I'm sure the purists will howl, as they did when the Cayenne was released, but this is looking pretty damn good. The latest on the Panamera from Autoweek last week:
"The Panamera initially will be offered in rear-wheel-drive form only. However, a four-wheel-drive option featuring a modified Haldex-style multiplate clutch from the 911 Turbo (rather than the older setup, which continues to be used on the 911 Carrera 4) is expected within the first 12 months of production.
Under the hood sits a 4.8-liter version of Porsche’s four-valve-per-cylinder, 90-degree V8, as unveiled in the facelifted Cayenne earlier this year. The longitudinally mounted unit uses a new direct-injection system plus the latest in exhaust-gas recirculation and cylinder-deactivation technology to ensure competitive fuel mileage and emissions, while serving up the needed power and torque to challenge competitors.
Nothing is official yet, but minor adjustments should allow output to rise slightly above that of the recently introduced Cayenne, with naturally aspirated Panamera S versions starting at 400 hp, while the top-of-the-line Panamera Turbo should hit 520 hp—the latter backed up by a prodigious 516 lb-ft of torque. With standard rear-wheel-drive versions of the new car said to weigh 4100 pounds, this should ensure 0-to-60-mph acceleration in about 4.5 seconds and, with new advanced aerodynamics, a top speed in excess of 180 mph.
Although Porsche considered equipping the Panamera with a transaxle (an arrangement used on the old 928) to achieve the best possible weight distribution, the complexity and cost led to a decision to tread a more conventional path, with the gearbox mounted to the rear of the engine. Two units are planned: a standard six-speed manual and an optional seven-speed double-clutch setup, the latter expected to appear on the facelifted 911 at Frankfurt in September.
The Panamera will be built alongside the Cayenne at Porsche’s Leipzig factory in Germany, beginning in August 2009, according to supplier sources. Final assembly will bring together drivelines from Porsche’s Zuffenhausen headquarters and steel bodies from Volkswagen’s Hanover plant. Official figures place annual production at about 20,000, although this is considered conservative, even by Porsche standards. AutoWeek understands the carmaker is installing capacity for as many as 30,000 cars per year, some 35 percent of which are expected to find their way to North America."
And a Coupe version as well....928 for the 21st Century:
