A refreshed version of the Porsche Panamera is expected to appear at the Shanghai Motor Show in April, and these spy pictures show a fleet of prototypes cold-weather testing.
Carefully placed black camouflage suggests most of the design changes are focused on the car’s front-end. They involve a reshaped lower air intake that flares outwards at the bottom, along with squarer air intakes and integrated LED running lights either side. At the rear, revised LED taillights are the only obvious tweaks.
If the redesign seems familiar, that’s because the Panamera Sport Turismo concept - revealed at the Paris Motor Show last September - not only previewed a possible shooting brake version for 2016, but gave us a sneak peak at how this facelifted car would look.
Look closely at our spy shots and you’ll notice there are two different models with slightly different front ends. One is the standard model, which will use updated versions of the existing V6 and V8 petrol and diesel engines, while the other features smaller air intakes with LED lights above them, as well as acid green brakes calipers – a trademark of all Porsche performance hybrids from now on.
This completely new ‘e-hybrid’ plug-in powertrain was also previewed by the Sport Turismo concept, and combines a 328bhp 3.0-litre V6 engine with a 94bhp electric motor. A bigger battery pack means it can cover 20 miles in EV mode, and at speeds of up to 75mph. Working together, the engine and motor will launch the Panamera from 0-62mph in less than six seconds, while returning fuel economy of 80mpg and CO2 emissions of 82g/km.
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I spend a lot of time in Almeria, Southern Spain where a lot of European manufacturers test their cars - often see them in a convoy of 2 or 3 at the same time , same route every day - would I get any dosh If I submitted a picture of them to Autoexpress? Can I just say all the cars are driven sedately with the exception of Bentleys - think they're at Le Mans breaking speed limits, overtaking on blind corners - looneys!
Whats the point? Only time you will spot the changes is when you spend an hour looking at the front of the car.
Still a hunchback, I see. Pity that the design department insists on trying too hard on the family look; it what spoiled the front of the Cayenne and what is spoiling the back of the Panamera.
Please explain......does this car have height-adjustable suspension? The cars pictured look like their trying to leap off their springs and bits, and that will be down to the mega-sized wheel arches Porsche hacked out of the side of the car. And the reason......to no more than cater for the [few] loons that think the car needs 21 inch wheels. All that air and space between tyre and car looks ridiculous! Screamingly bad design, and even more-so, considering who makes this car. Dont worry though Porsche/VAG, JLR did the same ugly stunt with the XF. Its cute that a maker would rather trash the look of a car, when they are stuffed/lost to work out what wheel/tyre combo the car needs. If they are too stretched design-wise to do the obvious, they are mega endowed with arrogance, with a 'this is what youre getting' attitude.