Panamera - Actual photos

[pauljmcnulty]

let's face it if you don't care about practical you are going to buy a 911, not Panamera.

I think we're making the same mistake here we all do with the Cayenne, which was never designed to take little Flora and Mezzanine 300 yards to school in Hampstead, and as such is not very good at that. The Panamera isn't designed to look good to UK, or even Western European, buyers. Much less armchair critics like me! [&:]

Watch the sales figures in a few years time and I bet it'll be massively outselling the 911 in some markets, just as the Cayenne does now. That might explain the resemblance to the Tatra John noticed....[8|]

I'd say it's actually a very good design. The brief would be to create a large saloon that screams Porsche when approaching in your mirror. That's going to make you move your Tata, Nanking or Zastava out of the way pretty quick and you'll be envious of the businessman being chaufered to his oligarch's office.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

This thread may have to go, Pistonheads have pulled the pics as they are embargoed at the moment.

Rest assured that we don't censor things on THIS forum!

(Unless we are asked to very nicely.....)

 

[Guest]

You know I think its a grower.... Id love to say I hate it but its definately getting better each time I look at it. The back door has that E-type look about it and the sides are just about right. The front's not bad either. You will make no mistake when you see it along the road. Cars look all the same now so its good to see sommit different...!
Whens the diesel version coming out.....? []

 

[vitesse]

I think it's a great design;apart from 4 doors,it reminds me of the British 4 seater cars of yesteryear-the Warwick & subsequent Peerless pioneers of sporting family GT's which I was thrilled to see this year at Le Mans,still in day to day use having been driven from Cumbria(One of several northern locations) & one had actually raced at Le Mans & came 7th I think.
Shut lines?There seems to be raster lines in the photo's on the shut lines so they may not be as actual.Possibly pre-production models so some ongoing production development yet.If I have the money ,it would suit me since you only need one car,although I like an estate for it's flexibility & the ability to carry grandchildren,prams etc.

 

[FistsOfHam]

First thing I thought when I saw that was Corvette C6.

 

[Alexw]

it kinda reminds me of a 928 tbh. More modern though, which i suppose is what it is

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Fen beat me to it when he said "Crosfire" although I thought it when I saw the rear shot... Wonder what comment Clarkson will make of that - considering what he said of the rear 3/4 aspect of the Chrysler....

P.S for Mr Sims... Actually I like Tatra's [][8D]

 

[colin129]

This whole pretty/ugly thing kinda gets a bit boring after a while.

I firmly believe that the Cayene is only ugly because Clarkson said so. Have you seen one next to an X5, VW thingy, Volvo effort? They are all ugly, but because the Cayene is a bit less bulky and a bit lower, I think it actully is one of the least ugly 4x4s.

Same with the Maser, it ain't that wonderful, its only because Clarkson said so again.

All that Bangle rubbish, truely awful and everyone said so at the time and now everyone is doing similair stuff so a lot of cars look dreadful these days.

Lets wait to see what it looks like in the flesh and hope that Clarkson doesn't write it off straight away shall we?

Surely us lot should see beyond the look and appreciate the engineering. Porsches have never been beauty contest winners anyway, its how it goes that's important.

I think I read that Porsche accidentally (!?) published some Panamera pics on its website, but withdrew them later the same day.

 

[Fen]

I have to agree that the Cayenne isn't ugly (if you want truly ugly in a 4x4 you can't beat the Subaru Tribeca, and I don't say tha due to anti-Subaru bias), and I also agree the Maser isn't to my taste. Neither is the new Jag XK thing which has been raved about. Unfortunately neither is the Panamera, however.

I hated the Bangle BMWs when they came out, but things do grow on you. I still think the 7 series is a bit of a challenge, but the 5, especially with M-Sport kit and in Touring style, looks pretty good, as does the Z4. The 3 looks a bit bland in comparison in fact. None are as crisp as the previous e38/e39/e46 range, but the Z3 wasn't a patch on the Z4.

I don't know if I agree with the lazy styling accusation, but I see the effects of it. The current range of Porsche sportscars have a family resemblance, which is fine (and to my eye looks better than the previous generation 986/996 corporate look), but it doesn't translate well to an SUV (albeit I think the Cayenne looks OK), nor to a 4-door saloon it would seem (which I think looks OK as well, just extremely disappointing given what it could/should have looked like as a premium product in this sector). I don't think it was lazy though; with hindsight I think the design team was given a brief that was doomed to produce a mishmash from day one, and it was probably quite a lot of work to carry forward the corporate look on this platform without it looking a lot worse.

Who is it aimed at? My assumption was the Porsche buyer with a family who wants to stick with the brand but needs more seats. If I'm right then I'd suggest the biggest loser in terms of sales that go to the Panamera will be the Cayenne...

 

[carreraboy]

I like it ... it is what it is... would like to see a Coupe!

 

[rd944]

about as elegant and well conceived as the ferrari mondial.

 

[appletonn]

ORIGINAL: colin129

This whole pretty/ugly thing kinda gets a bit boring after a while.

I firmly believe that the Cayene is only ugly because Clarkson said so. Have you seen one next to an X5, VW thingy, Volvo effort? They are all ugly, but because the Cayene is a bit less bulky and a bit lower, I think it actully is one of the least ugly 4x4s.

Same with the Maser, it ain't that wonderful, its only because Clarkson said so again.

