[Dippy]

Porsche debuted in India a couple of years ago with the Boxster, the Cayenne SUV and the iconic 911. The Indian buyer took an instant liking to the Cayenne and it soon became very popular, especially in the Bollywood circle. It was big, it was fast, it had 4 doors and it was a Porsche. Banking on the success of the Cayenne, Porsche today launched its all new 4 door sportscar in India, the Panamera. Team BHP was there at the launch to bring you more on Porsche's latest.

The event took place at the Porsche Centre in Mumbai. Rod Wallace the MD of Precision Cars, the importer of Porsches in India gave an introduction of the new Panamera to the media which was followed by a technical overview of the car by Alan Marriage, the Operations Manager for Porsche.

We were then led to the main showroom area where the Panamera was finally unveiled to the waiting crowd. I met up with Rod and Alan after the launch. They gave me the following info:

• Three models to be sold the S(2wd), 4S and the Turbo.
  
• PDK standard accross all models.
  
• The Panamera Turbo is to compete against the Mercedes S65 AMG while the 4S will take on the BMW 7 Series.
  
• Technically there are a lot of similarities between the Cayenne and the Panamera.
  
• 13 cars booked even before the launch. Deliveries begin soon.
  
• A total of 50 cars for India this year.
  
• New dealers in other major Indian cities opening soon which includes Hyderabad & Chennai. Ludhiana is also on the future list.
  

Now for my take on the car:

• I hated it in the pictures but after seeing it in the flesh, I like it but the rear still takes getting used to. I'm hoping it will grow on me with time. But yes the car has presence.
  
• The interiors are fabulous and have a very luxurious feel to them. You tend to forget that this is a sportscar and not a luxobarge. Quality is top notch as expected from a German marque. The switches could have been better though IMO. The rear passengers get everything that they would expect from a luxury saloon .
  
• Driver's seat felt comfy for a short person like me.
  
• Seating is pretty low in the rear. Not uncomfortable though.
  
• The Panamera is expensive. The S starts at 1.4 cr while the Turbo goes over 2cr. It will be interesting to see how it sells against its stable mate the Cayenne.
  

Prices of the Porsche Panamera : All ex showroom inclusive of VAT and duties

Panamera S:

Ex Delhi : Rs. 1,41,74,000
Rest of India: Rs. 1,44,36,000

Panamera 4S:

Ex Delhi: Rs. 1,47,11,000
Rest of India: Rs. 1,49,83,000

Panamera Turbo:

Ex Delhi: Rs. 2,01,84,000
Rest of India: Rs. 2,05,58,000

Specs sheet is attached with this post.


And now for the pictures


Rod Wallace addresses the media




Alan Marriage speaks on the technical aspects of the Panamera




Ladies and the Gentlemen, the Porsche Panamera




Rod Wallace with the Panamera




458 litres of boot space expandable to 1250 litres by folding the rear seats forward




The Panamera's V8




The headlight (reminds me of the Cayenne)




LEDs look cool




The rear seats



A shot of the rear. Still havent been able to digest it




A shot of the insides of the door




The centre console. Love that gearshift




The steering and the instrument cluster. That tacho is so inviting




Front seats




A view of the cabin from the rear




Rear centre console




Porsche




A couple of profile shots

[Rehaan]

I had a chance to check out the Panamera at the launch as well.

It is interesting to think about how the simple addition of a pair of doors to a Porsche has created a similar amount of controversy as a Porsche SUV did, back in the day.

Whats unique about the Panamera? It is designed to be a "4 door sports car", not to be confused with a "performance saloon". This is something that you get a hint of in the interiors, though how different it really is on the road can only be told after a test-drive.

One of the first things you notice about the Panamera is its imposing size. The broad stance and long wheelbase. Unfortunately, this doesn't make up for much in terms of the looks. Personally, i still think it is not a great looking car, even in the flesh. Almost like Porsche decided to create a station-wagon after they conquered the SUV. The styling seems to be a little confused as it has inherited cues from each of its family members. In addition to that, the rear reminds me a little too much of the Chrysler Crossfire if you know what i mean.


