porsche panamera

Porsche Panamera (970)

Manufacturer	Porsche AG
Production	April 2009–present
Model years	2010–present
Assembly	Leipzig, Germany
Class	Full size luxury car
Body style	5-door fastback,[1][2][3] Gran Turismo[4]
Layout	Front engine, rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive
Engine	3.0 L V6 (Diesel) 3.6 L V6 (Panamera/Panamera 4) 3.0 L V6 (Panamera S Hybrid) 4.8 L V8 (Panamera S/Panamera 4S) 4.8 L V8 (Panamera GTS) 4.8 L V8 (Panamera Turbo) 4.8 L V8 (Panamera Turbo S)
Transmission	6-speed manual 7-speed ZF PDK dual clutch 8-speed Aisin Tiptronic S
Wheelbase	2,900 mm (114.2 in)
Length	4,970 mm (195.7 in)
Width	1,931 mm (76.0 in)
Height	1,418 mm (55.8 in)
Kerb weight	1,870 kg (4,123 lb)

The Porsche Panamera (Type number 970) is a four-door saloon.^[3][5][6] It is front-engined with rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive versions also available.

The Porsche Panamera production model was unveiled at the 13th Auto Shanghai International Automobile Show in Shanghai, China, on April 2009.^[7] In 2011, hybrid and diesel versions were launched.

Concept and description

rear-view

Porsche Panamera in front of the newPorsche Museum

The Panamera's name is derived, like the Porsche Carrera line, from the Carrera Panamericana race. The Panamera is generally considered to be the long-awaited fruit of Porsche's 989 concept from the late 1980s.

The Panamera is marketed as a more exciting and higher performing alternative to the traditional executive saloons such as the BMW 7 Series, the Audi A8, and theMercedes-Benz S-Class. The Panamera competes more directly with cars such as the Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo^[8][9] and Aston Martin Rapide.^[10]

Like the Porsche Cayenne SUV (which has become the marque's best-selling vehicle), the Panamera upset many Porsche purists, since it was seen as an attempt to broaden Porsche's appeal beyond that of hardcore fans. The Panamera ran contrary to the company's signature offerings, particularly its light two-door rear-engine sports cars like the 911. The Panamera on the other hand is considered a full-size luxury car, weighing at nearly 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg), with four doors, and its engine mounted in the front. The Panamera's appearance with its long hood and rear hatch bears little resemblance to a stretched 911, although it does resemble the 911 from certain angles.^[11] The iconic 911 has a sparse interior, as it was focused on raw performance, while the Panamera has a sumptuous interior loaded with modern technological amenities and expensive leather upholstery.^[8][12]

[edit]Production

Engines are first assembled in Stuttgart, and the car's body is built and painted at the Porsche Group facility in Hannover. The final assembly of the vehicle takes place in Leipzig, Germany, alongside the Cayenne.^[13]

Production began in April 2009, one month after its debut in the Shanghai Motor Show in China.^[14]

Porsche has applied for patents on a four-door convertible version of the Panamera that keep the same general dimensions.^[15]

[edit]Specifications

The V8-powered Panamera S, 4S, and Turbo models were the first versions that debuted in 2009. In addition to the 4.8L Twin Turbo 500 hp V8, Porsche launched two further models in 2010: the Panamera and Panamera 4 which are both powered by 3.6-litre V6 engines producing 300 horsepower. The Panamera, S, Hybrid and Diesel are rear-wheel drive, while the Panamera 4, 4S and GTS have the same four-wheel drive system as the Turbo and Turbo S, called Porsche Traction Management (PTM).

Being derived from the V8 engine of the Panamera S and Panamera 4S, the V6 retains the V8's technologies like Direct Fuel Injection, infinitely variable intake camshaft adjustment with variable valve lift (VarioCam Plus), an on-demand oil pump, water cooling with thermal management, a variable intake manifold, as well as integrated dry sump lubrication with two-stage extraction of oil, and an Auto Start-Stop function (only with the PDK transmission).^[16] Turbo version uses active aerodynamics with a multi-stage, adjustable rear spoiler.^[17]Optional Sports Chrono Packages include a Sport Plus button, which has tighter damping and air springs, and lowers the car body by 25 mm (1.0 in).^[18]

In 2011, the Panamera S Hybrid,^[19] Diesel,^[20] Turbo S^[21] and GTS variants were added to the range.

[edit]Engines

car model	displacement & configuration	max. motive power @ rpm	max. torque @ rpm
Panamera, Panamera 4	3.6 litre V6	300 bhp (224 kW; 304 PS) @ 6,200	400 N·m (295 lbf·ft) @ 3,750–4,250
Panamera Diesel	3.0 litre V6 turbodiesel	250 bhp (186 kW; 253 PS) @ 3,800	550 N·m (406 lbf·ft) @ 1,750–2,750
Panamera S, Panamera 4S	4.8 litre V8	400 bhp (298 kW; 406 PS) @ 6,500	500 N·m (369 lbf·ft) @ 3,500–5,000
Panamera GTS	4.8 litre V8	430 bhp (321 kW; 436 PS) @ 6,700	520 N·m (384 lbf·ft) @ 3,500–5,000
Panamera S Hybrid	3.0 litre V6 supercharged	380 bhp (283 kW; 385 PS) @ 5,500	580 N·m (428 lbf·ft) @ 3,000–5,250
Panamera Turbo	4.8 litre V8 twin turbo	500 bhp (373 kW; 507 PS)	700 N·m (516 lbf·ft) @ 2,250–4,500
Panamera Turbo S	4.8 litre V8 twin turbo	550 bhp (410 kW; 558 PS) @ 6,000	750 N·m (553 lbf·ft) @ 2,250–4,500

[edit]Transmissions

The new 7-speed ZF Friedrichshafen PDK dual clutch transmission is standard on the Panamera 4, 4S and Turbo models.^[22][23] With the addition of the optional sport chrono package, this provides faster acceleration times. In some markets a 6-speed manual is available for rear-wheel drive petrol versions. The S Hybrid and Diesel models come only with an Aisin-supplied 8-speed automatic transmission called Tiptronic S.

