Don't forget[ this blast from the past](https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/this-four-door-porsche-928-is-the-proto-panamera-that-never-was/) 'prototype'.
OHHHH MY GOD, now that I know this exists, but wasn't mass produced. My day is ruined. I had no idea I even had a favorite Panamera model until now. š
This is too sick. Crazy how we ended up with the panamera, huge Porsche fanboy but the Panamera (and 1st gen cayenne) are the only ones I really canāt get myself to like
I donāt think so as all the 911s have some sort of vents in the back to cool the engine. Donāt see that here so my guess would be itās front engine.
Nah the way the back tapers down to a 911 inspired rear is just beautiful. And overall it just looks more refined than most 90s cars do.
I would agree it looks too generic for a Porsche though. Which is why I was suggesting that it needs a more aggressive front/back bumper and aero package to add some character.
the very front and very rear are definitely Porsche. It's an attractive early 90's car as the world moved away from standard three box sedan language. But it just looks about the same design everyone else was moving towards. Which peaked with the first generation CLS cockroach car.
As a 996 lover, I think the fried-egg headlights would only have improved that. I think is cleaner than the first Panameras tbh but I'm not sure if the world was ready for a Porsche sedan then.
Entire front could be better, but everything else is actually really good. But the longer I look at it the more I see it as it was meant. Compare it to same year Mercedes E class, three decades ago this car would be amazing thing to drive.
I have a Panamera so I would say this, but "no".
It's interesting. And I know \*most\* people don't love the Panamera, but I do, and have since it launched. It's such a ridiculous machine :D
I bought a Panamera Turbo a few months ago. It is fucking insanely cool. I have driven it a few months. I have not really put my foot in it yet. Scary fast.
Certainly better than the early Panamera which is an abomination. One of the ugliest premium cars of the last 20 years, and yes, I know about Bangle butt BMWāsā¦ and current BMWās. The current ones look a lot better, though I think the Taycan pulls off the 4 door Porsche look best.
Are you saying that because you know the history of the two companies? If so that makes sense.
Side note: Just in case you didn't know, the German government gave Porsche a contract to make a vehicle for the masses and that's how we got the Beetle. Ferdinand literally watches while the first production facility is built.
Weirdly, I think this is better looking than the Panamera, but I also believe the 989 wouldāve been a flop if released. Itās too different for a world full of square-sided sedans.
The competition wouldāve been the Mercedes 500 E maybe? Canāt get more hard-edged than a W124. And the 500 E was the only Mercedes built by Porsche.
This is a prototype at the Porsche Museum (also the pictures were taken at the museum, I recognize the place). Almost every prototype is drivable and ready to go if not for some minor pre-start maintenance! I think they just used tires that could fit well the car.
I love the rear of this it reminds me of the 996 but for the panamera if this was the first gen design I wouldāve loved it, thereās something about the first gen panamera I donāt like the rear unless it has aftermarket tail lights š
For 986/996 they wanted a combined light module to save on costs and also because it was āmodernā and somewhat LMP inspired. This is more 993 inspired. Consider that if this was a ā93 prototype it was probably in development along with the 993.
Sorry, I canāt always tell when a question is rhetorical. Also, I donāt run into that word often enough for me to to bother remembering what it means.
These earlier cars donāt really translate to photos, something about the curves with wide angle phone cameras. I donāt think its the prettiest car ever, but it likely looks a lot better in person. The front end is too underdeveloped though Iāll give you that
I will say there are some carrs like that, that just have a much different presence in real life. A lot of 90's jaguars are that way. I'd love to see a 989 in person.
Would.
> Would. Sit in the back?
Shag.
Don't forget[ this blast from the past](https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/this-four-door-porsche-928-is-the-proto-panamera-that-never-was/) 'prototype'.
That 928 shooting brake is just perfect. The lines really work. The 989, and honestly the first gen panamera not as much.
