DOES PORSCHE GET IT RIGHT WITH THE PANAMERA? FIND OUT AT:
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/GeneralFuture/articleId=130326?tid=edmunds.il.futurelanding.latestnews..3.*
Our spy shooters have caught the 2010 Porsche Panamera once again, this time during some hot-weather testing in Death Valley, California. And once again, the upcoming four-door Porsche has left us scratching our heads over its design.
Incorporating elements from both the 911 and the Cayenne, the Panamera looks like it's having a hard time pulling off the whole "four-door coupe" idea. The high window line makes it look bulky in profile, while the massive hatchback window does little to slim down the big rear end. We'll assume for now that the car will look far more elegant when all the tape comes off, but for now the Panamera looks like it could take over from the Cayenne as the least attractive Porsche in the Stuttgart company's lineup.
Three direct-injection gasoline engines are expected to be offered from the start of North American sales, which now look likely to begin in late 2009.
At the bottom end of the scale will be a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 sourced from Volkswagen. Positioned above that will be the Panamera S, with a Porsche-developed 4.8-liter V8 that makes 405 hp. Rounding out the lineup will be the Panamera Turbo, challenging the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG with a turbocharged 520-hp 4.8-liter V8.
Porsche has also confirmed it will add a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the Panamera to its lineup in 2010. It is expected to receive an adapted version of the full parallel-hybrid system that Porsche is developing in cooperation with Volkswagen for the second-generation Cayenne and Touareg. Average fuel economy, Porsche claims, will top 25 mpg.
The entry-level V6 is expected to be sold exclusively in rear-wheel-drive guise. The V8-powered models are set to have an adapted version of the Cayenne's Haldex-style four-wheel-drive system with multiplate clutch. Among the gearbox choices will be a standard six-speed manual and an optional six-speed automatic.
Prices in Europe are expected to start at around $125,000 for the Panamera V6, ranging up to $195,000 for the Panamera Turbo. Sticker prices on the U.S. models could be slightly lower when it goes on sale in late 2009.
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