PogueMoHone

^

In the flesh, the car is not in least bit "ugly". The styling may not be for everyone but not liking it doesn't make it ugly, and conversely liking it doesn't make it beautiful.

It is a "niche" car and will be very successful, combining luxury (I can verify) with performance (I assume). I was very surprised at how much better it looked in the flesh than it did in the pictures. Some things just don't photograph well.

Patrick

Yeah....

No. It's ugly.

Targa Tim

Everyone said the Cayenne was ugly when it came out. Everyone still said the Cayenne is ugly now.

Yet the Cayenne is the best selling car in the Porsche lineup. I guess people like buying ugly cars these days and Porsche seems to know this well.

I predict the Panamera will be a big success and it will steal sales from Mercedes S class and BMW 7 series. People who have owned these 2 cars will know too well about their poor depreciation. So why not try a Panamera when it is time to trade cars.

ltc

It was/is/will always be ugly.

Look at the Cayenne (targeted) demographic.

The Panamera will struggle to meet it's post launch (i.e. dealers forced to accept initial production launch vehicles) expected numbers....between 20 adn 25% of all Porsche sales....I don't think so.

You're right. The 'other' Porsches have shown EXCELLENT depreciation characterstics....996TT/997TT, Carrera/Boxsters....all depreciate about as well as the shuttle can glide (re: brick)

I will allow the Panamera to survive, only if Dr W leaves PAG immediately...the Panamera was his last 'piece of the puzzle in his 10 year plan', now given the fact that PAG has gone from the most profitable company on the face of the Earth to billions of dollars in debt (wonder if Dr. W was a student of Mr Madoff), it's time.

Sam CS 05

I can care less how my SUV (AKA: Porsche Cayenne) looks when it kicks some so called sport sedans' small ***...but wait a minute, I thought it was about the driving experience...???

Style & body design? maybe we should look for the "Lady's Boot" on the map??????

Targa Tim

the successful sales of the Cayenne is good enough proof that what you and other haters have said are totally irrelevant and hence unimportant.

FlatSix911

Actually, this is just proof that a Fool and his money are soon parted...

Targa Tim

money well worth it on a Cayenne than other SUV.

BTW, nice find on the ancestor of the Panamera.

Sam CS 05

if Panamera sales mirrors Cayenne's...I wonder who would be the fool?

ltc

Hypothetically speaking, if one were say a designer/OEM supplier to Porsche, and production planning forcasts were part of the project, it should be possible to look at (revised) Panamera production #'s for the next 2 years, correct? I would imagine the same could be said for the Cayenne as well. I wonder what those numbers would tell you...

It's interesting table talk, but in the end, it's 'wait and see'.

Whisper

It's evident that the Panamera is the future of Porsche.

Why did they make an SUV? Why is the 924/944/968 not considered a "real Porsche"? Why is there no love for the Cayman?

I'll tell you why. It's because Porsche has ceased to be a high-end sports car manufacturer and become just another model of luxury car. The Porsche has come to be valued more for its big-name hood badge and high sticker price than for its handling and racecar pedigree.

Any luxury automaker can stick a powerful engine in a big, heavy sedan, and get good 0-60 numbers. But there's so much more to a true sports car than that.

The Panamera, like the Cayenne, makes me sad. It was made to be polished, not driven.

tooloud10

What a bunch of drama queens you all are when it comes to the Panamera. Don't like it? Don't buy one. What's the big deal?

FWIW, it seems like it's going to perform in the manner that we've become accustomed to when it comes to Porsches--it'll be at the top of its class. Isn't that what matters?

ltc

Well stated
FWIW, the 'real' Porsche is probably still the 911 and of course the 356.
As an aside, I do consider the 968 to be a Porsche, much more so than the 944/924 models (Harm Lagaay called it the most beautiful Porsche he ever designed).
Dr W had a 10 year plan; thankfully it is coming to an end with the Panamera and perhaps his tenure at Porsche as well.
I agree with marketing the badge to a completely new demographic, but they have tried to do both things at the same time (continue with racecar derived sportscar evolution with the 911 AND go after an entirely new demographic (folks who couldn't recognize any Porsche more than 3 years old...soccer moms et. al).
Work with people inside Porsche and you quickly figure out that they share the same opinion of the company and Dr W.

A friend of mine who is in the business research field (something i know nothing about) told me that he average life of a major corporation is about 50-60 years; at that point in time, they usually experience a major change and are never the same again...he cited lots of examples, HP, RCA, etc).
I'm afraid Porsche may have reached that inflection point.

Targa Tim

You are obviously someone who has not driven, or if you had, do not know how to drive and handle a Cayenne well to say something like this.

I'm going to have sport car, SUV and sedan in my garage. If Porsche is able to provide me with good products, then I don't mind having all my cars made by Porsche.

Starbucks is good and famous for making coffee, but they also sell cookies and other products, and they are doing well.

If any of you haters own Porsche and stay with making sport cars only, I can foresee that it will be out of business long time ago.

FlatSix911

The same people who bought the Cayenne and Panamera ....