We're not sure what Porsche intended with the design of its stretched, four-door version of the 911, the Panamera. But whichever committee gave the design proposal the thumbs up, should hang its head in shame. That bulbous rear-end of the first-generation Panamera has the bloated looks of a hippo.Luckily, Porsche got things right by the time Number Two arrived. But there's another unintended positive - first-gen models of Porsche's Panamera are going for a song. Especially the slightly odd Panamera GTS, which could be had today for a quarter of the value of when it came to the US market in 2013. So let's have a look at what the Panamera GTS offered a decade ago, and how much of a bargain it is today. From 911 To 911 + 2 PorscheWhen Porsche's 928 sports car rocketed up the sales charts in the early 1980s, the Stuttgart-based company thought it was a good idea to explore enlarging the portfolio by offering a luxurious, but dynamic four-door version of the revered 911. Dr. Ulrich Bez was put in charge of building a prototype, with the working title of the new 989, while Harm Lagaay, slightly controversial chief designer at the time, set out to design the new model. Lagaay's design resembled a lot of the 911 at the time, albeit with a stretched mid-section to compensate for the extra set of doors.By the late 1980s, though, Porsche's sales fell dramatically and when Bez left the company in 1989, the project was killed. It was thought such a niche version of the 911 was too risky in a thinning market, and efforts were put into a cheaper, more accessible Porsche, the first-generation Boxster. It turned out to be a good move, as the Boxster and the Cayenne saved Porsche from bankruptcy. Old Idea Resuscitated Porsche Two decades later, the top brass at Weissach again resuscitated the idea of a four-door-sport sedan for the Porsche line-up. Michael Mauer took to the drawing board, and pretty much kept to Lagaay's front end of the 989. But when it came to the rear of the car, Mauer strangely used a lot of convex lines that made it look bloated and clumsy. Donkey Tied To A Rocket - The First-Gen Panamera GTS Porsche Quick facts to know about the Panamera Debuted at Shanghai Auto Show, April 2009 Designed in-house by Michael Mauer Built in Leipzig, Germany, alongside the Cayenne Shares platform and drivetrain with the Cayenne Panamera GTS arrived in the US as a 2013 model Starting price (GTS): $110,875 Porsche Porsche unveiled its new four-door sports sedan in April 2009, at the Shanghai Auto Show. The emerging Chinese market with its preference for long luxury cars was the ideal venue for this new, but slightly risky venture in the Porsche lineup. The Panamera debuted with models in S, 4S and Turbo trim. All were based on the Cayenne platform and were actually built alongside the Cayenne at Porsche's new Leipzig factory in the old East Germany. It used the Cayenne's 4.8-liter V8, with only the Turbo having a twin-turbo version of the V8.Unlike traditional Porsches, the Panamera's engine sat under the hood, although power went straight to the rear (or all four wheels in the 4S and Turbo). In 2011 some more models were added: a 3.0-liter diesel, a hybrid, and the crazy-powerful Turbo S. Extroverted GTS aimed at younger buyers PorscheThe GTS was a particularly interesting model in the Porsche lineup. In many cases, it's the goldilocks model in the range. Stuttgart aimed to have a GTS version in many of its models, with the idea of providing a raucous, hair-let-loose kind of driving experience to younger buyers. It had bold styling with many black cues (handles, lettering, tail pipes, and wings, as well as Alcántara and contrasting stitching on the interior) to make it immediately stand out.Porsche But maybe the biggest differentiating factor was under the hood. The GTS received the same 4.8-liter V8 lump as the 4S, but tuned slightly hotter to provide a bit of extra oomph (from 395 hp to 430 hp, and 369 lb-ft of torque bumped up to 384 lb-ft). Flaps in the quad exhaust provided a thunderous sound as you accelerated through the seven gears, and a two-stage wing that could lift at higher speeds provided for drive-by entertainment.The GTS also gained a generous handout from Porsche's extra goodies. The GTS came standard with air suspension, traction management, active suspension and active roll bars at the rear. In short, the new Panamera GTS was a real sporty sedan with a somewhat un-Porsche character in its looks and on-road presentation. How Porsche Got It Right, The Second Time Around PorscheYes, time wasn't on the side of Michael Mauer's Panamera design. It started out awkward looking, and just got more weird as time went by. Today, many consider it one of the less successful designs in the car universe.Porsche The good news is that Porsche got things right when it was time for Panamera Number Two. Peter Varga's design was unveiled in Berlin in 2016, and the reaction from the public and the press was immediately positive. The new Panamera's tailgate had a straighter angle, while a more pronounced bumper with a sharp leading edge plus an LED light bar that ran between the taillights gave it a more solid, defined look than its predecessor.It was also available as a wagon, called the Panamera Sport Turismo. And as we all know, wagons are just cooler. A Used Panamera - A Bargain For The Brave Porsche We've found used prices for first-gen Panameras to show there is some good value out there. Especially the GTS, which, in our humble opinion, was the best version. With its high-revving V8 and sonorous sound, plus sporty styling inside and out, the GTS makes a great statement stationary as well as driving by. Big drop in price since launch for the GTS Porsche Most GTS' start at $35,000, and then go up to $39,000. Considering the GTS started out in 2013 with a $110,875 price tag, that's a good chunk bitten off by time and market perception. But that perception - maybe except for its odd looks - was not always valid. The GTS was a real performance car. With a 4-second to 60 mph acceleration time and room for four, this is a real family-car performer. You get driving dynamics and performance of nearly that of the bonkers Turbo model, but with more attitude and street-cred.The first-gen Panamera equipped with a V8 engine is a sturdy option. The first production year had some issues, which is pretty normal for any new car. But by the time the GTS rolled in, Porsche had already ironed all the kinks out. The V8 dates back to the original Cayenne, so Porsche had more than a decade to ensure that it was a sturdy engine. Still, we recommend going for a model with a full service history. You should also go into this knowing that you're going to be paying a lot of money for original OEM-recommended parts. You might be able to pick one up for the price of a new Camry, but it's not going to cost Camry money when it comes to maintenance.Porsche Porsche may have got it all wrong with their initial four-door sedan, the Panamera. But after they got it right with the later editions, the door was opened for bargain hunters who wouldn't mind a quirky-looking first try at a stretched 911. If you look past that unhappy derrière, the Panamera, especially in GTS trim, makes for a compelling sports sedan, even a decade after its birth.Sources: Porsche
