and 195.7 inches in length. This makes for a roomy interior, especially for just four passengers. The cabin is complete with 18-way adjustable front seats, and 8-way adjustable rear seats.

The bodywork of the Panamera is low and wide, and has been compared to a sedan. Although based loosely on the original design of the 911 Carrera, the Panamera is different in that its engine is in the front of the vehicle.

This has irked some Porsche fanatics, but the Porsche designers have tried their best to keep the engine as close to the centre of the vehicle as possible.

The entry-level powerplant will be Volkswagen’s 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower. The ‘S’ model will deliver 400 hp from a 4.8-liter V8, and the Turbo variant will offer an estimated 500 horses.

The rear-wheel drive Panamera S has can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 175 mph. The Panamera 4S can hit 60 in 4.8 seconds and achieves the same top speed. The all-wheel drive Panamera Turbo sets a zero to 60 time of 4 seconds flat and a top test-track speed of 188 mph.

All models are equipped with Porsche’s new PDK dual-clutch gearbox. Porsche is also planning a hybrid variant of the Panamera, though the automaker failed to disclose any further details. The turbocharged version will come standard with all-wheel-drive. Rear wheel drive will be standard otherwise with four-wheel propulsion a line-wide option.

Porsche Panamera will draw on Cayenne for suspension components, brakes, and steering. Another safe bet is Porsche's alphabet soup of stability- and ride-enhancing electronics, including an air suspension.

Ceramic brakes, borrowed from high-end 911s, may be optional for the Turbo, and all models should include a 911-type rear spoiler that powers up and down according to road speed.

Equally predictable, the Panamera will offer all the goodies expected in high-end cars, plus Porsche's usual bewildering array of custom trim options.

The Panamera may be Porsche's first production sedan, but it's not the first 4-door Porsche. Back in 1988, Porsche studied the feasibility of a larger 911 with project 989, basically the normal 2-door coupe sports car with an extended wheelbase making room for a pair of rear doors and a proper back seat.

A single prototype was built but never publicly shown, let alone acknowledged. The 989 remained only a rumor until some years later, when researchers uncovered photographs.

The project didn't get far anyway, due to Porsche's deteriorating financial situation at the time, but it appears the 989, had it been produced, would have retained the 911's signature rear-engine configuration.

Porsche India has already started advertising the Panamera in all Indian Auto Magazines with some teaser advertisment and it is expected that it is going to be launched in coming months in a price range of around Rs. 80 lakhs to 1.25 crores.

Video of Porsche Panamera:

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