For the first time Porsche has introduced a four-door sedan, that fills the gap between the Cayenne SUV and 911 sportscar. The 2010 Porsche Panamera will be available in three trims: The rear-wheel-drive Panamera S, all-wheel-drive Panamera 4S, and powerful all-wheel-drive Panamera Turbo.

The 2010 Porsche Panamera was designed in accordance with the Porsche design philosophy that “form should follow function”. The roofline and rear design follow this philosophy and provide the Panamera with luggage space for four adults as well as a large amount of headroom. The fenders rise slightly above the hood and create a muscular and imposing form. A low drag coefficient of only 0.29 is achieved for the Panamera S models, and 0.30 for the Turbo model. A spoiler has been integrated into the rear of the car and deploys automatically at 56 mph and at 127 mph increases steepness to provide greater traction and stability at such high speeds. Porsche offers a wide range of 17 exterior colors: two solid, ten metallic, and five special.

Two different 4.8-liter V-8’s engines are available for the Panamera. A Naturally aspirated 400 horsepower version of the 4.8-liter V-8 is standard for the Panamera S and Panamera 4S models, while a 500 horsepower twin-turbocharged V-8 is standard for the Panamera Turbo. Both engines use Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) to produce greater power, increased fuel efficiency, and lower emissions. Rocketing from 0-60 takes only 5.2 seconds for the Panamera S and an impressive 4.0 seconds for the Panamera Turbo. The exhaust system allows for a smooth and quiet ride at low engine speeds, and delivers a louder exhaust note at higher revs to retain its sportscar heritage.

The only transmission available for the U.S. in the 2010 Porsche Panamera is Porsche’s 7-speed dual clutch gearbox, PDK (or Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe for short). PDK allows for quick and smooth gear changes in either manual or automatic mode.  Unique to the Panamera, Porsche uses the Auto Start Stop function to increase fuel economy. This function shuts down the engine at idle when the vehicle is stopped with the driver’s foot pressing the brake pedal. Once the driver releases the pedal the engine is restarted. All audio and comfort systems will remain on while the engine is off, and the system can be turned on or off with the push of a button.

Keeping with the Porsche tradition, owners will have an extensive range of interior options and configurations with six interior colors, four two-tone combinations, and trim packages featuring carbon fiber, aluminum, or fine woods. Porsche offers an optional 16 speaker, 1000 watt Burmester® High-End Surround Sound System, and rear seat entertainment display compatible with all standard media formats.

Pricing for the Panamera S will start at $89,800, the Panamera 4S at $93,800, and the Turbo at $132,600.

2010 Porsche Panamera Specs

2010 Porsche Panamera Gallery

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Source: Porsche

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