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Porsche officially launches the Panamera in Shanghai |
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On the 20th of April, Porsche finally unveiled its all-new four-door supercar in the flesh at the 13th Shanghai Auto Show in China.
Its unique styling appears to get more agreeable the more you look at the car – what’s unmistakable, however, is the Porsche family resemblance. The interior, on the other hand, looks truly fantastic at first glance. The Panamera’s interior seems to have struck the perfect balance between being luxurious as well as sporting. The center console appears inspired by the Vertu luxury phone, while at the rear, passengers get individual bucket seats to ensure they’re held firmly in place as they’re transported across country at great speed no doubt.
Currently, the Panamera comes in three models – the S, which features a 4.8 liter, direct injection V8 producing 400 horsepower (this comes with the option of a manual transmission and Porsche’s double-clutch PDK transmission), the 4S, which features all-wheel drive and PDK, and the Turbo, which has all-wheel drive and PDK, as well as twin-turbochargers to bump up power to 500bhp. 0-100 acceleration times are 5.4 seconds, 5.0 seconds and 4.2 seconds respectively.
A less powerful, six-cylinder base model and hybrid version of the Panamera will be added to the range at a later date. As is, the Panamera features a start-stop system, lightweight body panels using various composite materials, and what Porsche refers to as ‘low-friction drive systems’ – all in an effort to maximize fuel efficiency. The car also features dynamic air suspension, and what Porsche’s calls its ‘intelligent chassis concept’ to ensure that the Panamera combines the comfort of a luxury grand-tourer with the driving dynamics of their legendary sportscars.
The Panamera is set to hit Indian showrooms in early October this year. The price tag may come as a bit of a deterrent however, as the S is priced at Rs. 1.4 crores (ex-showroom, Delhi), the 4S at Rs. 1.5 crores, and the Turbo at just over Rs. 2.0 crores. In 2008, Porsche sold 168 cars in India, which it hopes to increase to over 200 in 2009. They also plan to expand their dealership network considerably, which currently stands at simply one showroom apiece in Delhi and Bombay.
Considering that the Panamera is Porsche’s first all-new model since the Cayenne in 2002, the fact that car debuted in China, and not in Europe, is a clear sign of the significance of the Chinese and other Asian markets in Porsche’s future plans.
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By the time you read this, the new A6 will be available at all Audi dealerships across the country. The A6 gets a subtle facelift to give it a more cutting edge look. At the front, it gets a new single-frame grille – in keeping with the latest rendering of Audi’s corporate look. It also gets new front and rear lights, which incorporate Audi’s now customary LEDs. On the inside, you’ll find the latest version of Audi’s MMI (Multi Media Interface).
The most notable addition to the range, however, is an all-new 3.0 liter turbocharged, direct injection V6 petrol engine – replacing the existing 3.2 liter FSI power unit. Since the new 3.0 liter engine is smaller, it’s more efficient. The turbo, however, ensures that it’s also more powerful – producing almost 290 horsepower, as compared with 250 for the 3.2. More importantly, though, it produces 310 lb/ft of torque, which is almost as much as Audi’s larger 4.2 liter naturally aspirated petrol engine. The range now consists of the 3.0 TFSI and 2.8 FSI, while the 3.0 TDI and 2.7 TDI remain.
Audi’s flagship SUV, the Q7, also gets similar treatment for international markets – such as a redesigned grille, and new front and rear lights that incorporate LEDs, plus an updated MMI on the inside. The updates on the Q7 aren’t expected in the Indian market till the end of the year at the absolute earliest however. |
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M division gone bonkers |
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It was only a matter of time before the engineers at BMW’s famed M division were given a free hand with their X range of SAVs (Sports Activity Vehicles). The end is result is what you see here – the all-new X6 M and X5 M that made their world debuts at the New York auto show in early April.
Both cars feature a more powerful variant of the 4.4 liter twin-turbo, direct -injection V8 from the X6 that debuted last year. The engine produces a mind numbing 555 horsepower, and 500lb/ft of torque from as low down as 1,500rpm, which results in a staggering 0-100 time of 4.7 seconds. And more pointedly, at 555 horses, these are the most powerful road-going M vehicles ever produced.
Transmitting this tremendous power to the road is a new six-speed M-sport automatic transmission, and BMW’s xDrive four-wheel drive system with dynamic performance control. On the suspension front, both cars feature double wishbones in front, a lower ride height, stiffer springs, electronic dampers and active roll bars to ensure the kind of agility and grip expected from an M vehicle.
The X6 M and X5 M go on sale in international markets later this year. So if you want to transport the family dog at warp speed, you better start hounding your nearest BMW dealer to add these models to their already impressive M portfolio. |
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