At first, the idea might seem odd. Porsche, the world’s most successful sportscar maker, is building a high-performance luxury four-door? When you learn about the all-new Panamera, there’s nothing odd about it.

The idea of a Porsche passenger car with four doors (plus a rear hatch) might stun some people at first. Still, Porsche has been stunning people for 60 years. After all, there was a time when a small bathtub-shaped sportscar with a 50-hp air-cooled engine in the back seemed unusual. Twenty-eight thousand race victories later, nobody thinks Porsche is anything but cutting edge.

Like the Cayenne SUV, the new Panamera will have a V8 engine in front driving the rear wheels in the Panamera S or in the Panamera 4S and Panamera Turbo, all four wheels. The Panamera S and 4S are each powered by a 400-hp V8, the Panamera Turbo by a twin-turbocharged version with 500 hp. All engines have advanced direct fuel injection.

All Panamera models will come exclusively with the new seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission that offers automatic and manual modes. Porsche first used this transmission in – you guessed it – racecars. The PDK yields ultra-fast gearshifts without any interruption of engine power. As a result, the Panamera S can accelerate from zero-to-60 mph in just 4.8 seconds; the Turbo will do it in four.

An engine start/stop system helps to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by turning the engine off when it is not needed such as sitting at a stoplight.

Because it is a Porsche, the Panamera will match that remarkable performance with equally remarkable handling and braking. The car’s chassis and suspension do not compromise between sporting performance and ride comfort, but rather combine the two in a way no other automobile currently can.