If we thought Frankfurt wasn't worth a trip this year, other than for the hot dogs, Porsche recently gave us a new reason to get on the plane. The company recently released photos [Update: Sorry, they haven't released them officially. The one pictured is a spec job from Autocar] of its Panamera sedan tourer concept, confirming rumors of a Porsche sedan based on the VW Phaeton platform, which had been swirling since late last year. Autocar had reported the car would be released as a 2009 model, with the Cayenne's V8 standard, and an optional V10 pushing more than 600hp. Now, AutoWeek reports the Panamera, conceived as successor to the 928, will make its debut this fall at the Frankfurt motor show. We still think it's an excellent move for VW to channel its Phaeton R&D into more profitible directions, and despite lamentations by Porsche diehards, there's a strong business case for expanding the Stuttgart franchise. Of course, execution is the key. We may just book our tickets today.
Porsche Panamera for 2009? [Dubspeed Racing]
Porsche Panamera: Concept version of automaker's fourth model line due this fall [AutoWeek]
Related:
Is Porsche Considering a VW Phaeton-based V8 Sedan? [internal]
