New Porsche Panamera spotted in the open

This is the new Porsche Panamera, spied for the first time testing in its new bodywork. We’d seen mules of the Panamera Mk2 testing using hacked versions of the current bodystyle, but now we can get our first look at the shape of Porsche’s next super-saloon.

Straight away, the profile looks more rakish, with a swooping roofline replacing the more upright silhouette of the current car. The rear aspect has accentuated haunches to hint at the classic wide ‘hips’ of the 911. Meanwhile, more angular front lights and intakes will bring the Panamera’s ‘face’ closer to the look of the Macan crossover and 918 Spyder supercar, finished with trademark ‘four-point’ LED headlights.

Porsche is likely to carry over inspiration from the 918 Spyder inside the Panamera too. The £800,000 hybrid supercar’s cabin is dominated by a touch-sensitive centre console, which was previewed in the 2012 Porsche SportTurismo shooting brake concept car. It’s thought Porsche will roll out touch-sensitive technology in more of its mainstream cars’ cabins in the next few years, drizzling some 918-spec star quality into lesser models, and doing away with the multi-button approach currently used across the regular Porsche range.

Under the skin, the Panamera is evolving too. A new VW Group platform – specifically the ‘MSB’ architecture slated for use by Audi and Bentley – forms the Panamera’s foundations. More high-strength steel will make the car stiffer and lighter than its two-tonne predecessor, while previous mules have hinted the new car will have a slightly wider track. Two wheelbase versions, a standard car and a China-focused stretched model, are expected to be offered.

Engine-wise, the Panamera line-up will remain similar to today’s stable. Expect power hikes for the Panamera S, Diesel and Turbo, and improved efficiency from the plug-in S E-hybrid version. We’ll see more of the Panamera as it approaches its reveal in 2016.