2009 PORSCHE Panamera S (970) 4.8L V8 6MT (400 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The dream of a four-door Porsche was fulfilled with the introduction of the Panamera range in 2009 at the Shanghai Auto Show. Since it wasn’t an SUV, it was more important for the Porsche fans.

The idea of a four-door Porsche was not new. It was tried in the late ’80s with the 989 concept car, which was based on the 911 platform. Later on, two four-doors Porsche 928s were tried by the German car-maker. After more effort, the engineering team succeeded to make the Panamera.

A four-door Porsche was hard to understand and to be accepted by some fans, but it was necessary. Those who owned a 911 needed a 4-door car to enjoy driving it daily with all the comfort and requirements from a daily driver. The Panamera was an evolution from the 928, with a front-engine and rear-wheel-drive architecture. The headlights were inspired by those installed on the Cayenne and the sloped back resembled a 911. A pair of vents were installed behind the front wheel arches. The taillights were similar to those found on the Cayman.

Inside, the Panamera designers took their inspiration from the luxury Vertu mobile phones. A four-seat layout was the only option, with a big center console that separated the driver from the other passengers. In the back, there was a decent room for adults and since it was a hatchback it could get an impressive amount of luggage.

The Panamera lineup started with a 3.6-liter V6 carried over from the Volkswagen group and found in the Cayenne as well. The Panamera S was the first fitted with a proper Porsche engine, a biturbo 3.0 lliter V6 unit that sent its power to the rear wheels via a standard 6-speed manual. A 7-speed automatic (PDK – double-clutch) gearbox was available as an option.