What is it?
The head-turning Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, which, officially at least, is still a concept. After all, why would Porsche build a road-going concept of a car it has regularly hinted at and revealed to the public if it hadn’t already made a solid case for production?
The Panamera Sport Turismo drips with desirability. It is truly handsome, boasting terrifically low, wide and squat proportions, with a long bonnet, tapered glasshouse and muscular haunches.
The surfaces are tautly wrapped and full of intriguing feature lines to break up the visual bulk. At 4950mm long, 1990mm wide and 1401mm high, the concept is 20mm shorter, 60mm wider and 19mm lower than the existing four-door Panamera – dimensions expected to be retained for the production model. The wheels are 20-inch up front and 21-inch at the rear. It is, remember, a concept, after all…
The exquisite detailing stands out: the elliptical headlights, the thrusting side design feature and the slim three-dimensional rear lights help to enhance the car’s width. In a nod to the future, door mirrors have been replaced by cameras within the air ducts, with images projected into the outer edges of the instrument binnacle.
The fully functioning concept also showcases a new plug-in hybrid drive system, dubbed e-hybrid. It uses a more powerful version of the existing Panamera Hybrid’s brushless synchronous electric motor, mounted within the forward section of the gearbox housing and delivering 94bhp. It is supported by the same supercharged 328bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine used today.
Together, the electric motor and petrol engine provide the big estate with a combined output of 410bhp –sufficient to propel it from 0-62mph in less than a claimed six seconds, while providing combined fuel consumption of “better than” 80.7mpg and CO2 emissions below 82g/km. A 9.4kWh lithium ion battery mounted low in the boot floor replaces the nickel-hydride unit in the current Panamera Hybrid, and features plug-in compatibility.
Porsche claims an all-electric range of 18.6 miles at up to 81mph – values that are likely to be reflected on a facelifted version of the existing Panamera. It will be the first to adopt the new driveline. No wild pipe dream, then, but a genuine production-based driveline.
There’s a contemporary look to the cabin and inviting, iPad-like simplicity to the dashboard and centre console – both of which mimic the look of the 918 Spyder. There is little to complain about in the cabin of the existing Panamera, but its controls are dauntingly cluttered around the driver. The Sport Turismo showcases a simpler touchscreen system tipped to feature on future models.
The layout gives an organised feel from behind the beautifully proportioned steering wheel, while leather and aluminium trims provide an upmarket ambience. Accommodation up front feels little changed from today’s Panamera. The rear is a bit more cramped because of the concept’s pair of large individual seats, while more cargo capacity is afforded by the more upright rear end. Porsche won’t yet reveal figures but there’s likely to be at least 500 litres – a 55-litre improvement on the liftback.
Join the debate
275not599
The ride is almost
The ride is almost comfortable on the smoothest roads in America? Presumably the production model will have a better set of wheels and tyres.
Maxecat
Too wide
At 6ft 5" wide where will you be able to park it?
Or indeed where would you dare drive it apart from wide roads?
Is it wider than the Range Rover?
maxecat
Flash Harry
Handsome and desirable are
Handsome and desirable are not words that come to mind for me when i see the Panamera.I dont care how well it drives it must look the part too.Pass !
Peter Cavellini
OH Yeahhh!
Better than a Ferrari FF?......well....no, but, looks wise?,looks way more expensive,who cares about performance!
Peter Cavellini.
gutlessgut
this is a really good looking
this is a really good looking car. after the ugly panemera came out porsche have been cleaning up their designs. 911, boxter and cayman. hopefully they can make the current panamera look like this.
xxxx
ahhhh
I'm off to burn my eyes out. God not only is it ugly it's big and ugly.
typos1 - Just can’t respect opinion
toptidy
New Panamera
It is not as ugly as the current Panamera, but it is still pretty hideous.
I will never be in the market for such a car, but however well it may drive I would not want to be seen in one!
audiolab
Sport Turismo estate
Maybe call it a gran turismo or shooting brake as others do. Because the one thing it ain't is an estate, an extra 55 litres is bugger all. Its only as big as a big boot. Hardly worth the effort.
alfie scooby
God is in the details
the first gen Cayenne was darn ugly, the second gen a significant improvement. The current Panamera is as ugly as the first gen cayenne (if not more so), but this concept shows that by adjusting a few details, a beauty can be born from original ghastliness. Why couldn't they get it right the first time round? Especially love the faintly retro instrument cluster which is obviously inspired by those from air-cooled 911s
alfie
IAD
A great interior let down by the ugly exterior.
Whoever designed the interior cleary has more imagination then the person who designed the exterior.
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