In advance of the car’s official debut in China in April, Porsche has revealed not only high-quality interior photographs, but also the Panamera’s home-market pricing structure.

Only eight-cylinder Panamera four-seaters will be available at launch. Customers will be offered a choice of two, normally aspirated cars: the manual ‘S’ and PDK-automatic, 4wd ‘4S’. The 4.8-litre V8 will power ‘S’ versions from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 176mph. The 4S is a touch slower.

The top-level, all-wheel-drive 500bhp Turbo promises exhilarating performance: 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds and a maximum of 188mph. Seven-speed PDK is standard on the Turbo.



So, that’s what they will do; how much are they going to cost? A fair amount, if you convert the euro price to sterling. The S range will start at 94,575 euros for a manual car (98,085 euros for the PDK), while PDK-only 4S models will be 102,251 euros plus extras.

Those opting for the Turbo will be expected to pay a wallet-wilting 135,154 euros. The prices quoted include VAT at the German national rate of 19%, as well as ‘national specifications’ - a phrase that one must assume includes a fair number of features normally on Porsche’s expensive options list. Otherwise, it’s going to be an extremely expensive car in a very tough market.

Take a look at the official interior shots and the first thing that strikes you is the centre console that runs from dashboard through to the rear seats. The rear is for two, only, with various options available to allow all-electric adjustment.



Four-zone automatic air-conditioning is also available as an extra, providing individual adjustment of temperature, blower intensity and air distribution on each seat. Two leathers may be specified (‘smooth’ or ‘natural’), available in a total of 13 colour and material combinations. These include four bi-colour options. All of these can be paired with seven optional interior trim finish styles including Carbon, and Olive Nature open-pore wood.

The Panamera is the first Porsche to offer the High-End Surround Sound System from the Berlin audio specialist Burmester. The system incorporates 16 loudspeakers, powered by 16 amplifier channels, generating more than 1000 Watts overall output.



The new car will be launched in China, at Auto Shanghai 2009, from 20 - 28 April.



Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: Porsche