Car Style - The Porsche Panamera

(UPDATED: March 14, 2012)

For many people, there should NEVER be a four-door Porsche. The Cayenne was a diversion from the classic Porsche coupes when it was released. Did people buy them? Sure! I've seen a number of Porsche Cayennes on the road. So, would the Panamera sell too? Sure, especially if this car can strike quite a large chord with those looking for a proper grand tourer. A lot of people hate this car because four-door Porsches don't look right or are acceptable. But, I'm not one of those "a lot of people." This blog post consists of one of the most unusual Porsches you will ever see. Most of what I will describe pertains to the base model Panamera.

--- Car Style: The Porsche Panamera ---

Meet the Porsche Panamera:


^ from: www.egmcartech.com - the Porsche Panamera is the most unusual-looking Porsche since the Cayenne.

Take a look up front, and you'll see a classic modern Porsche. But when you look on the sides, you note something... different- four doors and an elongated overall image. The Panamera is perhaps Porsche's answer to the Aston Martin Rapide or any other high-end four-door luxury sedan. The Panamera comes in five different trims (at least for the USA). The base model Panamera is good for 300 horsepower at 6200 rpm. The base model Panamera costs about $74K USD. The top-of-the-line Panamera model is the Panamera Turbo, and it goes for 500 horsepower at 6000 rpm and costs about $135K. The model range in order from base model to most powerful is in this order: Panamera, Panamera 4, Panamera S, Panamera 4S, and Panamera Turbo. This Porsche can be either in rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It's the most unusual Porsche this side of the Cayenne, THAT'S for sure!

Exterior.

Up front, the guise of a modern Porche can be seen. The headlights are designed beautifully. Without looking at the sides or the rear, you would immediately feel like this is just another sporty Porsche. The styling is clean and elegant up front. A sculpted bonnet/hood adds some extra elegance to its already elegant profile. Lovely LED lights below the headlights help add some extra charm to the Panamera' looks.

Your perceptions of this car begin to change when you see the sides of this car. Depending on how you feel, this car is either a beautifully-designed four-door car, or a waste of time and engineering. In my view, the Panamera is a very beautiful (if not unusual) car from the sides. Aft of the front wheels is a huge side duct kind of like on a Corvette C6. The sculpted lines help add some aggression to this car. The doors up front and in the second row are cleanly styled and are unobtrusive. This is at least a sporty high-end car that has a much cleaner appearance than the Nissan GT-R. I am actually amazed at how Porsche is able to maintain making such an interesting car while not sacrificing the classic Porsche image. May not be the prettiest attempt, but it still remains stylish and inviting. You'd probably think this is a car from some other make had I not told you it was a Porsche. The car comes with some lovely wheels, and I think a sunroof is optional for the Panamera.

Topping off the unusual guise of the Panamera is its rear, which comes complete with classic Porsche styling and a little extra luxury. The classic Porsche tail lights compliment the rear along with a trapezoidal pair of exhaust tips, one on each side. The Panamera Turbo has a pair of exhaust tips, one on each side. A chrome bar can be found on the rear to offer some luxury style to the rear of this car. A nicely-sloping, if not wholly unusual, rear windshield finishes off the looks of this luxury Porsche.

Interior.

The interior of the Porsche Panamera is delightful and beautiful. It has the right balance of sporty and luxurious in a well-done package. Its inviting character on the outside is exemplified inside. This car is somewhat very cluttered on the driver side, but not too cluttered to where it is a hot mess. The gauges in the instrument panel are all styled very nicely and are every bit worthy of "luxurious." I've seen pictures of two different steering wheels for the Panamera. The one I like is a dark brown one with some metallic accents. Both are lovely as you note the paddle shifters on the back of the steering wheel. An analog Porsche clock is optional, but it looks so far back that you can't really notice it is there. You WILL notice the navigation system, though. It is complimented in the center console by a host of basic instruments to handle things like air conditioning, heating, and more. The shifter is also styled nicely and luxuriously. The whole dashboard is actually styled very nicely. As for the seats both front and rear, they are all styled in a sporty and elegant way. At least you know that wherever your destination is when driving, you'll know you can arrive there in style in this four-door Porsche.





In my view, I don't see why so many people hate on the Porsche Panamera's looks so much. It IS unusual to see a four-door luxury Porsche. Trying something different and unusual can yield surprising results. Look at the BMW X6. People complained that it was one of the ugliest things on the road. I'd rather go with an X6 style-wise than be caught in a Hummer H2, Hummer H3, a Honda Accord Crosstour, a Pontiac Aztek, or anything like that. People just think that Porsches should ONLY be two-door sports cars with amazing performance. Despite this, didn't people buy and love the Cayenne? If anything, be pleased (and pleasantly surprised) if a Porsche Panamera shows up near you. It is a most unusual Porsche for sure. If you so want a true four-door luxury sedan, maybe an Aston Martin Rapide would tickle your fancy. But if you want a four-door luxury car from an established make (not to say that Aston Martin isn't an established make), Porsche has the Panamera waiting for you to drive and enjoy. It is a surprise-worthy automobile in both looks and charm.

Thank you for reading!

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