2010 Porsche Panamera

Porsche gave the 2010 Porsche Panamera several key design cues from the 911, including lower air intakes and no grille up front, the hood set lower than the front fenders, and the signature "shoulders" above the rear wheels.

When Porsche developed the new Panamera, its first-ever sedan, the "No Substitute" carmaker wasn't willing to compromise.

The vehicle had to have four doors, a coupelike roofline, plenty of rear-seat room, lots of cargo capacity and the handling of, well, a Porsche. Those requirements led the company to choose a unique hatchback body style.

While the resulting machine may look a bit odd, the Panamera excels in every way intended and, in our humble opinion, enters the market as one of the world's best luxury performance grand tourers.

Model Lineup
The 2010 Panamera is offered in S, 4S and Turbo versions, and starting MSRP is $89,800, $93,800 and $132,600, respectively. The S comes with rear-wheel drive, and the 4S and Turbo with all-wheel drive and an electronic brake differential. The best-equipped Porsche ever, the Panamera S and 4S come standard with such features as leather upholstery, front and rear bucket seats, heated front seats, a power rear liftgate, a navigation system, a sunroof, bi-xenon headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels with summer performance tires. The high-luxe Turbo gets adaptive headlights, a full leather interior and 19-inch wheels.

Compare: Porsche Panamera vs. Audi S8 vs. BMW 7-Series

Standard safety equipment on all Panameras includes dual front airbags, front knee airbags, front and rear side airbags, side-curtain airbags with rollover deployment, a tire-pressure monitor, rear park assist, anti-lock brakes, traction control and electronic stability control.

Options are numerous, including front park assist and rearview camera, and they can add $60,000 to the price of the car if you choose everything. Just about every amenity is offered, and Porsche also lets buyers trim numerous interior bits in leather, Alcantara, wood or aluminum.