2010 Porsche Panamera Exclusive Spy Video
It's already being referred to as Porsche 911 with rear doors and a back seat. Keeping that in mind, consumers can probably figure out that the Panamera, the first sedan Porsche has ever produced, will be a bit on the pricey side. And like every other Porsche on the market, they will be hard to come by. Of course, the Panamera is their answer the Mercedes Benz CLS and BMWs CS concept model. Consumers will get to see the newest in the Porsche - number 4 if you're keeping count - at the 2009 Geneva Auto Salon in Switzerland with American sales following later in the year.
With some borrowed components from the Cayenne SUV, the Panamera is a four-door coupe that is slung low to the ground. It looks like a stretched out version of the 911 sports car. The engine is in the front and there is a small trunk with sloped lift gate, something that is almost unheard of in Porsches. It is expected to be smaller and lighter than the CLS overall and should deliver the same high-quality handling and performance as the other three Porsche models.
The Cayenne is loaning their powerful V8s engines to the 2010 Panamera S model with a 4.8 liter engine, 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, top speed of 180, and 400 horsepower. The Turbo version has 520 horsepower. Both models will come in a six speed manual or seven speed automatic transmissions and the base model Panamera will come in the same options except with a V6 3.6 liter engine at 300 horsepower provided by Volkswagen.
The 2010 Panamera will be launched as a rear-wheel drive car with a possible all-wheel drive option coming later down the road. Porsche is even discussing a full parallel hybrid version of the Panamera, but like the all-wheel drive version, this will be two, maybe three years after the cars initial launch. Additionally, it is being rumored that the Panamera will also have the usual array of stability and ride-enhancing electronics with an air suspension as well as the custom trim options all of the companies other vehicles come with.
If you want one of the 2010 Porsche Panamera's, you may want to go to the dealer now instead of waiting. Porsche is only planning on producing 20,000 cars for worldwide sales. The United States will be lucky if they see 9,000 of them on their lots. Consumer advocates are advising that interested consumers hit the lots now and place their orders.
They will also need to bring their pocketbooks. To order one of these cars will require a hefty down payment as they are priced between $108,000 for the base model and going as high as $168,000 for the Turbo.
