Porsche Unveils Panamera Interior
After years of development, the curtain was only recently drawn on Porsche’s four door sedan project, dubbed the Panamera. The resulting backlash from the bubble-backed design has been epic, as critics lambasted the last independent sports car manufacturer for not only deviating even further from their traditional roots, but also for deviating from those roots in an abhorrent manner. With a rear section that conjures up images of a Porsche design from a few decades ago (specifically the Porsche Typ 12; an early VW Beetle predecessor), viewing the Panamera in profile is not a pleasing experience.
However, settling in behind the wheel should be. These photos, the first released of the production interior, showcase Porsche’s interior design at its finest. Borrowing equal portions (or Porscheons?) of 911 and Cayenne, the spacious cabin is upholstered in fine leather and wood available in 13 different colour and material combinations. Obviously, luxuries like power seats are obligatory, with 18-way Adaptive Sport Seats being available as well. In another first, Burmster, the famed Berlin-based stereo company that has caused heart palpitations in audiophiles the world over has contrived their first ever stereo for Porsche within the Panamera; an assuredly fantastic 16-speaker system incorporating a subwoofer for a grand total of over 2.5 square feet of speaker surface area and a total output of over 1,000 watts. Bluetooth and a Universal Audio Interface are also available. Out back, that beetle back contains 15.7 cubic feet of luggage room; enough for four large suitcases according to Porsche.
With the Cayenne continuing to propel Porsche to massive profits yet again, the Panamera’s debut will be interesting. Regardless of its acceptance within the sports sedan buying populace, Porsche’s continual pressure on Volkswagen and Audi as the single largest shareholder in the VW group could result in some interesting politicking as the Panamera comes up against the sport sedan might of Audi’s Quattro branch. And with Volkswagen-owned Lamborghini showing off their own (vastly more attractive) sedan, the super sport sedan world may become a very volatile place.