On the heels of the exclusive and highly anticipated release the 918 Spyder supermobile, German automaker Porsche has shifted gears to focus on designing something that will enhance your everyday drive. At the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Porsche debuted the tasteful plug-in “e-hybrid” Sport Turismo concept for the Porsche Panamera range. It's an elegant merger of sportscar and family wagon.
With four doors and 67 miles on the gallon, the car’s redesign has innovative additions such as slick headlights and a hybrid electric motor combination engine (the so-called “e-hybrid” engine). The prototype eliminates protruding side-view mirrors, bringing the outside world in via a built-in central video cam. Another fancy addition is the TFT color display behind the wheel to monitor gauges and instruments, such as your speed.
The Sport Turismo, closer to earth than the luxury crossover Porsche Cayenne, appears robust, powerful, and spacious. The teardrop contours of the car’s body converge at the rear with an iconic Ferdinand Alexander Porsche-designed 911-style hatch trunk. A lithium-ion battery mounted inside the trunk offers the driver 18-plus miles on electric power alone, albeit at just 98 horsepower.
Eight Panamera models have been put into production since the first model made its debut at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show. The current “e-hybrid” expects to produce a combined total of 416 horses. Compared with other Panamera models such as the S Hybrid (380HP at 5500rpm) and the Turbo S (550HP at 6000rpm), this is midrange.
Who, finally, is it targeted at? This model appears to be a convenient upgrade for golfers, skiers, young families, and drivers on the lookout for excitement, first-class seating in the front and back, and cargo volume — all from a brand with a proven legacy for performance.
The Panamera Sport Turismo targets a niche market for those interested in both luxury and practicality. If this concept car follows the fate of Panamera predecessors, it’s likely that it will actually find its way into reality, cruising out of Porsche’s Leipzig factory and onto the roads of Munich, Los Angeles, Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, New York, and Tokyo.