Sports cars of the German brand Porsche always attract increased attention, delighting not only motorists who dream of owning these cars, but also specialists of the automotive industry. The range of updated Porsche Panamera stands out especially in this regard, attracting not only with a bold sporty design, but also excellent speed characteristics, as well as an increased level of comfort that can impress even the picky car owner.
The vehicles of the Porsche Panamera range impress with their luxury, unstoppable sporty character and high speed thanks to the new six-cylinder engines. The Porsche Panamera is presented in four versions: with a gasoline or diesel engine, as well as in their Platinum Edition trim levels (differing in a higher level of equipment).
The Porsche Panamera is, one might say, the "basic" version of this car, offering a balance of speed qualities and a decent level of comfort at an affordable price starting at 3,932,000 rubles. For those who prefer a higher level of equipment, the German manufacturer offers the Porsche Panamera S model, for those who like the highest possible speeds, Porsche has provided the Panamera GTS and Panamera Turbo models, but for those car owners who cannot imagine their existence without an all-wheel drive car, there is Panamera 4 In this review, we will focus all attention on the basic rear-wheel drive Panamera, having considered in detail all its advantages and disadvantages (if any).
Externally, the Porsche Panamera is executed in the sporty style familiar to the German automaker with the streamlined lines of the five-door body, which has a smooth lowering at the rear. The car has a low stance, a wide profile and stylish large wheels, giving external aggressiveness and visually giving this luxury hatchback the power needed to storm long-distance roads.
The front end is decorated with fenders raised above the voluminous bonnet, on which drop-shaped headlights, made in the style familiar to Porsche, fit. The forward bumper sharpens the sports car a little, significantly improving its aerodynamic characteristics, and the air intakes on it not only provide sufficient air flow to the engine, but also create additional downforce. The latter can be enlarged by the unique retractable spoiler located at the rear of the car and opening when driving at high speeds.
The Panamera has a body length of 4,970 mm, a width of 1,931 mm, a vehicle height of less than 1,418 mm and a wheelbase of 2,920 mm. Vehicle weight (according to DIN version) is 1730 kg, and the maximum permissible total weight must not exceed 2335 kg.
The Panamera's four-seater cabin is chic and comfortable. When designing it, German designers tried to take into account all the wishes of buyers of Porsche cars of the past and created a unique balance of ergonomics, practicality and style, corresponding not only to the sports spirit of the car, but also to the business style of elite sedans.
Front space is divided by a functional center console, which has a convenient tilt, which allows easy access not only to the gear shift knob, but also to the rest of the vehicle's system controls. The front panel is set high, freeing up legroom, and the instrument panel will delight with its high information content and several levels of illumination, making it easy to read the readings.
The rear has even more free space for passengers and comfortable seats with lateral support. In addition, as additional options, they can be equipped with heating and a ventilation system. The new seats can be folded in various proportions, significantly expanding the luggage compartment, which can be useful when planning long trips.
In the Platinum Edition trim levels, more expensive interior materials are used, and some decorative inserts have a different style of performance and are painted in contrasting colors, which gives the interior an additional originality. In addition, the platinum versions of the Porsche Panamera are equipped with a sports steering wheel and a range of additional equipment aimed at increasing the quality of comfort for the driver and passengers.
Speaking of technical characteristics, the developers have prepared two first-class engines for the Porsche Panamera and Porsche Panamera Platinum Edition cars:
The petrol version of the comfortable sports car is equipped with a six-cylinder naturally aspirated power unit with a V-shaped arrangement of cylinders and a lightweight design. The displacement of this engine is 3.6 liters (3605 cm³), and its maximum power is 300 hp. reached at around 6200 rpm. The highest torque, equal to 400 Nm, develops at 3750 rpm. The petrol engine is equipped with direct fuel injection (DFI), VarioCam Plus timing control and integrated dry sump lubrication. In addition, the power unit is equipped with a unique balancer shaft, which significantly reduces engine vibration. It should also be added that this power unit is also used in the all-wheel drive version of the Porsche Panamera 4.
The gasoline engine can be equipped with two gearbox options. The six-speed manual transmission has a special sport setting with optimal selection of gear ratios for manual shifting and high precision of the gear lever movement, which does not have a direct rigid connection with the gearbox, which eliminates the possibility of vibrations. To reduce operating noise, the manual gearbox is equipped with a special dual-mass flywheel, and excellent fuel economy is achieved thanks to an indicator mounted on the instrument panel that signals the need to change gear. With this gearbox, the Porsche Panamera can reach speeds of up to 261 km / h while accelerating to the first hundred in 6.8 seconds.
