Happy New Year everybody! With the economy the way it is, I figure I should go buy a practical sports car. You know, one with four doors. Okay, that's a lie. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't buy the Porsche Panamera. Maybe it sounded like a good idea to take a 911 and just make it longer, but the result looks more like a Photoshop than the real deal.
The front is right on brand. You really can't argue with an aesthetic that Porsche has been pulling off for over 50 years. However, it really falls apart in the back. They got so caught up trying to make it look like a Porsche, that they made it look like, well, a Porsche. But not in a good way. It reminds me of seeing a knock off of your favorite mp3 player at Linens 'N Things. In contrast, the BMW four door M3, the Aston Martin Rapide concept, as well as the Lamborghini four door concept all fit well within the brand's line-up.
I think Porsche may be a one trick pony. That's not a bad thing if you're the best at what you do. So just keep designing the best looking mid/rear engine sports cars out there and quit diluting your brand with stuff like this.
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6 comments:
It is too bad. They had the whole "brand DNA" down pat with the Cayenne.
Do you ever check autoextremist.com?
Its writer has had some really good words about Porsche. He is an automotive industry insider who speaks for a lot of the insiders.
Check it:
http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2008/3/4/rants-435.html
I will, somewhat, agree with the 'Rant' in the autoextremist page in that VW should stay VW and in a certain price range. That is if you believe VW and Porsche are the same as Lincoln is to Ford or Chevrolet is to Buick or the former Oldsmobile. You just don't see horse power or muscle in the days of old in some brands of a car compmany. There was a place for the muscle or the sports model and a place for the luxury 4 door model. However, today is a different story. Look at the Caddy with a two seater and very hot CTS-V. There was also a time when air cooled said VW or Porsche. A water cooled engine in a Porsche 928 in 1971 and front engine to boot was obscene in some circles. Well the front engine made it to the early '90s in the 968 and the water cooled became the norm after '97. The Panamera will too set some sort of precedent in the Porsche world. An elongated 4 door crossover hatchbacked (16 to 41 cu. ft. cargo area 400 to 500 HP Porsche.
As far as the Cayenne goes...I don't like it. Porsche and SUV just dont' go together. Maybe if chief designer Micheal Mauer had been on board at the time it would have had a better look.
Time will tell.
Great article Neil. I think you meant the Cayman. The Cayenne is the hideous looking SUV. Unless you were being sarcastic. Or if you really meant the Cayenne, well, you're wrong;)
Butch, I don't think we all read the same article.
Greg, I'm agreeing with Neil and pretty much the autoextremist rant 435. VW has it't place in the world and I'm not sure that it is along side of Porsche or Audi and definitely not their price ranges. I used Cadillac as an example of how things do change. Cadillac had a place in the world too and for so many years it was not along side of BMW, Mercedes or Audi in the sport field, however, they have crossed that line and proven they can do it. Maybe VW can do it but it is hard to give up old standards. You don't like the 4 door Porsche but it isn't a new concept for them. There was a 4 door planned and then changed to the 2+2. Now they are going to actually try it. Just like the 928 to 968, maybe it will make it and again, maybe not. Time will tell.
Enjoy that attachment I sent and do pass it on to Neil.
Totally Agree!!! But the front end is whack too. What's with the pointy eyes? And the rear end looks like a Renault to me.
I'm all for a four door Porshe rocket, to compete with BMW, Subaru and Mitsubishi. But this is horrible!!!
Mike
Yes, that was sarcasm. I am not sure why written sarcasm seemed reasonable at that time--I know it never works.
I certainly see a lot of Cayennes around the ritzy part of town and I shake my head every time I seem one. Same goes with the BMW X5 (and the X6 would get two shakes, if anyone would actually buy one).
Relatedly, I wonder when the Camaro or Challenger will be sold as sedans? The purist in me hopes they never will (but I think they would sell well and the companies sure could use the business).
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