Porsche's all-new 2017 Panamera is edging closer to its global debut. The first teaser is out.
It has been 6 years since Porsche brought out the first-generation Panamera, and here we are nearing the unveil of the all-new model. We will, of course, be receiving series of a staggered reveals.
The first one is here, showing the new car’s rear end – part of it. There’s a new tail lamp design with a red light strip that connects the both sides that’s both reminiscent of the 911 and 718. It’s a sleeker look, to be sure, and bodes well for the rest of the all-new car.
There have been many leaked photographs and spy shots, with the most telling one revealing an interior with a significantly reduced button count. Instead, it purports that Porsche has replaced a lot of them with a large central touchscreen.
While the exterior dimensions do not seem to have been changed all that much, nor did we expect it to, the actual front end has been given a once-over and again is reported to draw from the 718’s design cues. However, some reports suggest it does have a slightly longer wheelbase but the same overall length, resulting in shorter overhangs.
True or not, a sleeker profile is a virtual certainty and will address the common criticism levelled against Porsche’s four door sedan: it’s less than unanimously stunning proportions. Fans are hoping the new Panamera will mostly mirror Porsche’s Panamera Sport Turismo concept from 2012, but it is possible a Shooting Brake variant will be available if certain testing shots are to be believed.
Whether we will be receiving a dramatically different car remains to be seen, but we would hazard as unlikely given how Porsche’s modus operandi centres around evolutionary visual changes over the sweeping and dramatic.
What we do know is that this second-generation Panamera will be an entirely new car, sharing very little to nothing at all from the outgoing model. Porsche is also readying a new batch of advanced V8 engines to accompany its debut but early models will likely have some carry-over powertrains.
The new Panamera will ride on Porsche’s new MSB platform, incorporating technical measures taken from the 911’s production and multi-material weight saving and distribution techniques. It even features a new gearbox co-developed with ZF that they’re calling PDK II.
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