Photo: SB-Medien
When the German company that gave us the 911 came up with the Cayenne in 2002 due to financial issues, every purist was booing and hissing that Porsche sold its soul to the devil of capitalism. That happened a second time with the Cayenne Diesel, then a third time with the Panamera sedan.
Time and time again, the narrow-minded were proved wrong. Take this as a prime example of how things turned out for the Germans - the bulk of Porsche’s global sales is taken by the diesel variant of the Cayenne mid-size sport utility vehicle. In addition to that, the diesel Panamera is also a very hot seller.
But the current generation of the full-size luxury sports saloon (type 970) will turn six years old in April 2015, which means a second-generation is due to arrive in the nearest of futures. That's basically why what you can see in the spy photo gallery below is a camouflage-laden prototype of the upcoming Panamera.
One notable detail that caught our eye is the divided rear spoiler underneath the rear windshield. Every cosmetic aspect from the way the smooth bonnet design flows harmoniously into the windshield all the way to the hunchback-like rear quarters make the new-gen Panamera more visually enticing than ever.
As it happens, company officials have recently confirmed the 2016 Panamera will debut an all-new V8 engine. Slated to displace less volume than the current 4.8-liter unit, we have a hunch it’ll be a 4.4-liter (similar displacement to the F10 BMW M5’s mill) or a 4-liter V8 (similar to that of the Mercedes-AMG C63).
Will it be a twin-turbo, a mild hybrid or will it use electric supercharger tech, it’s mum’s guess. But take into account the turbo V8 of the Panamera S and 4S have been replaced by a turbo’d V6. Do you need another reason for Porsche’s R&D team to chop-chop and make this new V8 happen as soon as possible?
But the current generation of the full-size luxury sports saloon (type 970) will turn six years old in April 2015, which means a second-generation is due to arrive in the nearest of futures. That's basically why what you can see in the spy photo gallery below is a camouflage-laden prototype of the upcoming Panamera.
The aesthetics look as if it’s 80 percent ready for production
Previously spotted by our talented team of carparazzi at a test track in western Europe at the end of September, this prototype of the 2016 Porsche Panamera (or 2017 Porsche Panamera if you’re American) boasts with a sleeker, more elongated and aerodynamic exterior design than the facelifted model.One notable detail that caught our eye is the divided rear spoiler underneath the rear windshield. Every cosmetic aspect from the way the smooth bonnet design flows harmoniously into the windshield all the way to the hunchback-like rear quarters make the new-gen Panamera more visually enticing than ever.
There are a lot of secrets still waiting to be uncovered...
...but the mechanicals will be pretty much the same as now... sort of - rear and all-wheel drive platforms, turbocharged V6 petrols and diesels and a throatier V8 force-fed for serious performance, an eco-friendly plug-in hybrid variant, you know how Porsche rolls. But engineers are also cooking up an all-new mill.As it happens, company officials have recently confirmed the 2016 Panamera will debut an all-new V8 engine. Slated to displace less volume than the current 4.8-liter unit, we have a hunch it’ll be a 4.4-liter (similar displacement to the F10 BMW M5’s mill) or a 4-liter V8 (similar to that of the Mercedes-AMG C63).
Will it be a twin-turbo, a mild hybrid or will it use electric supercharger tech, it’s mum’s guess. But take into account the turbo V8 of the Panamera S and 4S have been replaced by a turbo’d V6. Do you need another reason for Porsche’s R&D team to chop-chop and make this new V8 happen as soon as possible?
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