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TheCarConnection.com drove the new 2010 Porsche Panamera to bring you this hands-on road test review. Editors at TheCarConnection.com also compared the Panamera with other sedans and researched reviews from a wide range of reputable sources to bring you a comprehensive look at the new vehicle.
High Gear Media accepted travel from Porsche to bring you this hands-on road test of the 2010 Panamera.
Likes:
- Neck-grabbing Turbo power
- Paddle-shifted gearbox
- Unaccustomed light touch
- Real rear-seat room
Dislikes:
- Baby got back
- Busy, half-plastic cockpit
- Pervasive electronic controls
- Really, the ultimate Audi
Porsche builds sports cars-but with the Cayenne SUV, the German automaker put the world on notice that it had more in mind. Now with the 2010 Panamera sedan, Porsche fills out its lineup with a truly spacious four-door that makes few compromises in its search for buyers seeking shattering power, great handling, and real room for four adults. It's no four-door coupe, like the Aston Martin Rapide or the Mercedes-Benz CLS, but a true "gran turismo." On sale in October 2009, the 2010 Panamera starts from a base price of $90,750 for the rear-drive Panamera S sedan, moving up to $94,750 for the all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S, and to $133,550 for the turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Panamera Turbo.
Like no other Porsche before it, the Panamera aims for a traditional sedan silhouette, for better and for worse. As the unconfirmed story goes, former Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking mandated the Panamera would have room in the backseat for his 6' 3" frame. It does-but the resulting roofline takes a compelling shape and knocks it off balance. The usual Porsche front and rear fenders frame the shape and help create a low drag coefficient, and rounded headlamps and tapered tail lamps render traditional details handsomely. The front end is low-but the rear roofline isn't, which makes the Panamera seem out of proportion, even in darker tones. As with the Bugatti Veyron, the rear end has a fastback feel that may take a few years to grow familiar. It's simply not as sleek as a Benz CLS or even four-doors like the new Jaguar XJ, and the proportions play much better on the Maserati Quattroporte.
