Porsche AG has approved production of a four-seat sedan as the brand's fourth nameplate.

The rear-drive car with a front-mounted engine will be called Panamera and debut in 2009. The name comes from the historic La Carrera Panamericana long-distance race, Porsche says.

Contrary to speculation over the past few months, Porsche will design and build the Panamera without a partner. The Cayenne SUV is a joint project with Volkswagen AG.

Porsche expects to produce 20,000 Panameras a year. About 42 percent are expected to go to the United States.

The Panamera will be produced at the Leipzig, Germany, plant where Porsche builds the Cayenne and the Carrera GT supercar. Porsche says it will self-fund the $1.20 billion investment for the Panamera, which includes development costs.

Porsche expects the Panamera project to create 600 jobs at its Leipzig factory and another 400 positions at its plants in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and Weissach, Germany.

Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking says the Panamera's platform will be developed at the Porsche r&d center in Weissach: "There are no plans for a joint venture with another carmaker, but to ensure the profitability of this new model line, we will cooperate more closely than so far with selected system suppliers."

Porsche would not disclose any details about the dimensions of the Panamera or its engines and transmissions. German car magazines have speculated that the car will extensively borrow components from the Cayenne, including engines, transmissions and the all-wheel-drive systems.

"The Panamera is a perfect fit for Porsche. It has all the typical DNA characteristics of a genuine sports car," Weideking said in a statement released today after the carmaker's supervisory and management boards approved the project.

Porsche did not give a price range for the Panamera.

Porsche released a sketch of the car with the announcement

QUOTE (seanery @ Jul 27 2005, 06:26 PM)

"The Panamera is a perfect fit for Porsche. It has all the typical DNA characteristics of a genuine sports car," Weideking said

Yeah, right...
That Wienerbin dude, wouldn't be able to recognize a 'genuine sports car' if he was run over by one

I'm still not big on this idea....the 928 was one thing, it was a GT, still 2-doors and all. A 4-door Porsche to go with the peppervagon, sheesh. At least this time they are giving us some hope with the RS Spyder and the new C(g)ayman. They'll never make everyone happy but it's hard to argue from a business standpoint when you are selling the hell out of the Cayanne not to platform/part-share with a Maser Quatroporte (sp) beater....

One more thing, they'd better NOT race that thing in NASCAR

QUOTE (JmuRiz @ Jul 27 2005, 01:45 PM)

One more thing, they'd better NOT race that thing in NASCAR

HAHAHAHA!!!!!

I dunno. As long as they aren't making it at the expense of their other fine sportscars, I don't see a big problem with it. They're positioning themselves now to allow people the opportunity to have all Porsche vehicles in their garage. Mom has the Porsche Soccermobile Cayenne; Dad has the weekend racer 911 and the daily driver Panamera, and son/daughter has the Boxster.

The sedan is a necessary part of a lot of peoples' lives. Why not offer a Porsche option? If I was in the market for a premium sports sedan, I'd be knocking down Porsche's door!

They seem to be doing well. I have no idea what their balance sheet looks like, but they appear to be making money on the Boxster, and Cayenne hand over fist. They Carrera GT is quite simply awesome. The Cayman looks pretty interesting and you know the 911 holds its own.

Cayenne sales have slowed, from what I hear in a pretty serious way... Hopefully they won't start losing money on that deal. Or on the Panamera deal, either.

--DD

QUOTE (Dave_Darling @ Jul 27 2005, 02:04 PM)

Cayenne sales have slowed, from what I hear in a pretty serious way... Hopefully they won't start losing money on that deal. Or on the Panamera deal, either. --DD

My guess is that the decline in sales is based on gas $$$. As that goes down (hopefully) I bet they bounce back.

Why not... Mercedes has its "4 door coupe" (the CLS). The way I see it, if Porsche can sell enough cars to stay independent, it's all good. No matter whether the cars have 2 or 4 doors.

