Prestige Porsche

Launches June 2011

Porsche has taken the wraps off the new Panamera S Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show.

Like the Cayenne S Hybrid, the Panamera has a 328 hp (245 kW / 333 PS) supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine and a 46 hp (35 kW / 47 PS) electric motor. This gives the car a combined output of 380 PS (279 kW / 375 hp) and 428 lb-ft (580 Nm) of torque, which enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in six seconds and hit a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph).

More importantly, the Panamera S Hybrid has an average fuel consumption of 6.8 l/100 km (41.5 mpg imp / 34.6 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 159 g/km. While these figures are impressive, it is worth noting that the car can only travel up to two kilometers (1.24 miles) on electricity alone.

Design wise, nothing much changes but the new model is outfitted with additional standard equipment including an adaptive air suspension, a rear wiper, and a revised infotainment system which displays "relevant information about the vehicle's specific hybrid driving status."

The Panamera S Hybrid will be launched in June and German pricing starts at 106,185 Euro (including VAT).

Read more: http://www.worldcarfans.com/111022730879/porsche-panamera-s-hybrid-debuts-in-geneva#ixzz1KYo9DqRA

Press Release:

Best in class: The new Panamera S Hybrid achieves 159 g/km CO2

The Panamera S Hybrid marks the beginning of a new chapter of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart's Porsche Intelligent Performance, continuing the success story of its four door Gran Turismo. Without sacrificing sportiness and elegance, the new Gran Turismo combines the total power output of 380 hp (279 kW) with best case consumption of only 6.8 l/100 km (41.54 mpg imp.) of fuel based on the NEDC. That equates to CO2 emissions of just 159 g/km. That doesn't just make the Panamera S Hybrid the most economical Porsche of all time, it also puts it streets ahead of all the full hybrid production vehicles in its class, the luxury class, when it comes to fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It achieves these values thanks to Michelin's even lower rolling resistance all season tyres developed specially for the Panamera and available as an option. But even with the standard tyres, the new Porsche hybrid model's fuel consumption is at an unprecedentedly low level in this class at 7.1 l/100 km (39.79 mpg imp.) based on the NEDC - which equates to 167 g/km CO2.

The Panamera S Hybrid sets new standards, both in terms of classic performance and when measured against hybrid vehicle characteristics. The Panamera S Hybrid accelerates from a standing start to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.0 seconds, reaching top speed at 270 km/h (168 mph). The range in purely electric mode is approximately two kilometres (1.24 miles) with electric driving possible up to 85 km/h (53 mph), depending on the driving situation. The Porsche hybrid drive is also the only system in the world able to exploit additional consumption reserves thanks to so-called "sailing" on motorways and main roads. This entails disengaging and switching off the combustion engine at speeds of up to 165 km/h (103 mph) (Cayenne S Hybrid: 156 km/h (97 mph) during phases when no power is being delivered by the combustion engine.

The Panamera S Hybrid is driven by the same engine combination that has already proved itself in the Cayenne S Hybrid: The main propulsion is provided by a three litre V6 compressor engine delivering 333 hp (245 kW) supported by a 47 hp (34 kW) electric motor. Both machines are capable of powering the Panamera S Hybrid either alone or in combination. The electric motor also operates both as a generator and a starter. Together with the decoupler it forms the compact hybrid module located between the combustion engine and the transmission. The electric motor is connected to a nickel metal hydride battery (NiMh) where the electrical energy recovered from braking and driving is stored. Power transmission is handled by the familiar eight-speed Tiptronic S fitted as standard in the Cayenne models with a wide spread of ratios.

The range of standard equipment for the Panamera S Hybrid is even wider than that of the already extensive standard equipment of the Panamera S with eight-cylinder engine. For example, the hybrid model is fitted as standard with the adaptive air suspension including the adaptive shock-absorber system with PASM, with Servotronic and a rear wiper. The new Gran Turismo also features the Cayenne S Hybrid's innovative display concept that provides the driver with all the relevant information about the vehicle's specific hybrid driving status.

With the new hybrid variant, the Panamera model line now comprises six different models. This offering underlines the strategic importance of "Porsche Intelligent Performance" and creates totally novel highlights in the luxury segment - from sporty to environmentally friendly. This chimes with what customers want, as the major market success is already confirming. Approximately 15 months after sales started, not quite 30,000 vehicles have been delivered. That means the Gran Turismo has seized a 13 percent share of the upper and luxury segment. The new model will further boost the attractiveness of Porsche's fourth model line in the market.