All that Bangle rubbish, truely awful and everyone said so at the time and now everyone is doing similair stuff so a lot of cars look dreadful these days.

Lets wait to see what it looks like in the flesh and hope that Clarkson doesn't write it off straight away shall we?

Surely us lot should see beyond the look and appreciate the engineering. Porsches have never been beauty contest winners anyway, its how it goes that's important.

I think I read that Porsche accidentally (!?) published some Panamera pics on its website, but withdrew them later the same day.

Do you honestly believe that??!!! Porsche are (should be?) all about design and engineering and for me, this falls a long way short.

Even if it is phenomenal to drive, if you had spent £70k on the latest 'ubersaloon', would you not want it to look as good as it drives?[8|]

Why do we all like our old 944s - not just the driving experience, surely?![]

 

[morris944s2john]

ORIGINAL: VanhireBoys

You know I think its a grower.... Id love to say I hate it but its definately getting better each time I look at it. The back door has that E-type look about it and the sides are just about right. The front's not bad either. You will make no mistake when you see it along the road. Cars look all the same now so its good to see sommit different...!
Whens the diesel version coming out.....? []

I agree, its a grower. I liked it at first but on looking at the pics again on this thread have just spotted some nice design details I missed on the first look. Such as the subtle power bulge in the bonnet that continues into the front bumper and the shape of each exhaust tail pipe end seems to echo the two side windows shape from certain angles.

 

[appletonn]

ORIGINAL: colin129

This whole pretty/ugly thing kinda gets a bit boring after a while.

I firmly believe that the Cayene is only ugly because Clarkson said so. Have you seen one next to an X5, VW thingy, Volvo effort? They are all ugly, but because the Cayene is a bit less bulky and a bit lower, I think it actully is one of the least ugly 4x4s.

Same with the Maser, it ain't that wonderful, its only because Clarkson said so again.

All that Bangle rubbish, truely awful and everyone said so at the time and now everyone is doing similair stuff so a lot of cars look dreadful these days.

Lets wait to see what it looks like in the flesh and hope that Clarkson doesn't write it off straight away shall we?

Surely us lot should see beyond the look and appreciate the engineering. Porsches have never been beauty contest winners anyway, its how it goes that's important.

I think I read that Porsche accidentally (!?) published some Panamera pics on its website, but withdrew them later the same day.

All of the 4x4s are ugly things, although the design elements in the 'proper' Range Rover render it pretty handsome to my eyes!

The Cayenne is a 4x4 that someone has tried to make less ugly by grafting a 911-alike nose onto, which unfortunately doesn't then blend seamlessly into the 'Toe-rag' bodyshell - still no looker though.

Having driven a Quattroporte in anger, I must admit a bias, but it is a truly gorgeous thing inside and out and has a design language all its own, which is why I cannot understand anyone buying a new 7 series beemer, when you could have a Maser for less money, second hand!!

I'm sure the Panama ([]) will do extremely well and if that allows Porsche to develop new and exciting sports cars for us lot to buy once they have depreciated in 10 years time, then I'm all for it.....[][][]

 

[carreraboy]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

Hey, careful what you say, the Porsche 'police' might be listening....

Hmmm, after the comments I made on the thread in the general forum I'm in trouble, then.....[]

Hmmmmmmmm[]

 

[Suffolk944]

There are some angles which look ok but others which most certainly don't to my eyes at least. The front and rear ends that mirror other current porkers rather too closely tacked onto that rather uninspiring mid section does it give it a somewhat "cut and shut" appearance.

That said it may look better in the metal, am always struck how much better looking a 928 is in real life rather than in 2d form in a picture.

 

[wjk_glynn]

ORIGINAL: Fen
...Who is it aimed at? My assumption was the Porsche buyer with a family who wants to stick with the brand but needs more seats. If I'm right then I'd suggest the biggest loser in terms of sales that go to the Panamera will be the Cayenne...

Bingo. And for better or worse, I'm an example of that demographic .

Karl.

 

[MarkK]

I can't wait,i bet it will look just fine.

 

[Tony M]

As a potential buyer of the Panamera ,since I have a letter of intent lodged with my OPC, I can honestly say that having seen the Photos I am less than impressed with the whole car.

I will stick to my 911 and Cayenne and bypass this halfway house between the two.

 

[sawood12]

I must admit it has grown on me -though from some angles the slightly swollen back end does remind me of a Vaxhaul Signum. I love the interior, with that wide flat central tunnel with all the switches on it has a real Aircraft cockpit feel to it - something that appeals to the inner child.

I'm also one that thinks Porsches have never been about styling. The 928 is about the only Porsche that is credible form a styling point of view. I don't thinkg the 944 is pig ugly, but niether is it a beauty. I don't think many (or even any) German cars are truly beautiful. I think it is because Germans design cars properly first then worry about the asthetics, form following function, wheras the Italians do it the other way round. I know which way round I prefer it.

However one thing I didn't realise about it is it's size. Is it really 7 inches longer than a Ceyenne? If so that is simply rediculous in this day and age. I already think that the Ceyenne/X5/Q8 (or whatever) sized cars need to be banned - or at least taxed a rediculous amount - say £2k per year, as they are simply too large and heavy for our roads. I'm no eco-warrior, but even I have a sense of when we've gone a step too far. Also these things are so large and heavy they are dangerous as they compromise the safety design features of other normal cars on the road resulting in needless deaths in relatively minor car accidents where all the occupants should survive.