[edit]Panamera Turbo S

• Drag Coefficient: 0.30^[24]
• 0–60 mph (0–97 km/h): 3.8 seconds^[24]
• 0–100 mph (0–160 km/h): 7.2 seconds ^[24]
• 1/4 mile: 12.1 seconds @ 114 mph (183 km/h) ^[24]
• Top Speed: 193 mph (311 km/h) ^[24]
• Braking 70. mph (112.7 km/h) to 0 mph (0 km/h): 159 feet (48 m) ^[24]

Top speeds in gear:

Gear	mph	km/h	rpm
7th	193	311	4450
6th	193	311	6100
5th	169	272	6600
4th	123	198	6600
3rd	84	135	6600
2nd	51	82	6600
1st	28	45	6600

[edit]Panamera S Hybrid

Porsche Panamera S Hybrid at the Geneva Auto Show 2011

In 2008, Porsche AG announced the development of a parallel hybrid system for the Panamera.^[25] and in February 2011, Porsche unveiled the Panamera S Hybrid. Using the same drivetrain seen in the Cayenne S Hybrid—an Audi-sourced supercharged 3.0L V6 engine producing 333 PS (245 kW; 328 hp) along with an electric motor rated at 47 PS (35 kW; 46 hp), as well as the Cayenne's eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission—the 380 PS (279 kW; 375 hp) Panamera S Hybrid can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 6.0 seconds. It would produce only 159 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, rendering it the cleanest car in the entire Porsche model range, but still provide a top speed of 270 km/h (167.8 mph).

[edit]Panamera Diesel

The Panamera Diesel was launched in May 2011. The vehicle uses the same 3.0L V6 engine used in the Cayenne Diesel, itself a tuned carryover of an existing engine. The Panamera's engine has a power output of 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp). The car is capable of accelerating from 0–100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 242 km/h (150.4 mph). It is also the most economical Porsche in the entire vehicle range, consuming just 6.3 liters per 100 kilometers.

[edit]Special Editions

On October 2012, Porsche introduced the Panamera Platinum Edition. It includes more standard equipment, larger wheels, and an exclusive interior leather combination of luxor beige and black. It will be offered with rear and all wheel drive, and has a zero to sixty time of under 5.8 seconds or faster on all variants. Exclusive equipment includes the special interior combination, platinum rear overhang, and front lower grille, platinum door sills, and platinum mirrors. It will be very limited, with most dealers getting just one or two examples, and will arrive to the US on January 5, 2013.

[edit]Reception

Despite the differences in dimensions and design, a reviewer noted that the Panamera's driving dynamics were close to that of the 911, and it "seems to occupy the no-man's-land between really good sports sedans and proper sports cars", and so far the Panamera has won every comparison test against other four-door performance cars on the market such as the Maserati Quattroporte and Aston Martin Rapide.^[26][27] Function was also praised, with the 15.7 cubic feet (440 L) hatchback trunk, and the four-corner adaptive air suspension that retained superior handling while also providing a comfortable ride for public roads. Edmunds stated that the Panamera was an innovative engineering feat that "makes a unique statement about the way that luxury transportation and serious high-performance potential can be mixed together in one car". ^[8] [12]

Unlike most of the V8-engined contemporaries, all models of the Panamera avoid the US Gas Guzzler Tax. The V6-powered Panamera was also praised, as its downsized engine still retained respectable acceleration,^[28] and as it had even better handling than its V8 siblings, due to the engine being lighter by 100 lb (45 kg) which gave the car better weight distribution.^[29]

However, CAR magazine of the U.K. described the S model as lacking sportiness, which they attributed to their test car's being "about as oriented to comfort as it’s possible to get"^[30] and called the Turbo model "a missed opportunity on behalf of Porsche" to be "the world’s first lightweight four seater" as the top model weighs as much as an Audi S8.^[31]

The 30 November 2008 edition of Top Gear featured a look at the Panamera in its news section, with the three presenters being very critical of the look. On 21 May 2009 Richard Hammond and James May from Top Gear were seen driving the Panamera along the A30 in Devon, Great Britain They were racing against a letter sent via Royal Mail between theIsles of Scilly and the Orkney Islands. This episode was broadcast on the BBC on 12 July 2009. Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the Porsche Panamera for an article with The Timesnewspaper and was quite critical.^[32]

[edit]Sales

As of 2011, the largest national market was the United States with 6188 sold.^[33] Sales by cities: Los Angeles (890), New York (760), Hong Kong (300), Dubai (285), Tokyo (223), Munich (206), Moscow (203), Shanghai (188), Hamburg (117) and Berlin (108).^[34] Sales internationally by model variant: Panamera 4S (9394), Turbo (6171), S (4563) and V6 (2390—introduced weeks earlier).^[33]