2017 Porsche Panamera makes an early appearance ahead of its official debut

The new 2017 Porsche Panamera has made on early appearance online ahead of its official debut, showing a new Panamera that’s a lot better looking.

Porsche was planning to reveal the new Panamera on 28 June, ahead of a likely public debut not until the Paris Motor Show in September, but that plan has been rather undermined by a raft of photos of the new Panamera leaking online from Motor1.

What the new photos show is a Panamera that is still clearly a Panamera, but one that’s managed to grow up and lose its ugly duckling status. Not quite a swan, but a big improvement on the original.

Gone are the bulbous bits and ungainly rear end, to be replaced by something that looks very similar, but manages to look modern high tech and cohesive and clearly inspired by the new 718 and 911 models, particularly in the new light treatment at the back.

Clearly a range-topping turbo model, the leaked photos also show us the new dashboard, with a big analogue rev counter flanked by what we assume is a configurable digital virtual dash, and there’s also a hight tech digital control panel for the rear passengers (no doubt and expensive option).

Under the bonnet is Porsche’s new 4.0 litre V8, which will deliver anything up to 600bhp and beyond and deliver better economy and lower emissions.

We’ll learn more when the new Panamera is officially revealed next week.