Porsche held its first-ever Asia Pacific regional media drive of the new Panamera at Taiwan’s Sun Moon Lake from 14 to 31 March 2017. Panamera: Two Trails was specifically designed to highlight how performance and luxury, two contrasting characteristics, are reconciled more than ever before in the second-generation Gran Turismo. At the event, more than 80 media participants went behind the wheel of the Panamera, Panamera 4 and Panamera 4S, to experience the sports car among luxury saloons. A Panamera Turbo was also on display at the base venue.
The drive was split into two trails with its own distinct character and routes – the Performance Trail and the Luxury Trail. Under the guidance of Porsche certified instructors, drivers tested the mettle of the cars on the Performance Trail via winding, mountainous roads and high-speed expressways in Nantou County. For the Luxury Trail, the Panameras cruised the vicinity of scenic Sun Moon Lake and also parked up to enjoy a picnic set up right from the boot of a Panamera. After the sun set, participants experienced a live demonstration of the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS) Plus and Night Vision Assist as they navigated roads confidently in a near pitch-black night environment.
“For this Panamera media drive, we wanted to give our participants as much exposure as possible to the different sides of the Panamera. We created the two routes to differ in pace and mood while allowing the drivers to immerse themselves and understand more about the new car. On the drive, they got to experience some of the new highlights such as best-in-class performance and comfort through our new V6 and V8 engines and eight-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK), as well as redefined connectivity with the brand new Porsche Advanced Cockpit,” said Martin Limpert, Managing Director of Porsche Asia Pacific.
Porsche’s latest Panamera
Redeveloped, rethought and realigned, the second generation Panamera combines two contrasting worlds more than ever before: it offers both the performance of a genuine sports car and the comfort of a luxury sedan. Systematically improved down to the very last detail, this new model is steadily advancing to become a performance icon in the luxury saloon class. Its engines and transmissions have been developed from the ground up, its chassis perfected, and its interior redesigned for the future.
Visually, the design of the all-new Panamera is a reflection of the unique 911. The exterior silhouette is more expressive than ever with long, dynamic proportions, pronounced shoulder lines, and athletic flanks, as well as a roofline that is lowered by 20 mm at the rear, which is stylistically reminiscent of the 911, the design icon of Porsche.
Best of both worlds
Although not typical of sports cars, an abundance of luxurious space and comfort has become a staple in the Panamera model range. The interior of the all-new Panamera has been completely restyled while still retaining the Porsche DNA—with an ascending centre console and a flat and conspicuously wide dashboard. A future-oriented display and new control concept called the Porsche Advanced Cockpit brings direct access to the most important functions.
A highly-innovative family of new V6 and V8 turbo engines has been created for the all-new Panamera for a unique blend of efficiency and extraordinary performance. All engines in the range feature more power, but not at the expense of economy and emissions, which have been lowered. Together with an all-new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (PDK II), the engines’ power delivery is increased for a more rapid response, and driving performance and pleasure are intensified.
