One problem with getting into cars late in my life is that I missed all the developments that occurred before 2001. One in particular is that the Porsche Panamera, despite being discussed on the web like it was some kind of high-risk revolutionary atom-bomb for Porsche, was actually developed as a concept car more than 20 years ago as the Porsche 989.

The following taken from http://www.examiner.com/x-8812-Newark-Classic-Cars-Examiner~y2009m8d19-A-look-at-a-few-interesting-fourdoor-exotic-sports-cars-through-the-years



Sales of Porsche's 928 front-engine V8 powered coupe (1978-95) were so strong in the mid-'80s it inspired the company to begin work on a front-engine V8 powered four door, known inside the company as the "989". This early factory protoype was created after all design and engineering work was locked in. However, big financial losses Porsche suffered after the recession of 1990 began caused them to reconsider and cancel production plans in late 1991. A shame, as this seems like a thoroughly thought out styling excercise based on Porsche's classic 911 two-seater.