By MICHAEL OMAR

Auto enthusiasts now have a date – the Porsche Panamera is scheduled to hit the showrooms in summer 2009. And along with that date comes a slew of confirmed details from the horse’s mouth, including its selection of standard and turbocharged V6 and V8 engines (300 – 500hp), a tamer silhouette that strays ever so slightly from the company’s usual sleekness, and a choice between rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Described as a four-door grand touring sports car, the Panamera carves a look of its own with implements like highly individual, strongly contoured air intakes in place of a conventional radiator grille, while paying tribute to traditional Porsche design through its use of elements like the 911’s characteristic wheel arches and engine compartment.

Inside, drivers and passengers alike have been told to expect the “pilot feeling”, a name Porsche gives to the interior’s supreme ergonomic comfort and space. The company expects to sell 20,000 Panameras within a year of the 2009 launch, which will see a hybrid variant following not long after.

All pictures are taken from Autoblog

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