The Great Expectation

PORSCHE PANAMERA

Porsche says that the Panamera is not even its first four-door saloon because Ferry Porsche built such a prototype a long time ago, but the idea never took off in his days.

This is now the 21st century and because Porsche is one of the most recognised brands - not just car - in the world, it is well-qualified to produce a brand new car class in its line-up to cater for the well-heeled older buyers who find the 911 too stiff and cramped to ride in, while not needing the hauling space of a Cayenne SUV.

The new Panamera coupe'-saloon is hoped to attract as many as 80% new buyers who have never owned a Porsche before, meaning customers used to 7-series and S-class saloon amenities and comfort, yet wanting Porsche prestige.

The Panamera body is completely new, not borrowed from the Cayenne SUV and made up of seemingly half the metals on the periodic table - boron-alloy steel, stainless steel, steel, aluminium and magnesium - for optimum strength, rigidity and weight-saving.

The survival cell is made up of the first three kinds of steel, while the bonnet, boot lid and doors are built from aluminium and the window frames in harder magnesium.

Even with all these exotic-sounding materials, the Turbo version still weighs in close to two tonnes, but we'll tell you how much lighter it feels in a few minutes.

The Panamera's long-looking body can mislead people into thinking it's the size of a limousine, but it is not.

Measuring less than five metres in length - one of Porsche's directive - this evidently draws fight from the likes of sporting executive saloons such as Benz CLS 63AMG, Maserati Quattroporte GT S and BMW M5.

The rear seats in those cars always feel more special than their lesser siblings, that is why Porsche needed to make the four front seats instead. The pair in the rear sit exactly like the ones in front and with full electric adjustment as option like the pair before them.

The adequate headroom in the back is to be blamed - if anyone needs to - for the quirky fastback roofline instead of a more wanting 911-esque style.

The rear seats are positioned closer to the middle than the front seats for what Porsche claims to be for better front seats-like view.

But we prefer to think it's because the monster rear wheels ate up most of the rear shoulder room and there's no fifth passenger in the middle to bother about anyway.

Up front, it is a totally new territory for Porsche - a synergy of proper signature Porsche driver's dashboard (the key insert still on the left hand side) with five dials and more extravagant and original (albeit Vertu phone-like) centre console plus interior trims not out of a place in a Mercedes-Benz.

The ultra snug driver's seat adjusts in every which direction, including optional hugging adjustment for the thighs and hips but the headrests are, as in the 911, fixed.

Turning the faux key to fire up the engine is an anti-climax experience these days when strict noise regulations need to be complied with, and with superb sound insulation and the air-con on, it's impossible to hear the engine running from the inside.

Rev it up and it's still no where as exciting as you hope a V8 is supposed to sound.

That's when you have to thank for the optional sport exhaust button that can relive the authentic V8 rumble with one little push.

Porsche drivetrain engineers' ultimate challenge perhaps was how to modify the existing V8 engine from the tall Cayenne and four-wheel-drive hardware to fit in the Panamera's low engine bay and floor pan.

Their solution was to stick the front drivetrain through the engine - something that both engineers and ordinary people will find fascinating.

The unorthodox approach probably contributes to the 40% new internal parts to the Turbo powerplant and which is slightly lighter than the Cayenne's version.

Fast it is not, but uber fast. The Turbo has a phenomenal amount of grunt from 2,500rpm onwards and supercar-like acceleration from 100 to 250kph.

The turbocharged 4.8-litre V8 may produce the same 500hp and 700Nm of torque as in the Cayenne but it is modified to be less of a gas-guzzler thanks to a more efficient PDK dual-clutch automatic and automatic start-stop system.

The PDK is still a gem of a gearbox that shifts up and down with no less seamlessness than the one in the smaller 911 and Cayman.

The adoption of start-stop function is not for cuteness but part of the brand's overall strategy to maximise fuel efficiency and minimise emissions.

It works a lot better than in any hybrids we have driven so far in that it does not cut out the air-conditioning's fan at all even if the compressor is off, and if the set interior temperature is not met, the air-con would prompt the engine to come back on - something very important for our kind of climate.

The optional servotronic steering is undoubtedly very direct and meaty as Porsche coupe's always do, but anywhere below 100kph and in comfort mode, the steering is as light as in a Lexus - something non-Porsche owners would adore but something Porsche owners would certainly tick off.

Handling is worthy of a Porsche badge when in sport and sport-plus mode when it is close to a Cayman neutrality, albeit it actually being nose-heavy.

Of course, even with a great chassis setup it still cannot mask its huge weight that is more a 7-series class.

But when most of the prospective buyers are likely never to have owned such a super saloon, driving dynamics may take a marginally second priority.

Numero uno is the ride; it is most supple current Porsche you can ever ride in with comfort mode on yet that, already, could well mean it's tauter than a 5-series or may be even a Jaguar XFR.

This should please all the ah siah and yet, with harder suspension settings to play with, they can enjoy the sportscar ride experience whenever they wish.

The other signature Porsche quality is the awesome power of the brakes which are claimed to halt the Turbo from its 303kph top speed within merely seven seconds.

Again, the great carbon-ceramic brakes are an option at some B1.6m, although we do not foresee how you can overpower the already superb standard steel ones on Thai roads.

One option we believe you should not miss out is the B661,000 1,300 watts, 17-speakers top-of-the-line Burmester audio system that make its standard Bose system sound like a shoebox by comparison.

If you don't think you can handle the Turbo's rocket performance, glance over to the 400hp S and 4S (see sidebar) and if they still contain too much adrenaline for you, then wait a V6-powered base model likely to come out in the second half of next year.

Porsche hopes that Asia will account for one-third of global Panamera sales and, you better believe this, Thailand is getting the first of no less than 10 samples ordered this September - four months ahead of China.

The Panamera Turbo fulfills its great expectation as a sports coupe'-saloon and if the M5 were its benchmark in terms of dynamics, it may be close but then it was never really meant to compete head-on with the Bee-em with its apparent higher level of sophistication.

However, in terms of desirability in the new world order, it has raised the bar once again.

Relate Search: Ferry Porsche, Panamera coupe'-saloon