It looks too banal compared with the official sketch. Not too risky, I mean. Until the concept version is unveiled, I prefer the CLS and the Rapide.

Something about it’s just not right to me. It’s got something to do with the way the rear looks. I starts to look a tad ackward from about the beginning of the c pillar on back. I haven’t been following the development of this car closely; so, does anyone know is this supposed to be front or rear engine?

I agree…it just doesn’t look right to me. The back end is funky, and it looks like they just tacked on the front end from some other Porsche they had laying around.

Consider me underwhelmed…

Mark this day as the day Porsche began it’s decline. That car looks horrendous. I am usually one to reserve judgement, but this bad. It looks like a stretched 911 limo! This car should have taken design cues from the 928. Not a rear engine 4 door sedan. A front engine, big block Porsche V-8 with the slick curves of a 928. This car is the next 914.

Yeah. That rear end needs to be cleaned up. It’s too bulky, and the rear door looks like an afterthought, specially the C-pillar.

What’s with the Impala doors?
I agree it does look akward from the C pillar.

Recent Porsches have been banal. The detailing on the Turbo 911 looks tacked on (ie: the vent infront of the rear wheel).

And their deviation from what I perceive to be their values was the Cayenne (even though from a financial stand point it made great sense). I just wish that Lotus, who has never strayed from their values, could build cars as tightly as Porsche does.

As for the Rapide, it is beautiful, but must all Aston Martins look the same? It’s like they are the same car with different levels of testerone.

Not looking forward to it. Was looking for a new revamp not a carrera with another 2 doors attached to it

Uh Oh… Porsche, please please please stop right now. Unless this is some fake exterior to throw eveyone off this is going to be a disaster!

the back is just a stupid disguise. it looks just like a 4 door carerra. not neccessary a bad thing.

People let’s think about it….. It is probably a test mule…. the underpinnings are the real deal while the carridge is nothing more than a place to support the test drivers. I say wait to reserve judgement until the concept car…. and hopefully then we will begin to see what the car will be.

Well, if you guys don’t like the recent Porsche designs, I hope they team up with Torino Design studios for infusion of ideas. Remember that Torino Designed Porche? That was beautiful.

We saw the concept car… and this is obviously far enough along in development that this is *close* to the sillouette we will see in production form… and comparing the two is a HUGE dissapointment.

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I kinda doubt this is all that close to the production version. IMHO.
I will withhold judgement until I see it in my dealers showroom though.

Let’s just keep it at a mule the. Mules just have any panles that fit the chassis to test the actual chassis.

This is scheduled to be in showrooms at the end of next year. This is not like the previous mules we have seen, and this IS very reflective of what will be slated for production.

Not sure how close this is, again, but here’s what I see. I see a car with a body that is pretty tight. There are no gapping seams on the exterior. The “impala” doors, panels, and hatch all fit pretty tight. The concept rolls out in a couple months, and I suspect they are wrapping up interior design. The exterior is probably done, and has been for a while now. I don’t see why they would spend so much time and $$ in machining a body together that is not the final product. The door trim can change, the vents in the bumber can change, but I think the overall look here is what we are going to get. Pretty sad. I would love to be proved wrong though.

God I hope this isn’t goiong to be near the final design

“What’s with the Impala doors?” (Goldfish)
I was thinking the exact same thing.

A four door Carerra isn’t such a bad thing but Porsche really needs to do is make their models more soulful and visually unique from one another…back in the day when there was the 944, 911 and 928 each car at least has its own flavour.

But nowadays the Boxtser, Cayman, Carerra and Cayenne just look a little too inbred for comfort and, frankly, boring. Which is a very bad thing because although they’re all great cars, the fact is that alot of Porsche customers buy for the image and when that image becomes played out Porsche is in BIG financial trouble when those image buyers go shopping elsewhere for soemthing more unique.

1952 MG TD…. what other mules have we seen? According to the article, this photo “appears to be the first ever photo of a Porsche Panamera prototype.”

there have been some powertrain/chassis mules that have M5 bodies dropped on them, caught on video running the ‘ring. This is the first mule showing the sillouette of the final product.

While specific design elements CAN be hidden, the overall shape/design of the vehicle is far enough along in development that what we see is pretty darn close to production. The beauty of the concept and the 928-esq shape on the rear is clearly axed for a more 911-esq look, which does not translate nearly as well into a f/r layout.

Regardless of its looks, it is going to perform and it is going to sell; the Cayenne did and it’s overweight and goat butt ugly.

I want innovation from Porsche not replication based on what others are doing.

im sure this is just a test car..it looks nothing like the sketch. give it time…

This is no mule, it maybe in disguise but this is the real deal

yes guys it’s a mule, c’mon it’s not going to be this bad. but in any case, i’m putting my money on a rapide. i’d much rather have an aston 4 door then a porsche. and thank you mercedes cls for giving the premuim brands and exuse to make a sedan. whats next? a lamborghini 4 door? maybe mercedes will do a pickup truck and call it a sports utility coupe. GLT? or MTK?

i hope it really doesnt look like that

It’s hard to tell what the final product will be based on camo spy pics, but simply going by this, it doesn’t look like the concept images/sketches, a lot less sleek, a lot fatter in the back. Still, I like the concept of a 4 door Porsche, and this will still be sweet, consider this, Porsche doesn’t screw up it’s designs, all of their cars are beautiful, this will be no exception when it finally does come out.

Believe me its not a mule, it is in very effective disguise. The roofline has been extended and raised just enough to hide the 911 like tumblehome. The black tape around the rear door also disguises the roof line. The rear end is visualy fattened up with cladding and theat spoiler. Mentally strip it of the disguise and it looks as like the sketches as any Honda or Acura looks like its advanced release sketches

Ditto about the Impala doors. Yuck.

Actually, you could throw some cherries on top and 911 on the trunk and there you go!