The Porsche Panamera hit showrooms late last year as a 2010 model with a trio of V-8-powered models, but now the four-door Porsche kicks off the 2011 model year with the noted addition of two new models packing V-6 engines under the hood and noticeably lower starting prices. The 2011 Porsche Panamera now has a starting MSRP of $74,400 –a price reduction of $15,400 – but more importantly, the new engine also helps improve the car's overall fuel economy.Slotting in below the 4.8-liter V-8 used in the Panamera S, 4S and Turbo models, the all-new 3.6-liter V-6 produces 300 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. This engine is shared with the all-new 2011 Porsche Cayenne, and like all Panamera models it comes standard with the seven-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox. In addition to the new engine, the 2011 Panamera also features an Auto Start Stop function for improved fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions. Similar to a hybrid-electric vehicle, the Panamera's Auto Start Stop function shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and automatically starts the engine back up at take off.
Between the smaller displacement engine and the use of Auto Start Stop, the base rear-wheel drive Panamera is expected to return fuel economy estimates of 18 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway (these figures have not been confirmed by the EPA, though) which are improvements of 2 mpg city and 3 mpg highway compared to the rear-wheel drive, V-8-powered Panamera S. Another benefiting factor is a curb weight that has been reduced from 3,968 pounds down to 3,880. Despite the improved fuel economy, Porsche also claims that the Panamera V-6 still delivers good performance with stated acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour in six seconds.
Stepping up from the base price of the rear-wheel drive Panamera, the all-wheel drive Panamera 4 starts at $78,900. Like the base model, the Panamera 4 offers better fuel economy than its V-8 counterpart, the Panamera 4S which we reviewed earlier in the year, with estimates of 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway (a gain of 2 mpg in both the city and highway estimates). The Panamera 4 also drops about 100 pounds compared to the 4S model with a curb weight of 4,012 pounds, but it loses a second in zero to 60 mph acceleration to its V-8-powered counterpart with a time of 5.8 seconds.
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* Image/content courtesy of autotropolis.com
