Skip to main content

As if it couldn’t get any better, Porsche is already planning the next-gen Panamera

The goal for the Porsche’s Modular Standard (MSB) platform is to drop 200 pounds – or 1/3rd the weight of an average American – from the current Panamera. This will likely achieved through the use of an aluminum frame and carbon fiber body panels.

Volkswagen Group will also use the Porsche-designed MSB chassis for the next-gen Bentley Continental lineup. Back in 2012, when the MSB platform was introduced it was as seen as a viable platform. Now, though, Porsche has found a way to utilize the maligned platform and is now giving is a glimpse at the engines it might support.

Recommended Videos

Hopefully these drivetrains will not have the same problems currently ailing Porsche Gt3 owners. To its credit, the MSB engines should be more slightly less potent than that of the explosive Gt3.

No official specs have been released on the forthcoming V6 and V8 engines but they will surely feature direct injection and the best technology Porsche has to offer.

The next generation Porsche Panamera is due to launch in 2017 and will be the perfect platform to showcase the new – and certainly more powerful – Porsche engines.

We already love the current Panamera. And the prospects of an even stiffer, more powerful model has us weak at the knees. We’ll be following this story closely so be sure to check back soon for more Porsche MSB news.

Joe Mahan
Joe Mahan is an intern at Digital Trends working in the Cars section. He is currently a Junior at the University of Portland…
Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?
Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Read more
EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says
ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Read more
Trump team in sync with Tesla on ending crash-reporting requirements, report says
Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is planning to end existing car-crash reporting requirements to safety regulators, according to a Reuters report.

The report cites a document obtained by Reuters that lays out the transition team’s 100-day strategy for automotive policy. In the document, the team says the crash-reporting requirement leads to “excessive” data collection, Reuters says.

Read more