Hopefully, they will come out with a wagon.



And then a low-priced hatchback so my 16 year old daughter can bug me for one.

QUOTE (Dave_Darling @ Jul 27 2005, 11:04 AM)

(cayenne) Hopefully they won't start losing money on that deal. --DD

from what I've read about the Cayenne, Porsche used it's own money to develop the Cayenne, no outside resources/money was used.

what the hell, the Race/Motorsports program isn't being used, huh?

Dubbed the Panamera, the new model is expected to reach a production level of about 20,000 vehicles annually. A retail price for the model wasn't released, but analysts have said it could range from $125,000 to $175,000 per car, depending on the options.

In my opinion, the Panamera makes a lot more sense for Porsche to build than the Cayenne did. I think it will sell well if not priced too high. $125-175K is too high in my opinion. $75K is more appropriate. Not that I would ever afford that, but $75K sedans around here are a dime a dozen (plenty of customers).

Demick

It's no different than any of the mid sixties ferrari stuff... not much... along those lines..

It's a modern 330, just not really.


M

does anyone else see that Seanery's original post does NOT say four DOORS,
but instead says

Porsche AG has approved production of a four-seat sedan

I know, I know, Sedan = 4 doors, but I wouldn't be surprised IF Porsche were
to make a 2-door version of the Panamera, maybe that could be the GT!

let me guess, it's going to look like all the rest of them in their range: bland.

Looks long, too bad they couldn't do something a little closer to what Mazda did with the RX8. That looks nice for a 4 door.

Thought this had already been dismissed as false? .. C-GT parts bin porsche!

slap a 928 rear end on that sucker and it will look a lot better.

QUOTE (JmuRiz @ Jul 27 2005, 01:45 PM)

One more thing, they'd better NOT race that thing in NASCAR

I think there is some rule dictating that production must occur within the USA for NASCAR *tobaccy spitting sound* to approve you entering a tube frame chassis witha composite body that vaguely looks like a road going version with the same name car...I think that is why you have a Toyota truck in the NASCAR truck series (it is mfg'd in southern Indiana) but no camry/avalon/whatever...

So unless Porsche AG is opening a new factory somewhere w/in the USA, I don't think there is any worry about this new one appearing on an oval for competition purposes. I do look forward to an adaptation for endurance/sports car racing. Speed Touring Car perhaps?

I was just joking about the NASCAR stuff, I see it just as an alternative to the Maser, CLS etc. I agree that it makes a lot more sence than the Cayanne did. I know the post didn't say 4-doors but it sure looks that way from the sketch Porsche had in the press release.

This bad idea has been around since the 928. IMHO: Panamera = Fugly.

The look from the front quarter looks a helluva lot like a Pontiac Grand Prix. What cars with 4 doors competes with that (price and sportiness)? Not many and of those upper end cars, how many do they sell yearly?

QUOTE (Scott Carlberg @ Jul 27 2005, 12:09 PM)

from what I've read about the Cayenne, Porsche used it's own money to develop the Cayenne, no outside resources/money was used.

Nope, Scott--VW also chipped in. That's why the Touareg is so similar to the Cayenne.

--DD

QUOTE (mudfoot76 @ Jul 27 2005, 12:36 PM)

I think that is why you have a Toyota truck in the NASCAR truck series (it is mfg'd in southern Indiana) but no camry/avalon/whatever...

I've often wondered about that. The Camry is built in Kentucky. Sounds like it ought to be eligible for NASCAR racing. I think the sticking point may be the fact that Toyota doesn't build an OHV V-8, OHC's only.

When are they coming out with an 18-wheeler to give Peterbuilt a run for the money?
Or an ATV?
Or a golf cart?
Or a boat?

P

You mean like this?

QUOTE (zymurgist @ Jul 27 2005, 03:58 PM)

The Camry is built in Kentucky. Sounds like it ought to be eligible for NASCAR racing.

