Porsche Panamera sport wagon debuts in Paris as a hybrid

We have known for some time that the 2012 Paris Motor Show would bring about the formal introduction of a Porsche Panamera wagon and with the show now in full swing, the world has been introduced to the new Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept – with hybrid power.

The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept is much of what we expected with an elongated roofline offering more of a “wagon” rear end that the hatch found on the production Panamera. The overall look of the Sport Turismo Concept front end is very similar to the Panamera but the headlights are filled with a unique LED layout with more LEDs serving as the fog lights in a cool C shape in the outer fascia openings. The roofline of the Sport Turismo Concept starts off similar to the production model and the doors take a similar shape although the Concept features unique (car show worthy) door handles that differ from the production Panamera. The side also packs some gorgeously massive wheels tucked over an impressive brake setup.

Out back, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept is vastly different from the production Panamera beginning with the extended roofline that creates a more upright rear face than the traditional Panamera. The teardrop shaped taillights of the Panamera “sedan” have been replaced by some sleek, narrow taillights that flow into a black housing that runs the width of the vehicle. Like the production Panamera, the Sport Turismo Concept features quad exhaust tips but the Concept exhaust tips are enclosed in a unique fascia with an integrated splitter. The back end is the star of this show and it should be, considering that the back end is what makes the Sport Turismo special. It will be interesting to see if the current Panamera will get a sexy new taillight setup if the Sport Turismo model makes it to production. This wagon/shooting brake/Sport Turismo Concept design works incredibly well with the basic lines of the Panamera and this design appears to be something that could slide right into the production lineup.

Inside, the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept leans more towards the “typical auto show concept” side of things with a center console that is light years ahead of its time. This features a huge touchscreen panel mounted on the center console that runs right down into the armrest. The gauge cluster is one large customizable TFT screen offering all sorts of information and wrapped around all of the high tech gadgetry is all of the plush luxury that you would expect from a modern high end Porsche. The Sport Turismo Concept has a four seat pattern with front and rear sport bucket seats while the elongated roofline allows for more rear headroom and more cargo space out back.

The portion of the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept that was not expected is the hybrid drivetrain as this sleek concept packs a similar drivetrain found in the production version of the Panamera S Hybrid with a supercharged 3.0L V6 packs 333 horsepower. Where the concept differs from the Panamera S Hybrid is the modified electrical system that adds 95 horsepower of its own (roughly twice as much as the production hybrid system) and a plug-in feature that allows the owner to charge the battery in as little as 2.5 hours when plugged into a simple wall socket with the included charger. When working together, the electric drive motor and the supercharged V6 make a total of 416 horsepower. This allows the Sport Turismo Concept to rip from 0 to 62 miles per hour in under 6 seconds but more impressively, this Panamera hybrid sport wagon concept can travel in a pure electric mode for up to 18 miles with an incredible top speed of 80 miles per hour.
The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept is only a concept right now but shy of the high tech headlights and the super high tech interior layout – this looks like a car that could be in production with only minor tweaks.

Check out the dramatic video below of the new Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo Concept and check out our video on the right side by clicking any of the thumbnails for a closer look at this new Hybrid concept!