Porsche Panamera luxury sedan

Porsche has announced to launch its luxury sedan Panamera in the Indian market at a price tag of Rs 1.4 crore.

The Carrera GT was phased out in May 2006. A high performance luxury saloon/sedan, the Panamera, was launched on Monday, 20 April 2009.

At launch, all Panameras will be powered by 4.8-liter V8s based on the Cayenne GTS motor. The engine can be had with or without turbochargers. Both engines get direct injection that helps improve power while reducing fuel consumption.

The base version spins out 400 hp at 6,500 rpm and a healthy 369 lb-ft of torque from 3,500-5,000 rpm. The force-fed versions add a turbocharger to each exhaust manifold, which boosts the output to an even 500 hp.

More importantly for fans of instant thrust, the torque goes to 516 lb-ft between 2,250 and 4,500 rpm.

Porsche is among top car brands in the world. In a May 2006 survey, the company was awarded the title of the most prestigious automobile brand by Luxury Institute, New York.

It questioned more than 500 households with a gross annual income of at least US $200,000 and a net worth of at least US $720,000. The current Porsche lineup includes sports cars from the Boxster roadster to their most famous product, the 911.

The Cayman is a hard top car similar to the Boxster in a slightly higher price range. The Cayenne is Porsche’s mid-size luxury SUV.