Opinions wanted: Porsche Panamera

My first thought was that it was ugly and all wrong. I thought Porsche would be out of their minds to build such a car. But over time it has kinda grown on me, in fact, to the point that I kinda really like it now.

I also seem to remember that when they brought out their SUV people thought they were off their rockers. Why must people think that Porsche should only make sports cars. I know they are great at doing that, but they are a car company and are in business to make money I assume. Not just to keep everyone happy, and build one type of car. They are expanding to new markets as any other company would.

If I had the means to purchase one it would definetly be on my list. Although I guess I’d also have to find another seat for my third kid???

Mercedes’s AMG cars and to a lesser extent Audi’s RSs and BMW’s Ms have shown that the Germans can certainly build very serious high-performance four-doors.

Porsche seems to be in an oddball way, though. Fans moan and yell if they try to get rid of their signature 911 despite the rest of the world having realized that the rear-engine layout is hardly ideal. Any truly new model is usually greeted with skepticism and tends to be relatively short-lived – see 914, 924-944-968, 928. They also seem to have a hard time deciding on their market position, being the only large German sports car company; they are competing with the more exotic and beautiful Italian sports cars and the more affordable and sometimes more fun British sports cars – are they sports cars or status symbols or luxury cruisers? IMHO, the Cayenne should have never been built and hopefully history will judge it harshly.

I guess what I’m saying is, the Panamera is a much more logical car for Porsche to build. I certainly welcome it to the market more than their appalling SUV!

Count me in the awesome, fantastic, slobbering column on the Panamera.

oops, I soiled myself.

C

The notion that an automaker “should” or “shouldn’t” offer a certain type of product is ludicrous. If this car, the Cayenne, or some other vehicle type allow Porsche to remain profitable so that the can continue to exist and thus build cars that cater to their enthusiast base, who cares?

i think it’s beautiful

Initial thought on the appearance of the car…looks nice from some angles, not from others. I could do without the big Volvo-esque window in the back, and the front end could look a little more muscular.

As for Porsche building a 4-seater…why should the kids miss out on all of the fun?

I am one of the folks who thought it was silly and annoying that Porsche was entering the sedan market… however, this car has grown on me quite strongly as of late and I can see the folly in my previous mode of thought.

I am excited to see one of these on the road and get a better look at it… and if I hear that you are getting one Aaron I will be stalking you… just a friendly heads up.

Maybe this will lead to a test drive in the Lamborghini Estoqueusfka

Eh, needs more cup holders and buttons. I kid, I kid.

Beautiful lines. If it wasn’t a Porsche, ALL the automotive press would be gaga over it. The idea that a car maker should stick to a narrow niche is ludicrous. The interior, though… I’m not too fond of it. I’d like to see it in a different color; I might change my mind. But I hate that blinding white (or, almost-white or ecru or whatever you call it) upholstery.

Forgot to mention: Interior. All those myriad of buttons around the shifter look really strange to me. It looks cluttered. It would look a lot better/cleaner if those button were repositioned. To where, I don’t know…

I think its a great idea that Porsche comes out with a four door car to compete with their counterparts and I’m sure it will be a fine drivers car, especially with the Porsche fanatics who couldn’t buy one due the kid factor. However, the interior center console is way over done and too busy with all those 627 buttons. And with the exception of the rear view this car is butt-ugly. Only when I see one in person will I maybe lighten my opinion on the styling.

I am tired of the manufacturers coming up with one look that has to be carried through the line. Design concepts sure, get that, but Mercedes, Cadillac, Lexus, Porsche, BMW, are really getting to the point where it is just picking small, medium, large, or XL versions that all look the same.

I find it to be very boring, and limiting. If I dont like a company’s look, it will stop me from buying any of the models.

OK, so it looks like a Crossfire from the back, the fender cutouts look like they cme straight off a Tiburon, and the front end looks like they ran a 911 through a flattening machine. Oh, and how about the 92387542398 buttons on the console? Strange….

That being said, I’ll take 2, please. Somehow all the components come together to look really sleek, and I can overlook the strange button placement for that gigantic nav screen, thank you VERY much.

From the front it reminds me of a catfish.

It looks more like a 5 door hatchback to me. But even so, I like it a lot!!!

As others have pointed out, why should a family man have to choose between the sports car and the family car? Here is an opportunity, though a somewhat expensive one, to take the kids along on that exhilarating drive up the coast.

Along with the other fun sports sedans from Mercedes, Audi, BMW, Fisker, and even the lower end from Infiniti and the like; we are finally seeing a whole new type of vehicle product line emerging that fills the need of the midlife crisis “I need a youthful sports car” and the “I still have young ones so I must wait” conundrum.

Go Porsche and any other sports car manufacturer for daring to dream and making them realities!

