Photo: Porsche
It’s no secret that Porsche is working on the second generation of the Panamera and you should expect to see much more than just a better version of Zuffenhausen’s four-door 911 plan. To be more specific, Porsche is currently considering multiple flavors for the next Panamera line-up, with a shooting brake being the most likely to accompany the standard car.
Porsche’s research and development chief, Wolfgang Hatz, recently confirmed the automaker is evaluating various body styles for the Panamera, as autoexpress writes.
We’ll remind you the hint was already there, since Porsche gave us the Panamera Sport Turismo Concept back in 2012, making a shooting brake proposal that never became a reality when the facelift arrived.
Of course, the Panamera could grow into a family of models, as a coupe version is also being considered - rumors had been hinting at a front-engined Grand Tourer wearing the Porsche crest for years.
“What we have designed is an entirely new car with a new platform,” Hatz explained. “We have prepared it for a lot of derivatives, personally I like very much the Sport Turismo, I love this car. But there is a good chance for more derivatives.”
When asked about the possibility of a convertible, Hatz dismissed this and for good reason. The presence of the Boxster and the 911 Cabriolet is enough to keep this story from happening.
One major change will arrive in terms of the design though, as the second-generation Panamera aims to make due with the current polarizing looks. As for the cabin, the new packaging will make sure there’s plenty of room in the rear without having to turn to the Executive long wheelbase versions brought by the mid-cycle revamp of the current Panamera.
Truth be told, the Tesla Model S only works if you count the early adopter attitude as an advantage. The current battery technology simply isn’t advanced enough, while Tesla’s own engineering only brings sharp results up to 8 out of 10 when you’re driving fast.
It’s only natural for Porsche to want to wait until it can come up with an EV that delivers 100 percent of what is expected of it. Meanwhile, the German engineers are focused on increasing the electric side of their plug-in hybrids.
We’ll remind you the hint was already there, since Porsche gave us the Panamera Sport Turismo Concept back in 2012, making a shooting brake proposal that never became a reality when the facelift arrived.
Of course, the Panamera could grow into a family of models, as a coupe version is also being considered - rumors had been hinting at a front-engined Grand Tourer wearing the Porsche crest for years.
“What we have designed is an entirely new car with a new platform,” Hatz explained. “We have prepared it for a lot of derivatives, personally I like very much the Sport Turismo, I love this car. But there is a good chance for more derivatives.”
When asked about the possibility of a convertible, Hatz dismissed this and for good reason. The presence of the Boxster and the 911 Cabriolet is enough to keep this story from happening.
The changes brought by the standard Panamera
As we said while talking about the latest next-generation Panamera rendering, the new platform is expected to bring a weight cut of up to 200 lbs (91 kg), while the torsional rigidity will be increased.One major change will arrive in terms of the design though, as the second-generation Panamera aims to make due with the current polarizing looks. As for the cabin, the new packaging will make sure there’s plenty of room in the rear without having to turn to the Executive long wheelbase versions brought by the mid-cycle revamp of the current Panamera.
Electric Porsches? Not too soon
More importantly, Porsche’s R&D boss also talked about electric cars, putting an end to speculation that Porsche is looking to grab Tesla Model S customers. “In the short term I don’t see an all-electric Panamera. If you look at the Tesla Model S, it’s not a Porsche. What I need in a pure electric Porsche is it has to be powerful, and sustainably powerful so you can push the car and it still works.”Truth be told, the Tesla Model S only works if you count the early adopter attitude as an advantage. The current battery technology simply isn’t advanced enough, while Tesla’s own engineering only brings sharp results up to 8 out of 10 when you’re driving fast.
It’s only natural for Porsche to want to wait until it can come up with an EV that delivers 100 percent of what is expected of it. Meanwhile, the German engineers are focused on increasing the electric side of their plug-in hybrids.
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