Porsche Panamera

Porsche today revealed the first official photos of its new four-door grand touring sports car, roughly nine months before its scheduled market launch. Joining the 911, Boxster and Cayman sports cars as well as the sporty Cayenne SUV, the Panamera is Porsche's fourth model series.

The designers of the Panamera sought to position their latest offering as a brand-new and truly different model while retaining the defining Porsche look. The design therefore is a symbiosis of Porsche DNA combined with the company's interpretation of a sedan. The proportions of the Panamera are also unique in the market segment: it measures 4970mm long, 1931mm wide, and stands 1418mm high.

Inside, the Panamera is a four-passenger car, with 'pilot feeling' front and rear seats and two 'firmly contoured' single seats at the rear. Porsche is calling the interior a 'variable space concept' because of the potential to reconfigure the luggage compartment via folding rear seat backs.

The new Panamera will be available in V6 or V8 guise - with power ranging from 300 to 500bhp - and all-wheel drive will supplement the standard rear-wheel drive layout. Porsche is also preparing a hybrid version.

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