Porsche unveils Panamera at Shanghai
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Porsche unveils Panamera at Shanghai

German sports car maker's four-door hatchback combines luxury and utility

Special to the Star

Apr 24, 2009

SHANGHAI–When it comes to world premieres, German automakers have traditionally had an affinity for the home-field advantage of the biennial Frankfurt auto show. Or if push comes to shove, the spring fling in Geneva.

Recognizing, though, where its financial bread may best be buttered in the future, Porsche decided to debut its new 2010 Panamera Gran Turismo here – one of the automaker's fastest-growing markets.

Compared to Canada (where sales dropped about 20 per cent last year to 1,642 units), Porsche's Chinese annual sales have grown 140 per cent since 2006 to now more than 7,600.

"It's no coincidence we're debuting the Panamera here in Shanghai," said Klaus Berning, head of Porsche sales and marketing worldwide.

Porsche purists – the "if-it-ain't-a-911-it's-crap!" clique still smarting over the introduction of the Cayenne SUV five years ago – may be wondering how a front-engine four-door 2+2 hatchback fits into a lineup dominated by sports cars like the Boxster, Cayman and 911 family, but Berning sees opportunity in the Panamera's promise of combining performance and luxury.

"This is about expanding our customer base. We only expect about 10 per cent of Panamera sales will cannibalize our Cayenne; the remaining 90 per cent will be new to Porsche," he said on the eve of the opening of the Shanghai auto show to the media.

In what the German automaker calls "economically good times" (i.e. before the current global economic meltdown), the four-door Gran Turismo segment made up about a million units per year around the world.

Within that, Porsche plans to sell an average annually of at least 20,000 Panameras worldwide throughout the entire life cycle of the car.

It's telling that the 2010 Panamera is built in the same Leipzig, Germany plant as the Cayenne.

While company officials ensure there is little parts swapping going on, the new Porsche GT shares its basic engine architectures and where they sit (up front in the chassis) with its existing SUV stablemate.

When it goes on sale in Canada in October (the Chinese will have to wait until early next year), three Panamera models will be available:

the $115,100 S comes with a 400 hp naturally aspirated 4.8-litre V8 and rear-wheel drive;

the $120,300 4S adds traction to all four wheels;

and the top-line $155,000 Turbo gets AWD and a 500 hp double-blown version of the eight.

All come initially with Porsche's Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (or PDK) seven-speed twin-clutch automatic gearbox first seen in the Cayman/Boxster and 911.

A 300-hp 3.6-litre V6 will arrive in about a year. A gas-electric hybrid Panamera is scheduled for around 12 months after that.

With an eye towards impending tighter fuel economy (North America) and carbon dioxide emissions (Europe) regulations coming early in the next decade, Porsche is touting its latest car's fuel efficiency. Combined EU fuel economy ratings range from 10.8 L/100 km (26 m.p.g.) on the Panamera S to 12.2 L (23 m.p.g.) with the Turbo.

So far, a diesel Panamera is not confirmed. But there's already a Cayenne diesel on sale in Europe, so ...

While Porsche design boss Michael Mauer strived to make sure the front-engine Panamera had all the visual DNA associated with the iconic rear-engine 911, the GT's humpback profile can be rationalized with gains in rear seat accommodations and cargo space compared to the 911 2+2.

"We made sure there was room for four Vikings," he said.

If they're not wearing horned helmets, he's right.

A full-size adult really can sit behind himself in the Panamera's two back seats, which are near clones of the sporty buckets up front – a feat only the prepubescent can achieve in a 911.

There's 450 litres of cargo room under Panamera's hatch, and the rear seatbacks fold individually for even more utility.

Heck, there's even a retractable tow hitch.

Of course, the primary reason you would buy a Panamera over a $128,300 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG or $179,800 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT-S – two of the Porsche's main rivals – is its promise of the class-leading driving experience it delivers in spades with its sports cars.

Travel was provided to freelance writer John LeBlanc by the automaker. editors@straight-six.com

Related links:

Video: the design of the Porsche Panamera

Photos: the Porsche Panamera

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