By: Stuart Johnston
Dresden, Germany - A technical “workshop” on the up-coming all-new Porsche Panamera – due for global launch in August – was held for a select group of journalists at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz near Dresden in Germany last week. And the news from Porsche is that, while the new car is very recognisable as a Panamera, the only carry-over part from the outgoing model is the badge on the nose.
The most pressing question to be answered after this sneak preview is whether Porsche has addressed the appearance of the Panamera. While the four-door Porsche introduced to the world in 2009 was acknowledged as in many ways the most dynamically accomplished Porsche of all, its appearance left many people cold.
Interestingly, in this modular workshop presentation of the new car, no designer was on hand to present the visual changes made to the car. However, as we were able to view the new car in the metal, we were able to set minds at rest. Porsche has achieved the very difficult task of ensuring that the 2017 Panamera at once conforms to the original styling template, while addressing all of the styling criticisms levelled at the Panamera to date.
Chief amongst these criticisms is the slab-sidedness of the outgoing car. While the new car is just fractionally longer, the front axle line has been moved forward significantly to increase the wheelbase and reduce front overhang. Also, the profile of the roof has been completely re-shaped with much more of a dome-shape reminiscent of a 911. Similarly, the side-glass cut-out has been completely re-configured, giving the car a much more coupé-like silhouette.
Technological breakthrough
All these changes, along with new shapes to the frontal and rear views add up to a recognisable Panamera that is now interesting and lithe from any angle. And yet those styling revisions are perhaps the least far-reaching of the new car’s accomplishments.
The car’s construction itself is a breakthrough in technology. Aluminium is now used for virtually the entire outer skin of the car, including the roof and floor-pan, and on the sides of the car this material is attached to the super-high-strength steel passenger-safety structure by means of a technique called roller hemming, which along with a special adhesive, means that no rivets are used to join the body to the steel chassis sections. This all-new approach has saved some 70kg of weight in the basic bodyshell.
However, all that mass (and about 5 kg more) has been added to the new model, thanks to customer demands for an extremely sophisticated connectivity and comfort spec. Gone are the array of switches, and in their place are touchscreen controls of an extremely advanced nature. One of the most impressive of these new technologies is the ability for the Panamera now to scan the road for three km ahead and adapt the most economical and appropriate throttle, gear-selection and braking (without any driver input) using a system called Innodrive.
Two versions for SA
Mechanically, the new Panamera is all new too. South Africa will initially get two versions of the new Porsche, these being the Panamera 4S with a V6 twin-turbopetrol motor, and the amazing new Panamera Turbo, using an all-new 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo producing 404kW and 770Nm of torque. All new Panameras feature all-wheel-drive and an all-new eight-speed PDK gearbox.
The Panamera Turbo comes standard with air suspension and optional rear axle steering, which sees very slight same-directional steering on the rear axle at slow cornering speeds (below 50km/h) and slight counter-steer at higher speeds to promote stability. Other stability aids include a progressive locking rear diff, torque vectoring on all four wheels, and variable damping with distinct differences between comfort and sport applications.
Plush ride, impressive agility
The highlight of our workshop experience was a few laps around Lausitzring in the passenger seat of the new Panamera Turbo. Porsche’s test driver first did a lap in “comfort” mode and this saw the Panamera exhibit near limousine levels of ride plushness, quite astounding in a car equipped with 21-inch rims and ultra-low-profile rubber.
After that it was on to the ultimate “Sport” setting, with this Chrono-package equipped car making full use of its launch-control system. It is astounding that a full-four-seater car of this size, over 5 metres long and weighing just under 2000 kg, can accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. What is even more amazing is the front end bite it generates as the driver turns into the first medium-pace turn, carrying what appears to be far too much speed. The nose just bites, the car instantly changes direction and the rest of the long-wheelbase car follows suit.
Our test-driver purposely made use of the throttle and all 404 kW of twin-turbo V8 power to get the tail out on the exit of an S-bend, and then gather it up beautifully, with seemingly little effort on his part.
The way this big car was able to swop direction and apply traction was amazing. And from previous experience, the car’s real forte will remain its high-speed stability, all the way up to its 306 km/h top speed.
The Panamera has always been a wonderful Porsche in the way it delivers. Now it looks the part too.
Star Motoring
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