A blank slate can be a beautiful thing—especially, if it’s in the hands of the artisans at Porsche’s engineering department.
The second generation Porsche Panamera was recently unveiled in Berlin. Visually, it’s sharper and some say more Porsche than its predecessor. To garner a finer appreciation for the Porsche Panamera, let’s take a stroll down memory lane to divulge into the history and evolution Porsche’s sporty sedan.
The first Porsche Panamera models were revealed at the 13th Shanghai Motor Show, back in 2009. The Panamera saw some interesting modifications over the next 7 years, before being completely rewritten and released last month. Arguably, this evolution has seen a prodigiously beneficial transformation and the 2017 second generation Panamera is an archetype of the model in its purest form.
2009: Debut Models
The name of the Porsche Panamera, similar to the Porsche Carrera, originated from the 1950-1954 Carrera Panamericana rally race, with the inspiration for the vehicle itself coming from the 4-door performance sedan, the Porsche 989, released in the late 1980s. In 2009, three 4.8L V-8 versions of the Panamera were unveiled: the S, 4S and Turbo Panameras. Both the S and the 4S have 400 HP, 520 Nm of torque and a top speed hovering around 285 km/h. The Turbo has a twin turbo engine producint 513 HP, 700 Nm of torque and a max speed of a tick over 300 km/h. Later in 2010, the 3.6L V-6 Panamera and Panamera 4 were released, boasting a top speed of 260 km/h and engines producing 306 HP and 400 Nm of torque. A point was made for the technologies of the V-6 to replicate those of the V-8, including direct fuel injection, VarioCam Plus valve timing technology and water-cooling with thermal management.
2011: Hybrid and Panamera GTS release
We met the rear wheel drive 3.0L V6 supercharged hybrid models of the Panamera in 2011. The hybrid model was developed along with the original Panamera range. At the time it had the prestigious title of being the most environmentally friendly Porsche in the whole fleet, emitting only just over 190 g/km, whilst still accelerating to 100 km/h in six seconds. In 2011, the Panamera GTS was also released, with a 4.8L V-8, kicking out 434 HP, 520 Nm of torque and jettisoning the sedan to a top speed of 288 km/h. Phenomenally, the Panamera GTS can achieve a lateral acceleration of nearly 1g and transfers to an amazing ability to handle corners at speed.
2013: Facelifts
In April 2013, not satisfied with some aspects of the Panamera, Porsche released a couple of revised models. The new body showed subtle changes to the shape of the front and rear bumpers. This facelift from Porsche coincided with the release of the twin turbo 4.8L Panamera S and the plug-in 3.0L V-6 supercharged Panamera S E-Hybrid model. This hybrid is powered by an electric motor and has a 410 HP, 590 Nm of torque and a top speed of 270 km/h. Amazingly, the S E-Hybrid slashes emissions from the original Panamera model in half with an emission rate of only 71g/km.
2016: Second Generation Panamera
Fast forward to early July 2016 and the second generation Panamera reveal in Berlin. Porsche has outdone themselves by remodeling the tail end of the Panamera to a more avant-garde design, aesthetically revamping its shape to please passionate Porsche aficionados. The second generation Panamera was launched with the Panamera 4S and Turbo, which represent a fantastic transformation of the Porsche 989 and truly underpin the rich Porsche lineage. By way of a throwback to the 1955 Porsche 356, the new iterations contain front and center tachometers. The Panamera utilizes touch sensitive surface technology and as an addition without compromising any of the Porsche pedigree built up over decades of considerate car engineering.
Also in 2016, at the Paris Motor Show, Porsche will be unveiling the 3rd member of the second generation Panamera family - the 4 E-Hybrid. The new plug-in hybrid differs from it's predecessor in that it's an all-wheel drive model and the electric motor is engaged as soon as the driver touches the pedal. Unlike most hybrid cars, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid does not need to be piloted conservatively to leverage the vehicle's electric mode. Driven under 140 km/h it provides an electric range of 50 km per charge. The liquid-cooled battery that powers the electric motor has increased in capacity from 9.4 to 11.1 kWh, and can be fully charged in as little as 3.6 hours.
Date Posted: September 28, 2016