Panamera orders begin

CONTRARY to advice received following its global public debut at China’s Shanghai motor show last week, Porsche Cars Australia (PCA) has indeed accepted a number of pre-orders for the all-new Panamera.

As we reported last week, the first five-door grand tourer from Porsche is expected to attract 20,000 annual sales over its model life, with just one per cent of that forecast to come to Australia – or about 200 annually – making it more exclusive than the 911.

Despite announcing a starting price of $270,200 for the V8-engined Panamera S in mid-February, PCA said had not yet received any orders for its fourth model line, first deliveries of which arrive in Australia in October.

PCA has now revealed that 43 Australians have in fact placed orders for the Panamera, which will arrive in naturally-aspirated and twin-turbocharged V8 guises this year, before becoming available with V6 power in 2010 and with a petrol-electric hybrid drive system in 2011.

“We said PCA was not holding any orders, which was incorrect,” says PCA public relations manager Paul Ellis. “PCA is, in fact, holding 12 pre-orders for Panamera and our dealers are holding a further 31 cash-down expressions of interest.”

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