First Look at Porsche Panamera is Like Last Look at GM Fastbacks
Today, April 19th, I had my first look at the Porsche Panamera. Now you might think that an automobile journalist with decades of experience would already have seen and tested any new Porsche and not long ago that would have been true. But I live on an island where bringing cars back and forth by ferry has become absurdly expensive and time-consuming, so I no longer make the effort. My first look at any new model is the same as yours: on the street or in a parking lot. In this case it was the latter, directly behind an area where executive jets are parked, which possibly explains why the Panamera was sitting there.
I'd just had tea at the Victoria Flying Club restaurant and decided to take a little stroll in search of unusual aircraft that might be visiting. But it was a car, not a plane, that stopped me in my tracks. As you probably know, the Panamera has been criticised in the media, in part because of its styling and in part because traditional Porsche enthusiasts resent the fact that their favorite car company is building a 4-door sedan. So I was curious to learn what my reaction might be inasmuch as I'd once worked and raced for the Canadian distributor (Volkswagen Canada).
At first I didn't quite know what to make of the Panamera. I walked around it, viewing the car from all angles, peeking inside to determine whether the rear seating area is practical for two adults (it is, provided they can sufficiently bend and twist to gain admittance). There was a familiarity about the look that I soon recognised as Porsche's long-time design language. But something else about the shape had me feeling as though I'd gone way, way back in time, even before the marque existed. And then I remembered.
In the early 40s General Motors had introduced a unique style that it applied to all its makes, from Chevrolet through to Cadillac. The marketing people had a name for each line but generally the shape was referred to as a "fastback." The roof sloped back in one long, gentle curve that spoke of aerodynamic streamlining. Both 2-door and 4-door fastbacks were created by GMs designers and they were, for their time, quite lovely.
You may think I'm mad for suggesting that a 2010 Porsche sedan bears any resemblance to a Detroit product of decades ago, but if you get a chance check out the Porsche then examine one of those mid-century General Motors cars. As for my opinion of the Panamera, the best I can say is I'd far rather own one than a Cayenne. Call that "damning with faint praise."
[Cadillac Photo: Consumer Guide]
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