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Now the Germans are breathlessly reporting no less than five technological innovations in the luxury performance car segment will be revealed when the Panamera debuts at the Shanghai Motor Show on April 20.
These include the first automatic start/stop system mated to Porsche's dual-clutch transmission, air suspension that can be adjusted with extra air volume on demand, active aerodynamics with a multi-stage, adjustable rear spoiler on the Panamera Turbo.
We already know the Panamera will be available in three models, the S, Turbo and 4S.
The car goes on sale in Australia in October with prices starting from $270,200 for the S, $282,400 for the all-wheel drive 4S and $364,900 for the Turbo.
The luxury four-seater will be powered by a high-tech direct injection V8 adapted from the Cayenne four-wheel drive and a hybrid version is likely.
In the S, the V8 delivers a fuel economy figure of 10.8 litres/100km and does so despite the cars 294kW and zero to 100km/h time of 5.4 seconds.
The range topper gets a twin-turbo that helps push the power envelope out to 368kW and top speed of 303km/h.
The Turbo does zero to 100km/h time of 4.2 seconds.
The V8s are further enhanced with map-controlled coolant/temperature management systems.
Porsche says the Panamera's start/stop system is the first available in a premium car with a dual-clutch transmission.
The pump-up adaptive air suspension is standard on the Turbo and an option on the S and 4S.
Likewise Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) and limited-slip rear differential, which will be standard on the Turbo and optional on the S and 4S.
Through the Sport Plus button, the optional Sports Chrono Package enables the driver to choose an uncompromising high-performance set-up of all drivetrain and suspension systems including Porsche Traction Management (PTM) with its fully controlled all-wheel drive.
PTM is standard on the 4S and the Turbo.
The body makes extensive use of high-strength lightweight materials like aluminium and magnesium and weighs just 1770kg in the S.
The lightweight doors feature a load-bearing structure made of laser-treated pressure-cast aluminium, an aluminium outer skin and door window frames made of thin-walled pressure-cast magnesium.
The independent rear seats are electrically adjustable, heated and cooled.
The seat backrests tilt forward individually, providing up to 1263 litres extra luggage space.
To aid both aerodynamics and cooling the Panamera has a completely flat under-floor to help reduce both air resistance and lift forces on the axles, which contributes to lower fuel consumption and greater stability.
The active four-way rear spoiler is part of the aerodynamic package on the Turbo.
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