Cool Hunting

by Tamara Warren

Porsche's new four-door Zentrum made for a flash of contemporary zing in contrast to the vintage cars on display at the Pebble Beach Concourse D'elegance earlier this month. As the feature marquee at the annual classic car show, car enthusiasts could test drive the new 2010 Porsche Panamera, the German automaker’s only four-door sedan.

Porsche design chief Michael Mauer explained that, unlike most cars on the market today, he hand-sculpted the Panamera. “The surface treatment of Porsche is hard to do on the computer, because the surface is concave. I need a physical clay model,” Mauer said. “The car is wide and low, which is perfect for design. We have more dramatic proportions than the 911.” With three models ranging from the powerful 400 hp S to the 500 hp Turbo, the Panamera’s confident performance caused quite a stir among the 1,000 invited Pebble Beach attendees.

Making the Zentrum experience more inventive than that average test drive, guests were treated to an in-depth two-hour custom process. Working with on-hand consultants to choose from 40 fittings, the event mimics the level of personal attention Porsche is implementing at its headquarters and dealerships.

The base price on the Panamera comes in at $89,800, the 4S at $93,800 and the Turbo goes for $132,600, arriving in dealerships this October.