The Panamera is Porsche's first luxury saloon, says Ben Barry in Car, and it is a "highly appealing car fast, comfortable, practical, frugal and very well built".
The basic idea was a very good one: wrap a Porsche 911 in a gran turismo body. You'll get what Porsche was trying to do the moment you climb into the very-911-like interior. And from the outside it looks much like a 911 too, albeit with its 4.8-litre, V8 engine in the front.
It doesn't, however, drive like a 911, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's smoother at low speeds, the ride is more reminiscent of a Mercedes, and it's not as sporting as its stablemates making the car a more relaxing place to be for driver and passengers. It will still, however, do 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and go on to a top speed of 176mph (for the £72,266 'S' model).
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And it really is a proper, big saloon, says Stuart Birch in The Daily Telegraph. It's roomy inside, and each of the four occupants "can feel part of the whole driving experience in an ambience of leathery luxury, comprehensive infotainment systems and detailing that Porsche immodestly calls 'opulent'".
The car's ability to "mix whopping performance and confidence-inspiring dynamics" makes it a "very satisfactory solution to the enduring Porsche clan's problem of creating a family sports saloon. After 50 years: sorted."
The four-seater layout, with its excellent build quality, gives the car an "airy, lounge-like ambience", says Ben Barry in Car. Each passenger can feel it's almost a bespoke fit, says Stuart Birch in The Daily Telegraph, with generous head and leg room.
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