In its description of the following Porsche Panamera video, Digital Throttle states the sedan’s “engines and transmissions have been redesigned, its chassis perfected, and its display and control concept reinterpreted for the future.”
We get it. The original Panamera was around for more than half a decade. It was time for a total overhaul. Of course, that included its sheetmetal.
The original Panamera, like its Cayenne SUV cousin, was very un-Porsche-like when it came out. A four-door Porsche? Yep. That didn’t stop dealers from selling it and their buyers from making it an accepted P-car.
However odd it might have been when it debuted, the Panamera is a Porsche – and it’s now in its second generation. The new version of the four-door is noticeably sleeker than the outgoing model, especially its rear end, which is less bulbous and features slimmer taillights.
Even if you found the first Panamera ugly, it’s hard to say it didn’t stand out. It got attention, even if some of it was negative. The new Panamera appears to be a visual upgrade, but – in a way – its better looks seem to make it less noticeable.
Has Porsche refined the character out of the new Panamera’s styling?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
