Forget all of your existing notions about a classic saloon car, as the new Porsche Panamera is here to change your perception about comfort, performance, luxury and efficiency. Long gone are the stuffy, oversized, and outdated styles of saloon cars of days past, and enter the sleek, elegant silhouette of the new Panamera models.
The new Panamera models are imagined with the Porsche aesthetic at the core. Think a dynamic sports car, but with the comfort of four luxurious seats. Imagine the inimitable Porsche silhouette and performance, perfectly packaged in the form of the opulent Panamera. That’s precisely how we felt when we enjoyed this beauty on the road last month in Kuwait. We started off the day with business in mind, and the Panamera quietly and elegantly glided across Kuwait City’s magnanimous cityscape. A meeting at the cultural center, to discussing issue outlines at Souq Sharq, and then it was all about switching from ‘normal’ driving mode to ‘sports’ mode as the work day came to an end. Après work is all about fun, and with the Panamera’s sporting spirit zooming down the highway, we made our way to the chalet for a gathering with the best of friends.
Perhaps what we love most about the new Panamera is how the courageous Porsche engineers have successfully found the perfect balance between performance and comfort, dynamics and efficiency, career and family. All of this, while still remaining true to Porsche’s DNA, and it all begins when you settle into the plush seats, yet you spot the ignition lock on the left and the rev counter in the middle. The new Porsche Panamera, redeveloped from the ground up, is a sports car and luxury saloon in one. Its engines and transmission were re-engineered, the chassis perfected, and the display and operating concept interpreted for the future with multi-touch controls.
On the race circuit in a made-to-measure suit
Just like the overall concept of the new Panamera, which recently enabled a new lap record of 7 minutes 38 seconds for a four-door car on the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife circuit, the chassis also combines the ride comfort of a luxury saloon and the performance of a genuine sports car. This was enabled by a perfectly tuned suspension concept, innovative mechatronic systems such as an adaptive air suspension with new three-chamber technology and electronic damper control (Porsche Active Suspension Management PASM), the further developed Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) system including Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) and a new electromechanical steering system. The integrated Porsche 4D Chassis Control system analyzes the current driving condition in real time and enables optimized and coordinated use of all systems for even better handling.
New V6 and V8 twin-turbo engines with ample power and full-bodied sound
A Porsche has always impressed with more than just power; its efficiency is equally important. To make the new Panamera even more efficient, all of the second generation engines have been redesigned. The engines were made more powerful while improving their fuel economy and reducing emissions. All Panamera models are equipped with a permanent, fully variable all-wheel drive system (Porsche Traction Management / PTM) and a new eight-speed Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK).
New levels of comfort, connectivity and safety
Digitalization of the automobile industry is changing mobility more intensively and faster than ever. New display and control concepts, more intelligent assistance systems and continually faster and more powerful on-board electronics are leading to new levels of comfort, convenience, connectivity with the outside world and safety. The new Panamera is a reflection of this trend; it is by far the most digitalized and networked model in the Porsche model range.
Functionality and easy interaction in the Porsche Advanced Cockpit
The typical Porsche interior has been reinterpreted in a future-oriented way for the new Panamera. Black panel surfaces and interactive displays combine the clear visuality and intuitive user interfaces of smartphones and tablets with the practical requirements for controlling the car. Classic hard keys and conventional instruments have been reduced significantly. In their place, touch sensitive panels and individually configurable displays dominate in the new Porsche Advanced Cockpit – with great benefits for the driver and the front and rear passengers.
Next generation assistance systems
The Panamera is equipped with many standard and optional assistance systems, which make life while driving more convenient and safer. The key new systems include Night Vision Assist. It utilizes a thermal imaging camera to detect people and large animals and displays a color highlighted warning indicator in the cockpit. If the optional new LED matrix headlights with 84 image points are selected, people beyond the visual range of the dipped beam headlight are also illuminated briefly if they are in the computed driving corridor, allowing the driver to react even faster.
Chassis
The broad spread between performance and comfort sets the standards in the luxury segment. New features include rear axle steering, three-chamber air suspension, the electromechanical roll stabilization system Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (PDCC Sport) with Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) as well as networking of all chassis systems via 4D Chassis Control.
Features
Standard: 19-inch (4S and 4S Diesel) and 20-inch wheels (Turbo), LED head- lights and LED headlights including Porsche Dynamic Light System (Turbo), LED rear lights, rain sensor, automatic boot lid, Porsche Communication Management (PCM) with online navigation and Porsche Connect Plus (online services and app networking with smartphone), 150-watt sound system, key- less engine starting system, part-leather seats (4S) or all-leather upholstery (Turbo).
The new Porsche Panamera is available at Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company. Call 1870 870 or visit www.porschekuwait.com for more information. For the latest updates on social media, follow Porsche Centre Kuwait on Instagram @PorscheCentreKuwait and Facebook: PorscheCentreKuwait.
Photography by Yousef Al Nasser, Instagram @YousefCam.