In addition to the "mechanics" for the sports cars of the Porsche Panamera line, an automatic transmission Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) is also provided as an additional option. This seven-speed "automatic" is equipped with two separate shafts (one in one), connected to the engine through a double clutch, which allows you to change gears in a split second, while maintaining acceleration dynamics. The PDK automatic transmission has both automatic and manual gear shifting options and can be supplemented with the Launch Control function, which replaces the starting algorithm with a more sporty one. We also note that this "automatic" is used in other models of the Panamera line, in particular in the Panamera S and Panamera Turbo. As for the speed qualities, the Porsche Panamera sports car, complete with the PDK automatic transmission, develops a slightly lower speed than with the "mechanics" - 259 km / h, but accelerates to 100 km / h faster - in 6.3 seconds.
For the Porsche Panamera Diesel and its Platinum Edition, the developers have created a new turbo diesel power unit with six cylinders and a displacement of 3.0 liters (2967 cm³). The cylinders are V-shaped, and fuel injection into the combustion chambers is provided by a common rail direct injection system operating at pressures of up to 2000 bar. In addition, the engine is equipped with a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG) and piezo-controlled injectors that allow multiple injection processes to be performed in a single powertrain cycle. The maximum diesel engine torque for the Panamera Diesel is 550 Nm in the 1750 - 2750 rpm range. The power of this engine is 250 hp. and is reached at 3800 - 4400 rpm.
The diesel power plant of the Porsche Panamera is equipped with only one type of gearbox: the eight-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, which is also used in the Panamera S Hybrid hybrid model.This gearbox has a wide range of gear ratios and is able to adapt the dynamics of gear changes to the driver's driving style. In addition to automatic mode, the Tiptronic S gearbox also supports manual gear shifting via the selector lever or buttons on the steering wheel. The maximum speed of the Porsche Panamera Diesel thanks to this gearbox is 242 km / h, while acceleration to the first hundred on the speedometer will take the driver no more than 6.8 seconds.
Now a few words about fuel consumption. The gasoline power unit, equipped with “mechanics”, consumes an average of 11.3 liters per 100 kilometers, while driving on the highway will reduce fuel consumption to 7.8 liters, and moving around the city will increase consumption to 16.4 liters. The same engine, but with an automatic transmission, consumes significantly less fuel: 9.3 liters, 6.9 liters and 12.7 liters, respectively. The diesel version of the Porsche Panamera offers even greater efficiency: 5.6 liters in the country, 8.1 liters in the city and 6.5 liters in mixed driving.
The base Porsche Panamera range is a rear-wheel-drive sports car with a lightweight active aluminum suspension, which consists of double wishbones at the front and an aluminum subframe at the front. The balanced and finely tuned front suspension achieves excellent maneuverability on the road, while the precise variable steering ratio ensures easy handling in parking lots or when cornering very tightly. Moreover, the amplifier Plus is available as an option (standard on the Platinum Edition), which adjusts the level of amplification depending on the vehicle speed. The rear suspension of the Porsche Panamera is multi-link and is also mainly made of aluminum. All four wheels are equipped with reliable brakes with discs with a diameter of 360 and 330 mm, capable of withstanding enormous loads and having great wear resistance. The front braking system consists of 6-piston aluminum calipers, while the rear wheels use 4-piston fixed calipers.
The Porsche Panamera in all its modifications is equipped with light-alloy wheels, but if their diameter is 18 inches for the basic version of the car, then 19-inch wheels from the Panamera Turbo are used for the Platinum Edition versions.
Sports cars Porsche Panamera and Panamera Diesel have a fairly extensive package. So, the basic versions are equipped with seven types of airbags, full power accessories, climate control, heated side mirrors, rain sensor, Bluetooth interface, CDR audio system, ABS system, exchange rate stability system and Auto Start Stop system, which automatically turns off the engine when stopping at traffic lights. The more expensive Platinum Editions are additionally equipped with parking assistance, heated front seats, auto-dimming mirrors, bi-xenon headlights, integrated navigation, power steering Plus and more attractive interior trims.
The price of the base Porsche Panamera 2013 in Russian car dealerships starts at 3,932,000 rubles for a car with a manual gearbox and 4,100,000 rubles for a sports car with an automatic transmission. Porsche Panamera Diesel is offered at a price of 4,102,000 rubles. The version of the Pro Panamera Platinum Edition costs between 4,027,000 and 4,195,000 rubles, depending on the type of gearbox selected. "Platinum diesel" Porsche Panamera in Russia is offered at a price of 4,186,000 rubles.
