Seeing there’s a Saab connection with Saab’s former design guru, Michael Mauer, going to Porsche….. and seeing Saab people seem to be so into design anyway….AND seeing several people have emailed me about it already this morning………….AAAAND seeing I’ve been in a Porsche frame of mind for months now – let’s have a look at the Porsche Panamera.
Just like the Cayenne did, the Panamera is quite likely going to wreak havoc amongst the Porsche faithful. The four door saloon (is that a real hatch back there????) adopts the modern Porsche 911 look but stretches it significantly, almost to the point where you wonder if the whole thing was really designed or just created by a 16 year old kid on Photoshop.
I like it from some angles:
But then this just looks plain crazy:
BrianL emailed me with the heading “Porsche brings back the hatch!!”
Richo emailed me first thing this morning about it and he thinks “they’ve missed”.
WooDz goes a step further: I sure Anthony Lo gave Mr Mauer a quick call when he saw the new Panamera. He probably had a good chuckle and thanked him for sodding off to Porsche leaving Lo the job of designing not just one but 2 Award winning concepts.
Personally, I’m intrigued by it and want to see more. I wrote to Richo that if you think of it too much as a Porsche then it’s probably going to disappoint, but if you cover the badge and think of it just as a sedan then it’s pretty darn hot. I’m reassessing that now, but am still in positive territory.
So – the Porsche Panamera: hot or not? Has Michael Mauer missed the boat or captured a new era for Porsche?
…and if you couldn’t give a stuff about Porsche then please move along. I won’t be doing this sort of thing regularly but it seemed like the right moment to indulge.
–
FAIL*
In the spirit of:
http://jalopnik.com/5091041/twenty+nine-automotive-fails
I’m not stuck on it, but at least it looks like Michael Mauer has managed to put a concept into production. Something he couldn’t manage at Saab or anyone else for that matter.
Markac,
So, Michael Mauer – Still-Born from Jets ?
turbin: I like Michael Mauer’s concepts. The 9-3x crossover coupe is my favourite saab concept car closely followed by his 9X. They gave me great expectations for Saab, but all we ended up with was pretty damned boring (probably why he left?). If his concepts were “still born” at Saab, he’s certainly not alone. It’s just nice to see that he’s finally got something into production!
I agree Markac, imagine the frustration, your best ‘clean sheet’ designs trashed and gone nowhere. These get you a job at Porsche, seemingly a dream-job, to find that you are straitjacketed within the heritage of decades of ‘incremental’ design improvement and the job of stretching said sacred design into this abomination.
Oh the injustice! Can’t have it both ways… actually you can, if your name is Bangle. Then you get to tear up the BMW design manual and through it away, and fools still lap it up.
At first I thought it was a crossfire! I’m not sure if I like it…. I guess that means it gets a 5 or 6 out of 10. That hatch looks like those early images of the future 9-5. I hope that isn’t how it looks. SAAB needs a knock out not a “not sure” look.
turbin: I guess he exchanged one type of straight jacket for another? Now that Porsche basically owns VW perhaps Michael will now get to work on some VW and Audi designs?
As one of the lucky few who have seen the new 9-5, its ironic that the love it or hate it design of the new Porsche will be dwarfed by the love it or hate design of the new 9-5!! I can just see TS’s site going insane when Saab finally releases some pics!!! Mark this date and comment. The similarities in “controversial” styling between the Porsche and the NG95 will be shockingly similar!! I’ll put it this way….”one for the Saab diehards” and “styling only a Saab person would love” will be peppered in all the reviews!! The interior will be the “homerun” of the new 9-5!! The exterior will be a triple, but with no one on base!!!
patric95, you are worrying me.
The Porsche? Predictable but its gonna sell in HUGE volumes!
Great input there, Patric.
I’ve always assumed that would be the case with the new 9-5 and I’m very very pleased to hear it. some of the best designs in history have started out being blasted by the masses. Even the iconic 900 was nowhere near as loved then as it is now. The Jaguar XJ12 was regarded as a sick joke by many yet I saw one last week that was absolutely stunning and very, very contemporary.
My own hesitation at the facelifted 9-5 a few years ago is another case in point. I love that design now and am very pleased they did it.
Can’t wait!
BTW, I’m liking the rear view of the Panamera more and more.
I kind of like it – it’s different. Sure to turn heads and unashamed to make a statement. It’s not a sexy car by any rate, but it’s somehow intriguing.
I see nothing wrong with the new 9-5 being a controversial design – it will stand out. Are we not all a little tired of the same old three box design?
The classic 900 was a controversial design, and to a degree still is. Some people find it just ugly. I, for one – a Saab faithful – would never call the 900 “beautiful”. It’s just an odd-looking car – and that’s her charm.
I think cars started to look too much alike the past decade or two and would attribute that to CAD programs. Whereas certain designers had the edge a few decades ago, this is now lost to advanced 3D modeling.
from here its a miss.
think 4 door vette…
Miss. Miiiiiiiiiiiss miss miss miss miss. Fugly from any angle except head on (and then it’s still unattractive). I feel bad for Mauer…he definitely didn’t miss the boat. Unfortunately, the boat he caught was obviously the failboat.
tom: The CTS-V is the four door ‘Vette. This is a good thing, because we never have to endure an ACTUAL four-door Corvette, which would, of course, be a hideous abomination, just like the Panamera.
PS
Re fourdoor Porsche.
