PORSCHE PANAMERA
In 2009 not only did the 911 receive the coveted “Auto Trophy” award
from the leading German car magazine Auto Zeitung – but also after such
a short time in production the Porsche Panamera took the award in the
luxury segment.
Having only entered the market
in September 2009, the Panamera has immediately moved up right to the
top of the winners’ podium, just as the 911 Carrera is now defending
its top position in the sports car segment for the 16th time.
In all, 104,442 readers of Auto Zeitung cast their vote in the 22nd
Auto Trophy. Receiving 25.6 per cent of all votes in its category, the
Panamera was the top scorer in the luxury class out of 14 contestants
nominated.
In the sports car category 22.1 per cent of all readers chose the 911
Carrera as their No 1 out of no less than 23 models.
The Panamera had already been
awarded the “Das Goldene Lenkrad” (The Golden Steering Wheel) in early
November as the “Best New Car of the Year in the Luxury Class”. This
prize is awarded by the German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag
together with the car magazine Auto Bild and its European issues.
The Panamera is however a great success not only in Europe, but also
with international car journalists the world over, having won a number
of international awards recently. In Canada, for example, 70 of the
leading car journalists grouped within the Automobile Journalists
Association of Canada (AJAC) have chosen the Panamera as the “Best New
Prestige Car”. Conducting thorough test drives, the AJAC journalists
were thrilled by the Panamera Turbo featuring, among other highlights,
the best brakes and the best acceleration ever measured by the AJAC.
Again in Canada, the car
journal Le Guide de l’Auto also ranks the Panamera as No 1 in the
“Prestige Cars” category.
In the USA the editors of the online magazine Inside Line have given
the Panamera their “Most Wanted Award”. A leading automobile portal
reaching more readers each month than subscribe to any car journal,
Inside Line highlighted in particular the overall performance of
Porsche’s Gran Turismo.
In Great Britain the Panamera
has brought home no less than two significant titles, Vehicle Dynamics
International lauding Porsche’s new luxury performance model not only
as their “Car of the Year”, but also the “Dynamicist of the Year”, with
its perfectly engineered chassis delivering an equal share of balance,
grip, comfort and control all in one. At the same time the same
magazine lauded the dynamic engine mounts exclusive to the Porsche 911
GT3 and the new 911 Turbo as their “Innovation of the Year”.
Yet another coveted title
awarded to the Panamera is the “Interamerican Car of the Year 2010”
proclaimed by the Federación Interamericana de Periodistas del
Automóvil (FIPA), an association of 81 Panamerican car
journalists from 21 countries. Porsche’s Gran Turismo thrilled these
experts in all disciplines such as progressive technology, performance,
environmental care, and the significance of the car for each national
market. Given these qualities, the Panamera was able to beat a
significant line-up of no less than 37 leading automobiles.
|
10,000th
Panamera leaves the Leipzig plant
In December 2009, just three months
after the new Panamera went on sale the 10,000th car rolled off the
production line at the Leipzig plant of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG,
Stuttgart. The 500 HP platinum silver metallic Panamera Turbo will be
delivered to a customer in Singapore.
Michael Macht, Chairman of the Board of Porsche AG: “Sales of the
Panamera have really taken off: we have already secured over 9,000
orders. Shortly after it was launched our Gran Turismo won the coveted
“Goldenes Lenkrad” [“Golden steering wheel”] and “Auto Trophy” awards
in Germany. It has also won many international prizes.” The Panamera 4S
is proving particularly popular and has a share of 44 per cent -
putting it ahead of the Turbo (36 per cent) and the Panamera S (20 per
cent).
The company plans to build 20,000 Panamera per year across the whole
product cycle. The fourth Porsche model series is being manufactured at
the Leipzig plant in the so-called model mix, sharing a production line
with the Cayenne SUV. The innovative, highly streamlined production is
seen as a model of technological and economic excellence for the
automobile industry worldwide.
|
