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08-17-2009, 02:26 PM
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Tomorrow at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, for the first time Porsche will show off its new Panamera model to the public. Today, Porsche invited AutoGuide to take the controversially-styled Gran Turismo out for a spin on the winding Northern California roads that surround that world-famous golf course.
At 9 a.m. I'm stretching the Panamera's legs on a nearly-deserted stretch of California's Pacific Coastal Highway. With a 4.8-liter V8 generating 400hp and 369 ft-lbs of torque mated to a wickedly-quick seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission, I'm attacking the curves and blasting down the straits, completely oblivious to the fact that this is a four-door. It sure doesn't feel like it.
While Porsche's Cayenne is excellent … for an SUV, the same philosophy isn't true of the Panamera. It's not good … for a four-door. It's just damn good.
More: Fast Impressions: 2010 Porsche Panamera S (http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2009/08/fast-impressions-2010-porsche-panamera-s.html) on AutoGuide.com
Tomorrow at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, for the first time Porsche will show off its new Panamera model to the public. Today, Porsche invited AutoGuide to take the controversially-styled Gran Turismo out for a spin on the winding Northern California roads that surround that world-famous golf course.
At 9 a.m. I'm stretching the Panamera's legs on a nearly-deserted stretch of California's Pacific Coastal Highway. With a 4.8-liter V8 generating 400hp and 369 ft-lbs of torque mated to a wickedly-quick seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission, I'm attacking the curves and blasting down the straits, completely oblivious to the fact that this is a four-door. It sure doesn't feel like it.
While Porsche's Cayenne is excellent … for an SUV, the same philosophy isn't true of the Panamera. It's not good … for a four-door. It's just damn good.
More: Fast Impressions: 2010 Porsche Panamera S (http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2009/08/fast-impressions-2010-porsche-panamera-s.html) on AutoGuide.com