Automotive News & Concepts
Billed as a concept by Porsche insiders and previewed here in our exclusive artist鈥檚 impression, the show car is expected to provide solid clues as to how a production version of a Panamera estate could look. The new Porsche, which is tentatively earmarked to form part of a second-generation Panamera line-up, would rival recent upmarket arrivals such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. It would feature an extended roofline, angled tailgate and fold-down rear seats to provide the scope for additional luggage capacity. 鈥淚t is one proposal we are looking at to increase the reach of the Panamera,鈥?a well informed Porsche source told Autocar. Although it is expected to place greater emphasis on overall style than practical boot space, the Panamera estate would offer buyers greater versatility than Porsche鈥檚 regular sports car models. The role is already performed in part by the hugely successful Cayenne SUV and is set to be mirrored with the company鈥檚 upcoming mid-sized SUV, the Macan.
The Panamera is a big and heavy car, but it shines as it thunders down the road at surreal speeds. Modified engine management and improved titanium-aluminum turbochargers enable the aforementioned 550 hp, as well as 553 lb-ft of torque, up from 516 for the regular Turbo. In the chassis鈥檚 "Sport" and "Sport Plus" modes, an overboost function increases the twist to a wild 590 lb-ft. The regular Turbo can muster an already-impressive 568 lb-ft under overboost, which is accessed by paying for the Sport Chrono package. No major changes were made to the chassis, which can be considered supremely competent even among high-performance sedans, but the rear track has been engorged by specific 20-inch Turbo II wheels. Europe gets the option of low-rolling-resistance tires on 19-inch wheels, which increase efficiency鈥攜ippee! The slight performance increase comes at a not-so-slight premium. 136,275 required for a Panamera Turbo. For that money, you get some of the Turbo鈥檚 performance options as standard (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, Sport Chrono, etc.), as well as side skirts out of the "Porsche Exclusive" parts bin and the choice of special color combinations. Agate gray metallic is exclusive to the Panamera Turbo S, and inside there are two color combos鈥攂lack/cream and agate gray/cream鈥攖hat you can't get on any other Panamera.
Porsche stood the automotive world on its ear a few years ago when it announced it was branching out from sports cars and into the world of SUV's. Some thought it was a travesty for a sports car company to branch out like this, but the Cayenne has sold well. I drove a Cayenne S for two weeks in the summer of 2006 and fell in love with it. It may be an all wheel drive SUV with awesome off-road capabilities, but it's all Porsche and that means it's a blast to drive while offering enough comfort and coddling to please the latent hedonist. Then I had the opportunity to take the 2008 model for a week of tooling around a mixture of major and minor highways on Canada's Vancouver Island. It was a blast as well. Porsche appears to have been listening, however; the 2008 Cayenne has received a bit of a face lift that makes it look more aggressive and a little more handsome than before. I never had a problem with the old Cayenne, but the new one is better.
Its new face features new headlights and fascia, with broader wheel arches and tail lights that break up the old, solid ones by putting the backup lights in the middle. It still looks like a Porsche, and like a Cayenne, only more so. But a Porsche is about the stuff that's under the body, no matter how lithe, and the new Cayenne ups the oomph ante (and the gas mileage) over the previous model thanks to tweaks such as direct fuel injection. I look forward to peeling the skin from my face with the Turbo shortly, but in the meantime found the S to be more than adequate. It has power and torque a-plenty and when you tromp the gas pedal you're reminded instantly that this is, indeed, a Porsche. I didn't presume to take the Cayenne S off road, just a little bit "off pavement", but have no doubt you could ford (oops, sorry!) any stream that you'd want. 2008 Cayennes also come with a rollover sensor that triggers the belt latch tensioners and curtain airbags in an emergency, to help reduce the risk of injury in a rollover.
S and Turbo Cayennes come standard with a six speed Tiptronic automatic transmission (the base Cayenne starts life with a six speed manual) that shifts just when you think it should. The manual mode is controlled by rocker switches on the steering wheel and I found them a long stretch for my little fingers; paddle shifters behind the steering wheel may correct this and add even more fun to the drive. It's too bad they aren't offered. Unfortunately-placed shift buttons notwithstanding, the Cayenne S is a blast to drive. Not only are its mechanical parts up to the task, but its interior is comfortable and classy without beating you over the head with technology. In other words, it's a Porsche. My tester also featured an upgraded Bose stereo and Porsche's Communication Management system with its 16x9 color screen, GPS navigation system, electronic logbook, phone and more. The nav system did a great job of getting us around strange environs, even finding us a shorter route to one destination than our hosts recommended. It can get as confused as most when you head for the hinterland, but this is a nav system thing and not a Porsche-specific thing.