Its actually hideously ugly when you see it front three-quarter view.
tee hee
The panamera is still 100x more of an authentic porsche than the Cayenne, and since I still acknowledge the brand after they shat the cayenne on us, I think I’ll be able to live with the Panamera. I actually really like it, save for that silly door crease/fender vent thing. The clean look would have come out much better on this car.
Anyways, Porsche’s wanted to do a 4-door V8 car since the 80′s with their 989 prototypes that were based on the 928 platform. What really gets me excited about this is A: The prospect of it coming with either a turbo V8 or the F1-revving V10 from the Carrera GT and B: The prospect of it coming with all of that, but in 2-door form and sold as a reincarnated 928. I really liked the 928, especially the later GTS model.
And Jeff, whether it’s a 4-door vette or not, the CTS-V is still a hideous abomination with the kind of well-thought out, cohesive design that you’d expect from a ssangyong. It goes like a scalded cat for sure, but it’s looks are classic GM through and through.
Never thought about the looks with with my SAAB 900S (1995:227K), once I sat in it, it felt right, instantly.
Epic fail…
Looks like a pregnant 911 carerra. no way this goes into production…
How do you spell ugly,
P -A-N-A-M-E-R-A ?
It looks like a bad strech limo job on a 911.
That’s not a sedan, it’s a Mega-hothatch!
Luckily for Porsche there are enough people out there that have more money than sense.
This car has probably already got an full order-bank for the next 2 years, which doesn’t mean it is a great design. It’s a business case pure an simple and I guess it will take a few sales from their competitors.
Those who has seen the NG9-5 either in picture form or the real deal, should be smiling now.
It’s has a beautifully sleek, sculpted coupe form that puts the Panamera to shame.
The Car is absolutely ugly, but they will sell it well.
Jeff – Erm, it’s already in production.
Alex – I’ve learned my lesson not to try ton convince people here that Cadillac is great, but the styling is completely subjective. I love the Arts & Science design language, inside and out. I know I’m definitely in the minority here, but still…a SsangYong? Have you SEEN the Rodius? That’s not a fair comparison at all.
I’m a fan of the 911, Boxster and Cayman, but both Cayenne and Panamera are ugly bastards.
Some people argue that a large 4-door supercar just can’t look good, but Lambo seem to have nailed it with the Estoque concept
uuuuuggggglllllllyyyyyy!
Well………. I really think Cayenne is one of the world’s most ugly cars, but for some strange reasons I can like this Panamera. It is so…… different……….prettyugly………strong………..
I think there might be a chance that I’m gonna love the Panamera in about six months or so, it has to sink in first.
Cheers
-Olav-
Always on the longest way home….
Its not fowl -iuts just a fish.
Some kind of flat faced monster from the depths of the sea. Oh and those rear end curves seem to lack a critical separation point for the airflow – noticably for crosswind stability off the rear side panels. Expect to see some very dirty Panamerica rear ends as the swirling untuned vortices wander about off its ass.
This is definitely not a car I would have on my short list to buy with any lottery winnings. It just does not look right. I am sure it drives fabulously, however, I would take a Maserati Quattroporte or a used Bentley Arnage. But I would have to win first…
Front: boooring
Back: hot
Side: my eyes hurt!
Final verdict: NOT.
On the other hand, I would kick Anthony Lo out of Saab and bring back Mauer without even thinking about it!
IMHO it looks good except for the front view(reminds me of Hyundai Tiburon)
I’d love to see Einar Hareide work with Anthony Lo on a new Saab…. Mauer not so much….he made the 9-3ss way to bland compared to how it looked from the beginning….
The front looks as if it belongs on a different, larger car. From the side, the elongated hood and/or the truncated rear give it odd proportions.
From the rear 3/4 it looks very Maserati Quattroporte, which is a good thing.
I give it an average score.
The design has one thing going for it: it’s distinctive. That’s the most important thing, as far as I am concerned. Thank God they didn’t make something that looks like a cross between a Camry and a BMW.
It reminds me a lot of the 928, which I liked a lot. Let’s just hope that it isn’t overweight, underpowered and unreliable like the 928.
It lacks all the clarity from previous Porsche designs, who in all functionalism are a tribute to the great Bauhaus– & Ulm-school design tradition.
The 4-door that should have been called Porsche 989, not panamera.
It looks like Maurer screwed up this job.
Too much influence from Bangle & co on this one. Superficial effects. Bad proportions. Etc..
Not at all coming close to the elegant Aston Martin Lagonda Rapide, or whatever they will call it.
Estoque looks impressive and arrogant, but this ?
But why worry, doesn’t fit my budget anyway, and it is surely conceived as another fat cashcow for Porsche.
Porsche 989 concept image 1
Porsche 989 concept Image 2
I’m not a Porsche fan and this wouldn’t make me one.
If you want stylish four doors and supercar’ish get a Maserati Quattroporte.
I love the design and I would park one in my driveway. Give it a couple of generations and people will start falling in love with it. Right now it probably will be the only kind of car that people will fall in love with how it drives but yet get turned off by how it looks.
I am glad that they’re offering the 7spd PDK though. I had a chance to drive a 09 Carrera S with it and what an amazing transmission. I can only imagine what it would be like with the V8 turbo.
The new 911 (998) looks a whloe lot better!
Panamera proportions remind me of this rarity:
http://www.mimia.nl/imagauto/Bristol_405_1954.jpg
Which was, I believe, essentialy an elongated version of bristol coupés of that time.
Somehow the Bristol is more sympathetic, regardless the technical progress that took place in more than 50 years.