Preview: Porsche GT Coupe based on Panamera sedan

Posted Fri Mar 13 2009 11:41 PM by Ralph Hanson

The car is almost certainly in production and should be on the market late next year as a 2011 model

Back in 2003, Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking gave a speech where he hinted at the possibility of a new 2+2 coupe. In the years that followed, no other mention of such a vehicle was heard until the confirmation of development plans for the recently revealed Panamera sedan. But is the new Panamera four-door coupe the same car Wiedeking was first hinting at all those years ago?

The Panamera would easily lend itself to a proper two-door coupe body, and Porsche would be smart to spread development costs for its new front-engined rear-drive platform by launching more models based on it. The new car could also serve as a successor to the V8-powered 928 – something fans of the classic GT have long been longing for since its demise in the mid 1990s.

The new car would likely be called the GT Coupe but unlike the Panamera it would be an all-out performance model rather than a comfortable tourer. This computer generated shows what a two-door version of the Panamera would look like, revealing a stylish grand tourer with classic Porsche proportions.

Engine options would likely mirror those of the Panamera, which means a range of V8 powertrains as well as a new V6 unit. Power outputs would range from 300hp (225kW) in the base GT Coupe and top out at 500hp (368kW) in the range-topping Turbo model.

The car is almost certainly in production and should be on the market late next year as a 2011 model.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche GT Coupe based on the Panamera sedan

Gallery: 2010 Porsche Panamera

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Reader Comments

Wed Jun 6 2007 5:33 PM
wushuhsu says

This is great news. Hopefully all these new non-911 models will allow Porsche to finally take the 911 off the Horsepower Protection Program and let it stand or die on its own against the new unleashed mid-engined Cayman with a bigger engine and LSD.
Thu Jun 7 2007 2:47 PM
Gus says

I know it, when I hear the Cayman is de-rated just so it doesn't beat the 911, it would make me not buy one for that very reason (had I the money in the first place:).
Sat Mar 14 2009 10:34 AM
Mike says

They better call it 928, what better name could it be? "GT coupe" sounds way too generic(how many "coupes" have had the name "GT"? Mustang, Ford GT, Porsche's own Carrera GT, Bentley Continental GT, Toyota Celica GT, etc, etc.) It even resembles an updated 928.
Sat Mar 14 2009 12:17 PM
Chris says

that door has to be another couple inches longer. the best 2 door in modern years for the size of the door is the new 3 series. the door goes about 8 inches beyond the front seats, even when they are pushed back as far as possible. on a 2 door, the size of the door makes the difference between a hot car and an awkward car... for the money, this is still too close to awkward.
Sat Mar 14 2009 4:37 PM
NoNameDenton says

I loved the 928, would love for their to be a Successor
Sun Mar 15 2009 1:10 AM
Aiman says

Looks too dull to me. How can they design a car for 2011 which looks older than the 928 they did in the 1970’s?
Sun Mar 15 2009 2:11 PM
SuperSkyline89 says

So, an ugly coupe based on an ugly sedan. Yay!
Sun Mar 15 2009 4:13 PM
danDAN says

bonnet could be a few inches higher and car wider then its a bentley gt in porshe body work...sounds very plausible
Sun Mar 15 2009 7:53 PM
WizardsLore says

hi guys you know me and i have never put links up ...but this link shows what the next 928 replacement should look like...its from way back in 2006 and still looks awesome:

The proposed 928GT as designed by Car & Driver

the design above looks way to bulbous in the back, and should be complementing the Panamera not be a 2 doors less version
Sun Mar 15 2009 8:45 PM
HECTOR says

This is a big mistake. I'd love to have a replacement for the 928 but not one that looks like this. It's a huge mistake to make a coupe out of a four door sedan - that is truly ugly to begin with. If Porsche insists in having both they should be two separate vehicles.
Tue Mar 24 2009 2:09 AM
Countach says

I still love the 928 and the design is still, IMO, years ahead compared to a good number of sports cars of today. To me, it still looks better than any Japanese sport cars and also, IMO, better than most Ferraris.

I think I have to see the Panamera in person to judge how it will look as a coupe. Most of the later Porsche cars are totally unphotogenic because the real thing just looks too damn sexy. So unlike any photos!

If turning this ship into a coupe. I sure hope they do something about the entire rear section. The rear of the 928 still looks more advance than that!

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