Porsche Panamera launched, new dealers soon

The 4-door supercar from Porsche, the Porsche Panamera was launched in India today in Mumbai.

Porsche Panamera now in India

The Panamera is Porsche’s only 4 door sedan, and is positioned as a luxury four seater supercar – obviously for the uber-rich. At a price of 1.4 crore rupees after all the taxes (ex-showroom Delhi) it is unlikely even the mere millionaires would consider purchasing one. But that is all secondary – the most important thing is that we at least have this car in India. If we are lucky, some spoilt politician’s son would drive it on some bad roads, bang its underbelly and get his dad to build some better roads. Such is the way our country works.

Photo: Porsche Panamera

Porsche has launched the Panamera in India in three versions: The Panamera S, the Panamera 4S and the Panamera Turbo.

Several Panameras were pre-ordered, and the dealers would deliver them to customers in the coming weeks.

At this point in the article, I am wondering if there is any point in listing out all the specifications and features of the Panamera models. After all, Porsche buyers are not going to purchase Panameras after reading what I write in DWS Auto India, after all. On the other hand, duty dictates that I should write stuff for the enthusiasts (who themselves will read it elsewhere, if I don’t put it all down here.) In the end, here is the compromise. I will touch upon some of the more interesting aspects of the Panamera, and then give you a few good looking photos, and then a video of a test drive of the Porsche Panamera, and everyone goes home happy. Deal?

Porsche Panamera Test drive video below

The Porsche Panamera 4s, which is the lowest end of these high-end cars, produces 400 bhp, puts it all on to the rear wheels through a dual-clutch transmission through seven gears. You get something like 8 kilometers per liter with all the Panamera models, give or take a kilometer or two here and there. The eight cylinder engine produces 500 Nm of torque, and you can touch 100 kmph in 5.6 seconds. Top speed is 285 kmph.

The Porsche Panamera 4S has an ‘intelligent’ all-wheel drive, a traction management system, produces the same amount of torque and horsepower, but can touch 100 kmph in just 5 seconds.

The Porsche Ppanamera Turbo, on the other hand, produces anothe 100 bhp plus! SO what you are dealing with here is a 500 bhp car that can produce 700 Nm of torque and has a top speed of 303 kmph, and a 0-100 kmph time of 4.2 seconds.

You can control the suspension setting using the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) which is standard on the top of the line Turbo Panamera, and an option on the Panamera S and 4S. In the Sport Plus mode, the already low car is lowered even more by another 25mm. In India, Porsche has renamed it the Underbelly Scraper mode. Not really.

Porsche also said that the company has signed up three more dealers in India – in Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai. I am looking forward to hearing Ilayaraja music wafting out of a Panamera stuck in Chennai traffic!