Coming to the Interiors, this is where the Panamera starts to shine. The quality and design is great, with a nice selection of materials used.
They have maintained the sports car feel, with some luxuries added (....cup-holders!).
Clearly a lot of importance has been given to the rear passengers - with individual sports seats, multiple A/C vents per passenger, individual controls for fan-speed and temperature per passenger, some storage space and a center armrest. Though i'm surprised a larger or panoramic sunroof wasn't a part of the design.


The pricing - 1.4cr for the 400bhp Panamera S, to put it in perspective, the lowest model Panamera equates to the cost of a Cayenne Turbo!
Are the sports-car-like driving dynamics really worth the price difference?


A few smaller details :

The stylish interiors with a sexy metallic looking AC vent. The large shift buttons on the steering had a nice feel too.



Uniquely designed door handles, a neat touch.



The spread of controls for the well cooled rear passenger.



The driver looks back over what are clearly the hips of a Porsche.



Decent rear legroom, though ingress is a little difficult if you have large feet. (You can see the shoe marks on the base of the B-pillar already!)
Also, the only major eyesore of the interiors are the scrunched up seat-back pouches that stand out in an otherwise crisp interior.



Luxury = cupholders?


Since the LEDs in the brakelamps light up quicker than conventional filament bulbs, this can in theory improve reaction times of the driver behind you - which could translate into valuable braking distance at higher speeds.

[Cyrus43]

As Much as Im tempted to smash this ugly thing with a Sledge hammer, I need to see how this looks in person.....(reaches for the helmet and keys)

[diffsoft]

Nice coverage and awesome pics for the car. I could not "get" the photo under the caption "The spread of controls for the well cooled rear passenger". What's on top of the lap of the rear seat occupant ? Or how should I view / understand it?

P.S: Ignore the above - managed to understand ( )

[vinaydas]

finally a supercar for a some one with a family of 3 a dog and little luggage
well this is a car whose looks will grow on you in time.

[Dippy]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

finally a supercar for a some one with a family of 3 a dog and little luggage
well this is a car whose looks will grow on you in time.

At a price though. The Panamera S starts at around 1.4 cr . For that price you get a Cayenne Turbo. Which makes better sense?

[Nikhilb2008]

The interior is FANTASTIC! Love it! Now, let's work on transplanting that interior into a Cayenne!

[smalhotra_93]

Received the porsche panamera invite a couple of days back . Its on the 6th of october . Any other bhpian going there , would love to meet him .
Here are the pics of the invite .

[Abbas]

Great, go up there and take a lot of snaps for some unfortunate people like us who can`t attend.

[S350L-E240]

This car is beyond words, but for some reason the pricing looks a little too high compared to similarly priced CBU's?

And Nikhilb2008, dont worry the cayenne is soon due for a replacement in 2010 where the interiors are pretty much like the panemara, Infact the next 911 too will have the similar layout,

All in all this car is super! I love it! Forget the looks and drive it...

[swiftnfurious]

What a car! Luxury at its best [ I have not seen the interiors of many other expensive cars] I love the design too. And 400 BHP?!!! I sometimes feel the 75 bhp of my swift is more than adequate !

[MARCUS_520i]

I'm not sure how many of you disliked the rear, but I found it pretty catchy!!!
Agree with y'all as far as the pricing is concerned, but at the end of the day it's a Porsche!!

[Ironmarine]

Was watching the news today and the announcement was that there are 2 models one around 1.41 C and another 2.01 C.

[aniguchisan]

Strolled along to the showroom and checked it out from outside. I'm sure there were a few BHP-ians around, but I'm afraid I barely recognise anyone by their respective faces.

Nevertheless, the car - It's a little bit nicer in person than in the pics. Certainly had no mesmerising effect on me as most new 'exotic' cars tend to. I found the rear a little more tolerable, and I'm sure most of the world will over time. The colour on display didn't tickle my pickle. This car would look good to me in white, with 20-21 inch rims finished in a darker shade with a white or silver outline. Interiors looked fabulous. Valiant attempt, just missing that visual wow-factor. Shame.

[McLaren Rulez]

Not a fan of the looks, but hey, it certainly has street presence. Every bit as much as the Cayenne.