Porsche is reportedly using the Panamera as a basis for a new, luxury 2+2 grand tourer which will be available in 2012 but that harks back to the legendary 928 from the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s. The Stuttgart firm has an obvious hole in its line up for a front-engine GT that sits between the 911 and Panamera. A two-door, short wheel base version of the Panamera is being developed that retains the same front end, but replaces the back end with something far more smooth and curvy that gives it a much more appealing and balanced look for the style-conscious driver. More importantly it would fill the gap in the portfolio and recoup some of the staggering $1.1billion invested in the Panamera’s development.
Moving the Panamera’s 4.8-litre V8 engine to the front means that over 200-litres of extra luggage space can be freed up, essential for those longer journeys that the car will be made for. Excellent handling will be a top priority of course and rear-wheel drive can be changed to 4WD to keep 500 horses reigned in.
If environmental impact is weighing on your mind, you’ll be happy to hear that the ‘new 928′ is expected to leverage the hybrid engine from the Audi S4. A 38kW electric motor will still be assisted by a stonking 369bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6, so you’ll still have plenty of power to use while hitting a frugal 30mpg.
The Panamera GT Coupé, or 928, or whatever name it ends up with, is expected to be in the £65-90K price range, which means it is setting its sights on the Aston Martin DB9, the Bentley Continental GT and the Ferrari 599 GTB to name but a few luxury tourers. Offering a mixture of quality, engineering, style, as well as undercutting its rivals on cost, Porsche are definitely going to stir things up in the GT sector!
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