It’s ludicrous to think that any of the hammerheads that are screaming about Porsche building a sedan would decline one if they had the means. Why should Stuttgart miss out on marketing a vehicle that would appeal to a much wider purchasing base? Besides, I think it’s captivating, kinda takes me back to the Ferrari 400/412 crush I had way back when…

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Me liiiikesss! This looks like a promising move by Porsche considering they haven’t made a 4-door since they brought out the Cayenne. I usually prefer automatics and hate sticks, but even I’m a bit puzzled as to why Porsche wouldn’t be offering a stick on it. It would me unusual, especially considering the fact that all Porsches offer a stick on at least one trim.

Gorgeous! As is another 4 door super car…the Maserati Quadraporte. Yes I agree that Porsche should move its boundries beyond what “Purist Porschephiles” demand. After all, where would Cadillac be without the CTS/CTS-V?

It will undoubtedly be a great driving car, but the styling leaves me wanting. Way too derivative of the 911 line. For this car to be a true success it should probably have been a joint venture with the masters of German sedans, Audi, and been a little more daring in styling.

I think it looks good. Not great but just good. The question is how does it drive and how well is it made.
If it drives great and is well made then it is beautiful.

looks nice but hardly original.

GOD THAT INTERIOR LOOKS AWFUL REMINDS ME OF THE DODGE DAYTONA CAN THEY PUT ANY MORE BUTTONS ON THE FLAPPING CONSOLE? SHEEZE

LOVE IT!! Give me a three car garage with that in black a Cayanne in Silver and a red 911 C4S Targa and I would be in heaven.

I can understand that is a probably a market and a sound business case to be made for a 4-door Porsche, but the resulting car is disappointingly unattractive.

That said, I’m sure that Porsche can repurpose the platform to create other better-looking cars in the future, such as a 2+2 coupe (a revival of the old 928) or a front-engined 2-passenger car. And they can always restyle the current Panamera until they get it right.

i think its ugly & in saloon cars, we like comforts, i am unable to understan why every company is making sports saloon and as this market is still a Niche.

As usual Porsche has a hit. How many Porsche have been failures anyway? In the old days the 914 and the 912 didn’t sell well because Porsche “purists” said they weren’t true Porsche.
Now we have Porsche SUV’s that shocked people until they started to sell.
As always, Porshe: the is no substitute.

I think it’s beautiful, and if it drives as good as it looks, then it will be a hit, although in this economy, and with the government reaching deeper and deeper in our pockets, who can afford it? Actually, a lot of people still can, and I salute them and hope to join their ranks soon. I like the 911-derivative styling. It’s a strength rather than a detriment, whereas the Cayenne just seemed to come out of nowhere and said “love me because I’m a Porsche, even though I’m ugly”.

When I view the various angles of this car I like them but when you put it all together they don’t seem to go together. I guess it’s the side view that puts it all together and blows it for me.

Should Porshe build a 4 door? Why not? Boomers have money and they are a big part of their market, or should be. Boomers have kids so it makes perfect business sense.

Love the sleek look. Unmistakeably Porsche, yet now more practical.

So much for the middle aged mans sports car, but it would probibly make a very fast family car. I like it.

Looking at it, it seems Porsche took their time to study all the other competitor’s vehicles and came up with a clean 4-door design that continues the Porsche shape yet doesn’t look ugly. Most other manufacturers seemed to have come up with the thought that bland and ugly would be a comfortable sell, Porsche stuck to what was tried and true with their lines and just reworked and tweaked this one to give the public a four door derivative. I stood back and took some time to look and think they have come up with a winner. Kudoes to Porsche!

This is the most sleek design sports car ever that now we can load up the grand kids and display to them that we are not grand parents. We are the new senior generation/baby boomers that craves design concepts that express our desire to never say never to anything! As a Colllector Car Broker (Collector Cars, LLC) and Co-Producer of two Kruse Auctions, history will tell the story on this Porsche…so, I hope Porshe puts this Porsche on the market, soon!

This is hard for a Porsche fan to say…but I think it misses the mark. If Porsche really wanted to build a four-door sports sedan, then why not build a four-door sports sedan? The half sedan-half 911 body makes this car neither fish nor fowl. Audi just moved ahead on my scorecard.

Compared to the Cayenne (which IS hideous) the PanA is gorgeous! And it’s interior is v. nice, much better than the rather plain 911.

I ask, “why not?” I hope Aaron gets his test drive. Will this be a four door sports car or a family sedan? Is it possible to make a four door sedan with the low ground clearance, wide stance, and low center of gravity of a 911?

Worst looking Porsche ever. I never liked how any Porsche looked, but after seeing this… I agree with Jeremy Clarkson in that Porsche designers do not know how to design cars. There are sooo many other alternative sport sedans in this market. They look a million times better then this crap.