The Porsche Panamera is one of a few cars which I still can’t decide whether I like or dislike. It’s a Porsche, so I’m supposed to instantly “like it” but something about the design turns me off from it. And now with the arrival of the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the Panamera has received a facelift that I can stare at all day long. The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept is a design study and a lot more attractive than the current model. From the looks of it, Porsche is looking to go head on against the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake.
While the rear of the regular Panamera is one of the design features I was unsure of, the rear on the Panamera Sport Turismo is probably the highlight of the vehicle and what most people will be seeing as you leave them in the dust. The five-door Panamera features sexier lines and design cues from the Boxster, the 918 Spyder, and the all-new 991.
We would all love to see this in the turbo version but the Panamera Sport Turismo concept is a plug-in hybrid powertrain with the ‘e-Hybrid’ badges for the time being. According to Porsche, the vehicle will produce 416 combined horsepower when the V6 and electric motor are working together. The concept vehicle can reach speeds as high as 130km/h in pure electric mode while covering a distance of 30km.
0-100km/h (0-62mph) can be achieved in less than six seconds. Overall; the car looks fairly production ready. No word yet on when or if it will hit the show room floors and of course, no word on pricing.
