EVERY time I went to get in the new Porsche Panamera four-door four-seater, I forgot it had two rear doors and tried to fold the driver’s seat to throw my jacket in the back.
In the end, I left the jacket on because the weather was cool and damp at the international launch in the Bavarian mountains of southern Germany.
It showed up many of the car’s strengths, especially the all-wheel drive model’s safety and grip on slippery roads.
The imposing Panamera is Porsche’s first four-door passenger car and is a genuine four seater, not a 2+2. A five-year gestation comes to fruition here in September, priced from $270,000.
Three variants will be available, all with a 4.8litre petrol V8s featuring direct fuel injection and variable valve timing.
Rear-wheel drive S and all-wheel drive 4S are naturally aspirated and good for 294kW/500Nm, while the all-wheel drive Turbo with twin turbos calls up 368kW/770Nm.
It’s capable of accelerating from 0-100km/h in 4.0 seconds – no mean feat for a big, luxurious 300km/h car that touches two tonnes.
Contained within its derivative looks are a range of hi-tech and high performance features, some that are throwbacks to a simpler time.
The centre console, for example, boasts a cluster of control buttons for ventilation, comfort and numerous chassis functions instead of the now common screen-based multi-function, multiple choice read outs that are often far from user friendly. That scores a big tick.
Some body panels and much of the front and rear suspension and associated sub-frames are aluminium.
Air suspension controls ride on the Turbo and a range of dynamic features from other models such as Porsche Active Suspension Management and Sports Chrono (optional) are included.
Stability control and multiple air bags are standard, as are huge brakes with multi-piston calipers, upgradeable to even larger carbon ceramic discs.
All models score leather and Bose audio along with electrically adjustable seats, satnav, four- zone climate control and other goodies.
A distinct 911 look pervades the interior, only scaled up.
Panamera also boasts Porsche's brilliant double clutch (PDK) transmission with seven gears, standard on Aussie spec cars. A six-speed manual is available, but why would you?
The all-wheel drive system has instantaneous torque split front to rear depending on traction.
A stop/start function is available that trims the already impressive fuel economy, optimised through the use of an aero undertray, low roll resistance tyres, low friction bearings, on-demand engine ancillaries, regenerative electricity generation and air flow body fixtures.
Rolling off the same line as Cayenne, Panamera rides on a new platform and is wide, low and a bit shorter than five metres.
Four adults can be accommodated easily and additional benefits of the hatchback body style include folding rear seats that more than double the load carrying capacity when flat.
Access to the rear is through large, wide opening doors and the centre console extends from the middle of the dash right through the centre to the rear folding centre armrest. There’s plenty of headroom thanks in part to low mounted seats and a recessed roof liner.
Our drive was sensational, encompassing everything from narrow single lane mountain roads through double-lane secondary roads meandering between towering limestone mountains right up to high speed blasts down the autobahn.
Panamera maintains its poise no matter how hard it’s pushed and is comfortable even in sport mode that firms up the suspension, quickens the throttle and sharpens the steering. But you know you are punting a big car when pushing hard. It steers with precision but nothing like the benchmark 911.