Oh damn I love this one! Looks like a very cool wagon
[I think the 1972 Cayenne was the first four-door Porsche!](https://imgur.com/a/WqaMq3B)
š¤£
The 928 styling actually works a lot better as a wagon, I find
Very cool never seen this before. Iāve even gone to the Petersen museum for the Porsche exhibit and missed this. Thanks for sharing!
My dad would be drooling at that performance station wagon haha
Taycan cross?
OHHHH MY GOD, now that I know this exists, but wasn't mass produced. My day is ruined. I had no idea I even had a favorite Panamera model until now. š
Please, this needs a NSFW tag, thank you
This is too sick. Crazy how we ended up with the panamera, huge Porsche fanboy but the Panamera (and 1st gen cayenne) are the only ones I really canāt get myself to like
Okay, I need this
Crazy how much this ended up informing the 996 design
you should see the Panamericana too, looks like a goofball off-road 993 before it
For 92 that is a smooth looking car. A performance version of this with a more aggressive front & back would go so hard on this.
Yes. And it would be half a ton lighter than the bloated sedans today. Iāll have mine in manual spec, please.
Perfect family car really
Agreed. 4 door 911. Is this concept rear engine flat 6?
I donāt think so as all the 911s have some sort of vents in the back to cool the engine. Donāt see that here so my guess would be itās front engine.
Front-engine V8
It looks like any generic early 90's car. A Ford Taurus with a Porsche front clip.
You're getting downvoted for the first thought I had.
Nah the way the back tapers down to a 911 inspired rear is just beautiful. And overall it just looks more refined than most 90s cars do. I would agree it looks too generic for a Porsche though. Which is why I was suggesting that it needs a more aggressive front/back bumper and aero package to add some character.
the very front and very rear are definitely Porsche. It's an attractive early 90's car as the world moved away from standard three box sedan language. But it just looks about the same design everyone else was moving towards. Which peaked with the first generation CLS cockroach car.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
They just had to go with the rootbeer brown.
Lmao "rootbeer brown" is perfect. I just thought of it as, "that ugly brown color that sometimes looks really good on a few porsches."
Iād call it āThe James May Orangeā
I loved my Macadamia Cayman sooooo much
Looks shockingly like the oval Ford Taurus
I think Steve Jobs would have had it :)
This one is closer to a 911.
As a 996 lover, I think the fried-egg headlights would only have improved that. I think is cleaner than the first Panameras tbh but I'm not sure if the world was ready for a Porsche sedan then.
A bit of ground effects, spoiler and wheels. Hmm Edit: the rear spoiler a la 959. But smaller
It didnāt age well at all
Entire front could be better, but everything else is actually really good. But the longer I look at it the more I see it as it was meant. Compare it to same year Mercedes E class, three decades ago this car would be amazing thing to drive.
Always thought this looked great, still better than the Panamera in my view! But clearly a 4 door needed to be different than just a 911ā¦
Thatās pretty nice looking
Idk why but when I saw this, first thing to come to my mind was Bank Manager lol
Must have been easy for first gen panamera designers. Ground work was already done.
It's so basic, yet it's clearly still a Porsche. Really cool!
I donāt think we were missing much.
Ngl this is sexy, especially for its time. Imagine what this would look like with modern styling
Look better than the panameraĀ
https://preview.redd.it/9harqfpw4p8d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65bb9a9f7502b73f876c3c2a0936d77dd27a7b6a
I think it looks better than the very first Panamera that hit the roads. It does not look anywhere near a new Panamera.
I'm an idiot sandwich...
I have a Panamera so I would say this, but "no". It's interesting. And I know \*most\* people don't love the Panamera, but I do, and have since it launched. It's such a ridiculous machine :D
Love my Panamera 4
Same - although itās due an oil service and I just found out what it costs
Spark plug changes at 30K intervals are the worst. $1800 at the dealer, $1400 at a private shop.
Kill me š¤£
I bought a Panamera Turbo a few months ago. It is fucking insanely cool. I have driven it a few months. I have not really put my foot in it yet. Scary fast.
