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Porsche aims to save gas, cash, and environment

14 November, 2016

German automaker Porsche have announced that they will be unveiling the latest incarnation of their Panamera luxury-saloon range, which features a new 243kW (330hp) V6 turbo petrol engine, claimed to cut fuel consumption and emissions, at the Los Angeles Auto Show to be held over November 18–27.

Although still fossil-powered, this latest announcement claims Porsche’s new V6 turbo engine is designed to be highly efficient and remain an agile entry-level addition to their existing range of engine options. Porsche has advised that power has been upped by 20hp from the previous Panamera generation while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by completely redeveloping the six-cylinder powerhouse inside and out. The result produces up to 7.6 litres of fuel consumed per 100km and up to 173g per square kilometre of CO2 emissions. That’s a betterment of around one litre of fuel consumed per 100km — not bad, Porsche.

This new 243kW (330hp) is combined with rear-wheel drive in the Panamera, and the Panamera 4 version features an all-wheel drive system, plus an additional longer-wheelbase model known as the Panamera 4 Executive. While the Panamera and the Panamera 4 are suited for weekend leisurely drives, the larger Executive model focuses on the luxury side of things, and you can expect to look pretty suave being driven around in the chauffeur-designed saloon — if you’re that way inclined.

Also available in the all-wheel drive versions are the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive (340kW/462hp), Panamera 4S Executive (324kW/440hp), and Panamera Turbo Executive (404kW/550hp). The existing summer 2016 line-up consists of the Panamera 4S, Panamera 4S Diesel, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, and Panamera Turbo. 

As the range continues to develop, we can expect even more fuel-efficient versions to be included. Meaning less time between visits to the pump and more dollars in your wallet for longer — the ease on the environment isn’t a bad feature either.

Technical jargon

  • Panamera: fuel consumption combined 7.5–7.6 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 171–173g per square kilometre. 
  • Panamera 4: fuel consumption combined 7.7–7.8 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 175–176g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera 4 Executive: fuel consumption combined 7.8–7.9 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 178–180g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera 4S: fuel consumption combined 8.1–8.2 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 184–186g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera 4S Diesel: fuel consumption combined 6.7–6.8 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 176–178g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera 4S Executive: fuel consumption combined 8.2–8.3 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 187–189g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera Turbo: fuel consumption combined 9.3–9.4 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 212–214g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera Turbo Executive: fuel consumption combined 9.4–9.5 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 215–217g per square kilometre.
  • Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: fuel consumption combined 2.5 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 56g per km; electricity consumption combined 15.9kWh per 100km.
  • Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive: fuel consumption combined 2.5 litres per 100km; CO2 emissions of 56g per km; electricity consumption combined 15.9kWh per 100km.

Images: Porsche

ROTARY CHIC

Kerry Bowman readily describes himself as a dyed-in-the-wool Citroën fan and a keen Citroën Car Club member. His Auckland home holds some of the chic French cars and many parts. He has also owned a number of examples of the marque as daily drivers, but he now drives a Birotor GS. They are rare, even in France, and this is a car which was not supposed to see the light of day outside France’s borders, yet somehow this one escaped the buyback to be one of the few survivors out in the world.
It’s a special car Kerry first saw while overseas in the ’70s, indulging an interest sparked early on by his father’s keenness for Citroëns back home in Tauranga. He was keen to see one ‘in the flesh’.
“I got interested in this Birotor when I bought a GS in Paris in 1972. I got in contact with Citroën Cars in Slough, and they got me an invitation to the Earls Court Motor Show where they had the first Birotor prototype on display. I said to a guy on the stand, ‘I’d like one of these,’ and he said I wouldn’t be allowed to get one. Citroën were building them for their own market to test them, and they were only left-hand drive.”

Tradie’s Choice

Clint Wheeler purchased this 1962 Holden FJ Panelvan as an unfinished project, or as he says “a complete basket case”. Collected as nothing more than a bare shell, the rotisserie-mounted and primed shell travelled the length of the country from the Rangiora garage where it had sat dormant for six years to Clint’s Ruakaka workshop. “Mike, the previous owner, was awesome. He stacked the van and parts nicely. I was pretty excited to get the van up north. We cut the locks and got her out to enjoy the northland sun,” says Clint. “The panelvan also came with boxes of assorted parts, some good, some not so good, but they all helped.”