The Panamera S Hybrid will come on the market in June 2011 and cost 106,185 Euros in Germany, including VAT and country-specific equipment.

The Panamera S Hybrid will celebrate its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. The press conference will be held at the Porsche stand in hall 1, stand 1050, at 7:30 a.m. on March 1, 2011 and will be webcasted live at www.porsche.com/geneva.

by Jonny Lieberman (RSS feed) on Dec 10th 2009 at 2:29PM

Normally when a vehicle wins a car of the year award, its merit is so obvious that all you have to do to justify the selection is say, "just drive one." However, with the Porsche Panamera, the excitement surrounding Porsche's first ever four-door sports sedan/car is so palpable all you must say is, "Just talk to someone that's driven one." The Panamera's that good. Our man Michael Harley's still heaping praise upon the Turbo in his sleep. In case you missed it - the Porsche Panamera rules.

Then it comes as no surprise that Bloomberg News has selected the different looking Panamera as its inaugural Car of the Year. Says Bloomberg's auto-guy Jason H. Harper, "Like a lot of people I wasn't entirely sure what to expect of the Panamera, but sometime between having a six-foot eight-inch buddy in the back seat and hauling into deep corners around the track, it became clear. It's still a Porsche -- just a really versatile one." You will also no doubt remember that our colleagues over at Inside Line recently stuck the Panamera at the tippity top of their "Most Wanted" list. That's a lot of praise, particularly for a vehicle that has been so divisive aesthetically.

Bloomberg also selected several other winners including Best Green Car (Ford Fusion Hybrid), Best Sports Car (Audi R8 5.2), Best Economy Car (Mazda3), Best Executive Sedan (Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG), Best People Mover and Family Car (Lincoln MKT EcoBoost) and Best All-Around Sports Utility Vehicle (Land Rover LR4). All good choices by the way, though this author might have swapped the E63 AMG for the Porsche and figured a way to sneak in the Ford Shelby Mustang GT500. Just sayin'. Press release after the jump.

First Drives: Porsche Panamera
Posted: Jun. 22, 2009 11:06 a.m.


The idea of a four-door, front-engine Porsche may be blasphemy to the brand's legion of fans, but those who've driven the car seem to agree on one thing: Porsche has pulled it off. The brand known for little rear-engine sports cars has built a luxurious four-door grand tourer worthy of its name.

"Let's cut to the chase: The 2010 Porsche Panamera is big, fast, and comfortable; a genuine four passenger Gran Turismo capable of loafing across continents in giant 130 mph bounds, leaving you relaxed and refreshed at the end of the day at the wheel," writes Motor Trend. "Press a few buttons, stiffening the suspension, quickening the seven speed PDK transmission's responses, allowing the deep-throated dual exhaust to breathe easier, and the Panamera is ready to tackle a snaking mountain pass with the panache of...well, a Porsche."

Car and Driver has even warmed to the controversial shape of the car. "We think it looks better on the road than in photos," they write - which will be a comfort to those who were appalled by its bulbous fastback sheetmetal.

Winding Road is impressed with what the designers have done inside as well. "Once opening the driver's door, sitting in the cockpit, touching everything, and driving over all kinds of road surfaces at all speeds, we cannot lament the substance of the Panamera nor the incredible build quality," they write.

But any Porsche has to prove itself on the road - especially the largest, heaviest car Porsche has built. Car and Driver notes, "With its 400-hp engine, the Panamera S boasts impressive performance claims: 0 to 60 mph is reached in 4.8 seconds, and 0 to 100 takes 11.5. Top speed is 175 mph." The standard Panamera, C&D says, "doesn't feel that quick...The Panamera's heft means that you have to keep the pedal firmly to the floor." However, the Turbo model is a different matter. "The acceleration is almost surreal. According to Porsche, 0 to 60 mph takes 4.0 seconds, the sprint to 100 mph takes just 9.0 seconds, and top speed is a lofty 188 mph. Running full tilt in this car is an exquisite experience."

Motor Trend, however, thinks the non-turbo model is "the pick of the litter." They write, "There's more clarity, more delicacy in the steering," they write. "In the other cars it's cloaked by the all-wheel drive apparatus."

Winding Road adds, "Our highest speed reached was just over 180 mph for a long stretch of no-limit autobahn and the stability was pretty terrific."

Porsche is already accepting pre-orders for the car. The AP reports, "German car maker Porsche SE said Tuesday that it is pleased with orders for its new Panamera sedan and aims to sell about 20,000 of the vehicles annually," despite an asking price that starts above $88,000.

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