Porsche’s upcoming Panamera promises to be one of the most potent sedans on the planet, and the German automaker is planning a pricing scheme worthy of the four-door’s performance. A new report indicates that the Panamera will have an entry price well into the six-figures.

Performance/Pricing
The entry-level powerplant will be Volkswagen’s 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine with 300 bhp, while Porsche’s own drivetrain will be a direct-injection eight-cylinder petrol engine, available in naturally-aspirated guise (450 bhp) and with twin turbos (520 bhp). In addition – we’re also expecting the Panamera S version.

However, there will be nothing entry-level about the 3.6L’s price tag. According to Edmunds, the base car will come with a sticker price of $127,000. But if you want to have your Panamera sometime next year, plan on paying much more. The V6 car won’t be available until 2010, but the V8-powered cars will be available in 2009. No word on mid-model pricing, but the twin-turbo model is said to sticker from $198,000.

Moreover, Porsche is also said to be considering putting the V10 powerplant from the Carrera GT in a Panamera model, but only if demand warrants it or if Mercedes launches an even more powerful version of the CLS.

Despite the high price tag, Porsche is planning to sell 20,000 Panameras annually.

Styling
Back in February, spies snapped some photos of the car with its trunk/hatch open, plus some more open-door shots. Why is that important? For one, the images confirmed the door shapes and roofline are not camouflage but the actual finished design. We also get an indication of rear storage space.

While rear passengers look to have plenty of head room, the ingress/egress to the back seat of the Panamera looks to be a bit tight. However, the rear door does look a bit thick, indicating that the finished product could still be hiding under some camo. The open door also reveals the car’s final roofline.

The Panamera’s styling is highlighted by a 911-esque side window arc, and the large, elongated headlights that look a bit like those from the 996-era 911s, rather than the more oval lights in the current 911. We can also see equally large taillights that stretch around to the car’s side. A hatchback-style trunk lid like that on the Cayman is very obvious in these photos.

Some prototypes — likely the Panamera S — feature dual exhaust pipes and a retractable spoiler similar to the one on the Boxster/Cayman. Other prototypes — presumably the Panamera Turbo — feature quad exhaust pipes and a larger wing. While the finished car’s wing will look much different, we suspect the more powerful variants will have a larger spoiler than the base models.

The interior — although apparently still in its prototype stage — is highlighted by a center-mounted LCD screen and a typical Porsche gauge cluster.

Scheduled for an official presentation at the 2009 Geneva show, the Panamera is expected to be a strong competitor to the Aston Martin Rapide and BMW Gran Turismo.