Where to begin? Porsche, a storied, revered and respected maker of fine German performance cars. Racing and rallying heritage, dedicated to producing the most cars for international motorsports events, Porsche is synonymous with high performance and stands head and shoulders above most other car brands when it comes to hardcore driving machines right out of the box.
There's no sense in dipping back into the past and mentioning the over 28,000 victories that Porsche has accumulated over the years or to even bring up in detail the outrage the Cayenne caused amongst purists when it was launched in 2002. All that is in the past and the future is now. The new Porsche is a smart Porsche. Over the years, they have managed to appeal to a broad audience that only price and, in some cases, body styles kept away.
Given that Porsche is a premium brand, and will always be, don't expect them to become affordable. There is though, a silver lining. Those that have always wanted to carry four passengers in comfort and that think that SUVs are crude (not that the Cayenne is an animal... well, OK, it can be) can now rejoice with the all-new Panamera. What is a Panamera? It is the 4-door answer to those that have always wanted to drive their 911 (the cake) with 3 passengers (and eat it to).
Controversial or beautiful on the outside?
Porsche has always adhered to a very specific design language, at least until the Cayenne, although instantly recognizable as a Porsche (and maybe the 914...). From that point on, the German automaker stretched its vision without ever loosing sight of the image of what a Porsche is, the one that began back in the late-forties with the legendary 356.
Although some critics have compared the styling of the Panamera to the Austin Maxi (not a compliment) and Jensen Interceptor (still not a compliment), I must admit that I too was initially turned off by the car's truncated design in the rear. In fact, even now after having driven the car, I'm still at odds with its busy tail. My solution? Look at the car straight on or from a ¾ front angle. One way or another, the Panamera is a Porsche and if it doesn't look like one now, it soon will be beautiful.
Ready for takeoff
On board the Panamera, four passengers can very comfortably take place in what is perhaps one of the most enticing cabins this side of a Phantom. All four seats are identical (a World first) and everyone will be happy; really, having to sit in “the back” is far from being a punishment. Actually, the rear quarters of the car offer more legroom and enough headroom, not to mention for the elbows.
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| What is a Panamera? It is the 4-door answer to those that have always wanted to drive their 911 with 3 passengers. |
There's no sense in dipping back into the past and mentioning the over 28,000 victories that Porsche has accumulated over the years or to even bring up in detail the outrage the Cayenne caused amongst purists when it was launched in 2002. All that is in the past and the future is now. The new Porsche is a smart Porsche. Over the years, they have managed to appeal to a broad audience that only price and, in some cases, body styles kept away.
Given that Porsche is a premium brand, and will always be, don't expect them to become affordable. There is though, a silver lining. Those that have always wanted to carry four passengers in comfort and that think that SUVs are crude (not that the Cayenne is an animal... well, OK, it can be) can now rejoice with the all-new Panamera. What is a Panamera? It is the 4-door answer to those that have always wanted to drive their 911 (the cake) with 3 passengers (and eat it to).
Controversial or beautiful on the outside?
Porsche has always adhered to a very specific design language, at least until the Cayenne, although instantly recognizable as a Porsche (and maybe the 914...). From that point on, the German automaker stretched its vision without ever loosing sight of the image of what a Porsche is, the one that began back in the late-forties with the legendary 356.
Although some critics have compared the styling of the Panamera to the Austin Maxi (not a compliment) and Jensen Interceptor (still not a compliment), I must admit that I too was initially turned off by the car's truncated design in the rear. In fact, even now after having driven the car, I'm still at odds with its busy tail. My solution? Look at the car straight on or from a ¾ front angle. One way or another, the Panamera is a Porsche and if it doesn't look like one now, it soon will be beautiful.
Ready for takeoff
On board the Panamera, four passengers can very comfortably take place in what is perhaps one of the most enticing cabins this side of a Phantom. All four seats are identical (a World first) and everyone will be happy; really, having to sit in “the back” is far from being a punishment. Actually, the rear quarters of the car offer more legroom and enough headroom, not to mention for the elbows.
 |
| All four seats are identical (a World first) and everyone will be happy. |