Porscheโs new Panamera went on sale in mid-October, the end result of a four-year, billion-euro investment in an all-new offering aimed at the luxury performance market niche, and its combination of four-door convenience with sports car style and performance includes all the standard virtues attendant to the Porsche name. Much design effort was expended to ensure the Panameraโs direct bloodlines to the iconic 911, and these are readily evident in roofline and window shapes that give it the desired instant recognition as a Porsche.
Photo: John Zimmermann
So, what is this new machine really like? First impression, unavoidably, is its size. The Panamera is big. To get an idea of just how big, letโs compare it first to its sibling 911, and then to a collection of similar carsโMaseratiโs Quattroporte, Aston Martinโs Rapide, and Jaguarโs XFโthat represent perhaps its most direct competitors.