2016 Porsche Panamera to Share Platform With Bentley
Porsche and Bentley will share a different version of Volkswagen Group’s MSB platform for the third-generation Continental and 2016 Panamera.
Rather than running on the same underpinnings as cars like the Audi A8, VW’s upper echelon brands will benefit from a modified version that will allow the engine to sit within the car’s wheelbase according to Edmunds. The A8 also rides on MSB, but its engine sits much farther forward, which isn’t adequate for Porsche and Bentley’s performance expectations.
The architecture will be built with a combination of high-strength steel and aluminum in an effort to save weight while living up to increasingly demanding crash regulations. Porsche is expected to cut weight from the current Panamera, although a drastic reduction is unlikely.
Porsche will also continue to offer the wide selection of powertrain options including the V6, V8, hybrid and diesel options. The hybrid is also expected to lose weight thanks to increasing energy density in lithium ion battery packs. A 15 percent increase is predicted, which would translate to roughly 90 lbs being dropped from the hybrid system.
[Source: Edmunds]
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Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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