As I suspect many people did, I reared up like a horse frightened by a wasp when Porsche issued the first pictures of the Panamera. Porsches in general are not classically beautiful, but this one seemed to be particularly inelegant.I have since realised that this opinion may have something to do with a fact that I'm a chap. Women who saw the 4S reviewed here almost without exception fell in love with it on sight - in fact some of them had to be prised away from it - and while some males of the species made complimentary remarks about it, the general rule is that anyone who thinks the Panamera is an affront to the sensibilities is probably a man.Light exterior colours seem to suit it well (I'll definitely avoid the darker shades when placing my order), though even in the silver of the test car it reminds me from some angles - not to my great delight, frankly - of the Chrysler Crossfire.None of this, of course, is apparent, when you're inside, and if there's one thing the Panamera isn't short of it's an inside. Porsche's first four-door coupé might, like some of its rivals, have proved to be a bit of a squeeze for rear passengers, but it's not. I'm significantly over six feet tall, and you could fit four of me in this car with room to spare.This is possible because the Panamera is very large - slightly longer even than the Cayenne SUV, which itself is no dwarf - and as a result it's no sports car. With 400bhp in 4S form, it's more than quick enough in a straight line (the Turbo, with 100bhp more, is obviously quicker still), and four-wheel drive ensures that you're very unlikely to get into trouble, but it can't be hustled in the manner of perhaps a 911 and definitely a Boxster or Cayman.Throttle timing is crucial. If you jump on the pedal too early in a corner, the Panamera struggles slightly, but if you hold on for an extra second or so, waiting until that long nose is fully settled into the bend, it rewards you by pouring itself seamlessly on to the next straight. This sort of driving may not be very exciting, but it's exceptionally satisfying.So this is not a sports car, but it's definitely a Grand Tourer, ideal for a rapid but relaxed driving trip round the coast of Scotland or over the Alps, and all the more so because it's so comfortable to sit in and rides so well. The fact that the 4.8-litre V8 engine roars wonderfully when pushed hard adds some extra magic to the experience.Just a couple of niggles. The way the engine barks into life on startup (hitting 2000rpm before settling down to a more relaxed idle) isn't very classy, and won't do your relationship with your neighbours much good if it happens early every morning. And the amount of corrosion on the test car's exhaust tailpipes was very alarming for something which, with options, cost well over £80,000 and had less than 8000 miles on the clock. Engine 4806 cc, 8 cylinders Power 400 bhp @6500 rpm Torque 369 ib/ft @5000 rpm Transmission 7 speed semi-auto Fuel/CO2 26.2 mpg / 253 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 5.4sec Top speed 176 mph Price From £79842.00 approx Release date 12/09/2009
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