It had been rumored for months, if not years. On July 27, 2005, Porsche made it official: The German sports car brand famed for performance planned a four-door car, just years after launching its first utility vehicle.
The Panamera became Porsche’s fourth nameplate, after the 911, Boxster and Cayenne. The name came from the historic La Carrera Panamericana endurance race.
The Panamera, with four seats and a swooping, coupelike profile, featured a front-mounted engine that drove the rear wheels. It went on sale in 2009 with two engine choices: a 4.8-liter, 400-hp V-8 and a twin-turbocharged, 500-hp, 4.8-liter V-8.
The car was engineered and designed on an all-new architecture and built solely by Porsche. The Cayenne utility vehicle was created in cooperation with Volkswagen.
“The Panamera is a perfect fit for Porsche,” said Wendelin Wiedeking, then-CEO of Porsche.”It has all the typical DNA characteristics of a genuine sports car. In terms of performance, design and driving dynamics, it meets Porsche’s high standards in every respect. Through this sports coupe we are making our customers a highly attractive offer in the top performance segment.”