Donāt agree. It looks great but you cannot beat a Panamera sport tourismo.
The 993 inspired front is better. The 996 inspired back is also better than the panamera saloon. Comparing with the shooting brake isnāt even fair.Ā
Better than a first gen Panamera.
the taillights especially, by far.
I guess it is a matter of taste. Taking into consideration your name, we do not have much in common.Ā
Thatās sad to hear.
Certainly better than the early Panamera which is an abomination. One of the ugliest premium cars of the last 20 years, and yes, I know about Bangle butt BMWāsā¦ and current BMWās. The current ones look a lot better, though I think the Taycan pulls off the 4 door Porsche look best.
Smoothed off Chevy citation
š«” we salute the arrival of common sense in 1992
Thatās just a long beetle
Are you saying that because you know the history of the two companies? If so that makes sense. Side note: Just in case you didn't know, the German government gave Porsche a contract to make a vehicle for the masses and that's how we got the Beetle. Ferdinand literally watches while the first production facility is built.
Indeed I am, my good sir.
Reminds me of a jellybean.
Guess no one noticed that's an MKI 996
This would bw great if itās a rear engined
Weirdly, I think this is better looking than the Panamera, but I also believe the 989 wouldāve been a flop if released. Itās too different for a world full of square-sided sedans. The competition wouldāve been the Mercedes 500 E maybe? Canāt get more hard-edged than a W124. And the 500 E was the only Mercedes built by Porsche.
Curious about the fact that it has cup2 wheels which were on production cars in ā94 models. Should have had cup1ās?
This is a prototype at the Porsche Museum (also the pictures were taken at the museum, I recognize the place). Almost every prototype is drivable and ready to go if not for some minor pre-start maintenance! I think they just used tires that could fit well the car.
Yuck!
It's kinda cute in a Japanese Kei car school of design way.
https://preview.redd.it/43yweecagr8d1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d00d1ece1cea393a8934c0b71d19d058205220dd
I always wondered why the Panamera and the Taycan didnāt have the trademark Porsche headlight shape, and now I know š
Good miss
One word, hideous!
All Iāve ever wanted is a small Porsche sedan with 718 engines
If only that was the headlight design they used for the 996.
Smash š„
Ford Taurus ?
I want that
I love the rear of this it reminds me of the 996 but for the panamera if this was the first gen design I wouldāve loved it, thereās something about the first gen panamera I donāt like the rear unless it has aftermarket tail lights š
A 911 and a Ford Taurus had a baby.
Designed by Harm Lagaay as one of his first projects upon his return to Porsche back in 1989.
Looks so much better than 1st gen Panamera
Looks like they collaborated with Saturn. Glad they waited.
Why couldn't that have been the front end of the 996?
For 986/996 they wanted a combined light module to save on costs and also because it was āmodernā and somewhat LMP inspired. This is more 993 inspired. Consider that if this was a ā93 prototype it was probably in development along with the 993.
Building Porsches is way too complicated for there to be a simple answer to that question... If you're a real Porsche fan you'd know...
Thanks, gatekeeper. It was a rhetorical question.
Sorry, I canāt always tell when a question is rhetorical. Also, I donāt run into that word often enough for me to to bother remembering what it means.
Easily the worst looking Porsche ever devised. It's like a 996 with elephantitis, pure nightmare fuel.
These earlier cars donāt really translate to photos, something about the curves with wide angle phone cameras. I donāt think its the prettiest car ever, but it likely looks a lot better in person. The front end is too underdeveloped though Iāll give you that
I will say there are some carrs like that, that just have a much different presence in real life. A lot of 90's jaguars are that way. I'd love to see a 989 in person.
The Panamera was literally based on this...
The panamera literally just looks like a modern this lmao. Heavy on the evolution not revolution from Porsche
This is way better than the oanemera
Porsche never usually miss but man, this would have been bad if it went to productionā¦.