First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera conceals a V6 but gives up little else in the transplant

Michael Harley — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Porsche, First Drives, Luxury

2011 Porsche Panamera V6 - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're the lone vehicle in the far left lane of the Autobahn outside of Köln, Germany. The traffic has lightened, so we mash the accelerator to the floor. While we pull strongly up to about 200 km/h (about 125 mph), the speedometer counts much more slowly as it spins around the right side of the dial. Moments later, the digital indicator on the cluster passes 250 km/hr (155 mph). The late-model BMW 5 Series trailing in our wake has met its electronic speed limiter, so it slowly falls away in our rearview mirror. It takes another ten seconds for the display to stop counting and hover at 261 km/hr (160 mph). Bringing our fun to an end, traffic on the horizon forces us to drop back down to more reasonable speeds just a few seconds later.

Northern Europe is the ideal venue to drive Porsche's latest Panamera models, each fitted with new 300 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 powerplants. We spent time driving both the rear- and all-wheel drive models in crowded cities, the open countryside and unrestricted highways. Where did the new V6 come from and what makes it unique? Where does the powerplant position the Panamera in relation to its competition and what is its new price point? These answers and full driving impressions after the jump...

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Porsche Panamera V6

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