I didn't realize the camry was built in KY. The only reason I know about the truck is that it was all over the news when it entered that truck racing series. Now that I think about it, aren't the Honda Accord's built in Ohio? Subaru builds alot of stuff at the SIA facility in Lafayette, IN too...how about an OHV F-8 in the Legacy-nascar special edition yeeee-haw!!! *tobaccy spit*

Personally, I don't really care -- I just enjoy watching the road races. Big trucks at Hockenheim, superbikes on the TT, F1, whatever...if I want to watch things go around in a circle I'll watch the chariot race scene in Ben-Hur.

I hear ya. I'll watch ALMS or the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans, but circle track racing doesn't excite me enough to drop whatever I'm doing to catch the whole race. I'll watch if I'm taking a break from working in a hot garage, though.

Ok, those pictures bring more into the light... forget everything I ever said, that thing is the world's ugliest car ever made.. except for maybe the pininfarina 'enjoy'..



M

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Porsche will build a four-door car starting in 2009, the company announced Wednesday.

To be called the Panamera, the car will have four doors and four seats but will have a swooping, coupe-like profile. It will have a front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels. Pricing for the car, which is still under development, has not been announced.

The company expects to sell at least 20,000 Panameras per year, according to the announcement, which would make it the company's most popular model by far. Porsche is currently on track to sell about 9,600 Boxster sports cars this year, about 14,000 Cayenne SUVs and about 8,000 911 sports cars.

The Panamera has been rumored for several months and alleged "spy photos" of the car have been published on the Internet and in some publications.

The car, which will be created on an entirely new fundemental architecture, will be built solely by Porsche and will not involve a joint venture with any other company. The Porsche Cayenne SUV was created in cooperation with Volkswagen which sells its own version as the Volkswagen Touareg.

"The Panamera is a perfect fit for Porsche," said Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking, president and CEO of Porsche in a prepared statement.

"It has all the typical DNA characteristics of a genuine sports car," he said. "In terms of performance, design, and driving dynamics, it meets Porsche's high standards in every respect. Through this sports coupe we are making our customers a highly attractive offer in the top performance segment."

Porsche vehicles details and photos

QUOTE (TROJANMAN @ Jul 27 2005, 01:51 PM)

The company expects to sell at least 20,000 Panameras per year...

Damn, I wanna get ahold of whatever they're smoking!!!

Let's see, their current best-seller--their cheapest model--is going at a rate of "about" 10,000 per year. They want to sell a car at almost triple the price of that one, and they think they'll sell twice as many?

Definitely some amazing hallucenogenics being consumed in Stuttgart this year!

--DD

But we don't know what the asking price will be yet.
Maybe they're targeting the Honda Accord/Toyota Camry market and will price it in the low $20's...

QUOTE (URY914 @ Jul 27 2005, 03:58 PM)

When are they coming out with an 18-wheeler to give Peterbuilt a run for the money? Or an ATV? Or a golf cart? Or a boat? P

Porsche Boat
Porsche Golf Cart
Porsche ATV?

QUOTE (zymurgist @ Jul 27 2005, 12:58 PM)

QUOTE (mudfoot76 @ Jul 27 2005, 12:36 PM) I think that is why you have a Toyota truck in the NASCAR truck series (it is mfg'd in southern Indiana) but no camry/avalon/whatever... I've often wondered about that. The Camry is built in Kentucky. Sounds like it ought to be eligible for NASCAR racing. I think the sticking point may be the fact that Toyota doesn't build an OHV V-8, OHC's only.

But Toyota does build an OHV (pushrod) V-8, NASCAR approved, for the truck series. Next stop will probably be Nextel Cup. They have indicated that they will be out of the IRL after 2006 and all of the gossip indicates they will be going cup racing. Ya-hoo!

Okay, enough of that.

I guess we shouldn't expect the Panamera to sport an OHV engine so Porsche can go Cup racing too, huh?