2010 Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo Turbo

Pardeep

๑۩۩๑┼●ℛŐŶ


Porsche's much-questioned decision to follow in the lead of Maserati and release a 4-door luxury sports sedan slotted in above cars like the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series is finally nearing its first real test: market reception.

The Panamera's official title has been given as the 2010 Porsche Panamera Gran Turismo. The top-of-the-line Panamera Gran Turismo model carries a twin-turbocharged Porsche V8 outputting 500 horsepower, and AWD. Early driving impressions have pegged the Panamera Turbo as much more like a 911 on the road than a Cayennne, even though the Panamera Gran Turismo's design has been near-universally criticized.

From some angles, the 2010 Panamera Turbo, S and 4S models carry a revolutionary design that is true-to-form for Porsche but smashes some industry notions of what a sedan needs to look like. Things get a little sketchy from the C-pillar rearward, though. Porsche's decision to release the 2010 Panamera as a 5-door hatchback rather than a true sedan has caused some head scratching, to say the least.

Almost looking as if it has been rear ended at parking lot speeds, the Panamera Gran Turismo's rear end could have benefitted from an elongated trunk rather than the afforementioned hatch.

There are hints of the Cayenne in the way the rear window wraps downward toward the bumper and splitter, while the front end is all 911. The result looks great if viewed from certain directions, and downright yucky when seen from others.

The Turbo, like the Panamera 4S but carrying more power, has full time AWD and Porsche's new 7 speed PDK DSG manual with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Priced above all but the most extreme of 911 models, the 2010 Panamera Turbo should make good use of its 500 horses and electronically controlled everything to make a serious push for the best driving dynamics found in a sedan to date, M5 included.

And for Porsche enthusiasts and family types for whom money is not an object, having a car that can comfortably haul the kids and all their gear with this type of performance prowess should be plenty. The Panamera line will sell, to be sure.

-RSportsCars
 
Top