Porsche Panamera images leaked

I know, there have been endless spy shots of the Porsche Panamera around for ever. But the car is getting closer, and we now have the first Porsche supplied images surfacing. Not on purpose, mind you. It would appear that these images are embargoed until Monday, but those nice people over at Auto Motor und Sport broke the embargo, and AutoTelegraaf has published the pictures.

Leaked image of the Porsche Panamera

The Panamera is Porsche’s 4 door saloon coupe, aimed straight at the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide and the existing Maserati Quattroporte. It will be available initially with a pair of V8s, straight from the Cayenne, and later with a V6. But after Porsche announced this week that the Cayenne is getting a diesel, it seems a fair bet that the Panamera will too.

Porsche has grand plans for the car. Aiming for 50,000 units a year (which does seem pretty optimistic in the current climate) this is yet another car that will get under the skin of the Porsche aficionados. Sacrilege, they will cry. Porsche should only make sports cars. But what they need to realise is that the reason Porsche can still make the venerable 911 is the profits the Cayenne makes. And if the Panamera works, then the 911 can continue onward and upward.

The styling of the Panamera is about as pretty as the Cayenne. But it will undoubtedly be brilliantly packaged and delivered, just like the Cayenne. The Porsche working title for the Panamera was ‘Space Coupe’, so you can be pretty sure it will be roomy.

We’ll bring you more information once the embargo on the images is lifted next week. But for now, what do you make of the picture. Not exactly a Rapide, is it?