Many analysts in the automobile world think that the golden era of SUVs is set to finish and that, in their place, the market will orient itself again towards the large sedans. While waiting for this to happen car manufacturers are sharpening their arms with new models and concept cars that anticipate production.

After the success that Mercedes had with the CLS, the concept seems like it’s taking hold with greater force as sports sedans, with coupè elements are starting to appear. Over the next months we’ll see the arrival of cars such as the Audi A7,the Aston Martin Rapide, the BMW Cs, the Mercedes CLS and the Porsche Panamera. All cars with different bases, pricing and emblems, but, with various interpretations, express the same “sports sedan” theme.

With the Panamera (which we show here with two renderings from Worldcarfans.com), Porsche prepares itself for the battle in this niche market. Production will start from April 2009, and fans of the brand, after the Cayenne, probably won’t have too many problems accepting a large sedan among the range. Production will be limited to 20,000 units annually, even if the manufacturer confirms that it can produce up to 26,000.

Future customers of the car will have the opportunity to choose from three different engine options: a V6 at 3600 cc derived from VW at 300 hp (available from 2010) and a V8 4800 cc at 405 hp which will also be available in twin turbo version with 520 hp of power. A hybrid version will also be available from 2011 and all versions will be equipped with rear wheel or all wheel drive. Prices, starting from 80,000 euro for the six-cylinder model at rear wheel drive, reach 125,000 euros for the 4×4 turbo version.

Via | Leftlanenews.com

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