Porsche Panamera Cabriolet Rumours Surface

Correct. The 911 doesn't have the space to be a true Grand Tourer. The Panamera will look much better in two door form, and smooth in cabriolet form. Rather than the big butt on the 911 cabriolet. Go look at the 924, 944, 928, 968, etc. Front engined GT porsches actually look stylish.

I agree. The 911 is not a grand tourer. Ideally, a grand tourer has similar dimensions to the DB9. The 911 is closest to the Benz CLK, right in between the roadster (SLK) and grand tourer (CL, soon to be S coupe).

i disagree with both those statements. the article compares a potential 2 door Panamera with the AM DBS, which is a 2 seater car. the 911 at least has 4 seats, even if the back ones aren't particularly useable. cars like the C2S also compare with cars like the Jag XKR, which definitely does count as a GT car and doesn't have a pair of useable back seats either. the CLK isn't close to the 911 in terms of size, price, stature or ability so i don't know how you've made that comparison. would you compare a 3 Series to a 911? because that's what you've essentially done. i've seen 911s being used as cross country vehicles, and many of them are used to go to and from work on a daily basis. those are things that are generally done by GT cars.

What are you on about? Just because a car has 4 seats doesn't make it a GT or not. I drive my Fiat as a daily driver and across country, by your logic it's a GT car. My Dad drives his Landcruiser daily and across country, is that a GT car? I tried out a 911 but it didn't have enough usable space. I couldnt fit in a small suitcase and overnight bag into it. I can easily fit them in my XK. You can't do much touring if you can't bring a couple of changes of clothes for yourself and a passenger. The 911 is not a GT car and Porsche agrees.

Porsche also signed off the Panamera hoping that the public would think it's good looking. just because they say something, doesn't mean it's right :p. I agree with you that the 911 isn't a GT car in it's strictest definition, but you can't argue that it often competes against cars like the XK and 5 Series, or at the other end of the spectrum the Merc CL, Bentley GT, Maserati GranTurismo. Your argument is that the 911 doesn't have much space. well that argument in itself is flawed. from personal experience (although to be fair i've never personally owned one) the 911 has enough space for it's back seats to be used as luggage space. therefore i would argue that it's at least as practical as an XK. ergo, if you don't need the back seat space (which you clearly don't if you bought an XK), it has ample luggage space and you COULD use it as a GT car for yourself and a passenger. in my mind, a GT car is the kind of car you can drive cross country, or cross continent if you prefer, and arrive at the other end feeling fresh. it should, as you rightly point out, have space for yourself, a passenger and luggage. the 911 fits that criteria. no doubt it's an iconic sports car, but in recent years it's fitted the GT bill just as adequately. there are obviously other cars that can do the job (i.e. i'd prefer an S-Class to a CL for that particular journey and in the same vein your dad may prefer the Land Cruiser or yourself the Fiat) but to say that other cars do the job as well is a moot point. chavs do doughnuts it old Saxos, but that doesn't make them sports cars, does it :p.

I couldn't agree with you more. I love the CL. It feels even more luxurious than the Panamera, Conti GT and classy too also the fact that they're more exclusive.

CL63 FTW!

lol, and this forum is considered to be a place of people who like driver cars. I have nothing against a CL but as someone who like 'driving', I'm sure the CL is nothing compared to the Panamera. (now I just need someone to let me drive both to be sure :-))

If you want a driver's car, you'll ended up with a 911 GT3 and not the Panamera which exactly the point why we love the CL. And classier too.

+1 I'll take the CL over the Panamera too. The CL is the ultimate GT, imo; just put down all the windows with that pillarless design and go. Arguably top 5 best looking cars in production today.

Ofcourse the GT3 is more pure as a drivers car (IMHO the best, especially in RS form). That's besides the point I want to make. GT3 will be more a second car next to another car that will have to be practical enough to keep the missus and children happy. I believe that a Panamera can do that but still offer me the driving pleasure a CL couldn't give me. Compared to a Panamera, the CL is a boat. BTW, I'm not saying anything about the looks, it's veeery clear quite some people on this forum have strong issues with the Panamera's looks. No prob for me, I can even say I like the looks of CL.

YES! I would love to have seen the Ocean Drive Concept go into production, what a beautiful car that was.

I second that! :)

i was open to the possibility of the Panamera being better looking in the flesh until you brought up the bangle-butt bimmers, that destroyed all your credibility haha

lucifa , you were obviously taken by Porsche's build quality which is undeniably impeccable . but look beyond that aspect and you too would begin to realize this car's physical design shortcomings .

who makes you the oracle of automotive design? If you don't like it, OK, good for you. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the car's design. Some people like it, some don't, the same goes for EVERY car. I wouldn't call the Panamera pretty but I do find it impressive. In my opinion that was the goal for this car, so mission accomplished.

What right do you have to speak for other people's opinions on car design. In the end, I will always think this car is plain ugly, as so will many other 'short sighted or narrow minded fools'. That rear end just doesn't do it for me at all.

Have to add something, I replied to therenaissanceman for speaking for other people's opinion. I should've made that apply to lucifa too because he does the same albeit in the 'other direction'. Anyway someone who doesn't like the car is NOT narrowminded nor short-sighted. But someone who dares to say something good about it, doesn't have to admit the car has fundamental design shortcomings.