Luxury auto brand Porsche has come a long way since its days producing only sportscars. Don't get us wrong, it still makes sportscars – like the Boxster, Cayman, 911 and upcoming 918 Spyder – but a large part of what enabled Porsche to even attempt buying out the Volkswagen Group came as a result of its branching out from two-door coupes and convertibles into more versatile models like the Cayenne sport-utility vehicle and the Panamera sedan. Could this be the next?
Unveiled amidst the glitz and glamor of the Paris Motor Show, the Sport Turismo concept previews the next step Porsche could take in the Panamera's development. The Panamera, you see, for all its celebrated driving dynamics and cocoon-like interior, doesn't exactly have the most elegant roofline in the business. However, that could change with the vehicle you see here.
The Sport Turismo concept envisions a wagon body-style similar to the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake to give the Panamera a bit more interior space and a more attractive shape.
The extended roof, however, is not the extent of what's new about the Sport Turismo. Porsche also gave it some styling enhancements, including headlights like those found on the new Boxster and tail lights seemingly borrowed from the 911, to preview the design the next-generation Panamera could follow. The interior has also been streamlined into an even more elegant environment.
The German automaker also gave the Panamera Sport Turismo a plug-in hybrid powertrain consisting of a 333-horsepower, 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine and a 95-horsepower electric motor.
The Sport Turismo, then, represents something of a trifecta of new developments from Porsche. Just which makes it to the road, however, remains to be seen, but will largely depend on how the public receives it.
