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Model Guide: 2010-2016 Porsche Panamera |
PCA—In this edition of Test Drive News, a monthly newsletter for PCA Test Drive participants, we dive into the first-generation Porsche Panamera sedan,
outlining the different model variants available through the years and describing some tips on what to look for if you're in the market for the automaker's first sedan. Check out the model guide below. |
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Test Drive is a unique program offered by PCA specifically for prospective Porsche owners still searching for their next vehicle. In addition to this newsletter, PCA Test Drive
allows you to experience several member benefits, including a six-month subscription to Porsche Panorama magazine, and access to PCA classified ads and the Tech Q&A forum. If you're not a Test Drive participant, click here to learn more and join. |
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PCA—Porsche had long considered adding a four-door to its lineup and even created the Type 989 sedan concept in the late '80s. Yet the automaker would not produce its first series production sedan, the Panamera, until nearly two decades later. | | |
| | Car and Driver—The Panamera, Porsche’s fourth model line after the 911, Boxster/Cayman, and Cayenne, has arrived after years of rumor, innuendo, announcements, and buzz. A four-door fastback sedan positioned at the top of the lineup, the Panamera was officially unveiled at the Shanghai auto show in April, and Porsche chose to host the first official drive at the picturesque Schloß
Elmau near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, under the shadow of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. |
Motor Trend—Let’s cut to the chase: The 2010 Porsche Panamera is big, fast, and comfortable; a genuine four passenger Gran Turismo capable of loafing across continents in giant 130 mph bounds, leaving you relaxed and refreshed at the end of the day at the wheel. | | |
| | Car and Driver—So far, Porsche’s entry into the luxury-sedan segment has paid off. Sales of its Panamera are strong, and the company is particularly pleased by the take rate of the Turbo model, which it says is far higher than expected. This should fill the competition with envy, as the most powerful versions of the Audi A8, BMW 7-series, and Mercedes S-class are virtually
salesproof in Europe and certainly far from volume models over here. |
Edmunds—Porsche's Panamera is a sacrilegious, money-grubbing attempt to profit from decades of sports-car perfection. It's also the best sport sedan a huge pile of money can buy, and Porsche's just upped the ante with the new driver-focused, 2013 Panamera GTS. | | |
PCA—Mart Fresh is a column in which PCA media staff pick what they think are the freshest Porsches currently available in The Mart, and then attempt to explain their reasoning. Check out the most recent reviews
below:
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Car and Driver—For years, Porsche has expanded its model lineups using the Taco Bell approach: same ingredients, different combinations. Take the 2013 Panamera GTS, the eighth distinct version of the big hunchback sedan. | | |
Motor Trend—Chubby-butted, expensive, and with what under the hood? Coming up with three reasons to dismiss the new V-6 version of the 2011 Porsche Panamera takes about the same number of seconds. But spend an hour with Porsche‘s big GT, and such a verdict starts to seem, well, a little hasty. |
| | Car and Driver—Think back to high school and your guidance counselor’s assertion that, given the right amount of stick-to-itiveness, you could accomplish anything you wanted. No one believed that. Except, it seems, the engineers at Porsche. |
Car and Driver—Ed.: Watch as Car and Driver goes for a fast lap at Virginia International Raceway in the 2012 Porsche Panamera Turbo S. | | |
Autoweek—I used to count myself among those in the curmudgeonly Luddite subcategory of Porsche enthusiasts. I had empathy for the old codgers who grumbled when the 911 went water-cooled. I didn't necessarily share their views, but I understood where they came from. | | |
| | Car and Driver—In the realm of premium sports cars, Porsche takes a back seat to no one. But when it comes to back seats, Porsche isn’t the first marque that springs to mind. Every person geeked on cars knows that premium sedans with generously proportioned aft quarters hail from the likes of Rolls-Royce, Mercedes, Audi, Jaguar, and BMW. Porsche builds light, agile two-passenger
sports cars, right? |
Motor Trend—If there’s one thing we’ve come to expect from Porsche, it’s that it doesn’t mess with a good thing (too much, anyway). For proof, take a look at the 911 and its 50-year history. Or even look at the Porsche Cayenne, now in its second generation. So it’s no surprise that the refreshed-for-2014 Porsche Panamera doesn’t look all that different from the 2013 car. | | |
| | The Drive via YouTube—Mike Musto reviews the 2014 Porsche Panamera GTS. |
Automobile—Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller admits that “there certainly were doubts” when the first Panamera launched in 2009. Critics didn’t like the hunchback styling and were skeptical whether a sedan fit the Porsche brand. Yet in the four years since, Panamera sales have outpaced Porsche’s predictions by 25 percent. Based on that success, it’s no wonder Porsche made only small changes for the Panamera’s first facelift. |
Autoweek—I no longer hate the Porsche Panamera. I used to hate it almost as much as I hated the Cayenne. As a Porsche owner and longtime Porsche fan, I thought that both cars were an affront to what I thought the Porsche “brand” stood for. Of course, Porsche stands for making tons of money, which is exactly what they should stand for, so the idea of me being mad at them for building a certain type of car is a little embarrassing in
hindsight. | | |
| | Road & Track—Exciting news from the Porsche world! The knockout styling from last year's Sport Turismo concept has made its production debut on the face-lifted 2014 Panamera. Except ... er, the concept's gorgeous rear end is nowhere to be found. The changes are so minor that Porsche had to take us through a slide show so we could learn to tell the new car from the old one.
False alarm. |
Test Drive News I hope you enjoyed this issue of Porsche Club of America's Test Drive News. If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Damon Lowney Digital Media Coordinator & Test Drive News Editor damonl@pca.org (410) 381-0911
If you wish to advertise with Porsche Club of America, please contact:
Ilko Nechev Advertising Director ilko@pca.org (212) 490-2079 | | |
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