Porsche: Up close and personal

Like the photo? The Porsche Panamera is even more impressive in the flesh. Photo / Supplied

Porsche has flown a four-door Panamera 4S to New Zealand for private showings to potential customers, as four other others follow more slowly by sea.

The Panamera suite in Auckland's Mt Eden allowed dealers and customers a close-up experience with the car. Like the Cayenne SUV, the Panamera's face is unmistakably Porsche and a clear link to the more sporting models. However, this car's rear view is arguably more successful.

The Herald on Sunday got its first sneak peak at the Panamera on the road at Silverstone. It will not appear in dealer showrooms or on public display worldwide until October 3, and our chance sighting during a UK race track visit was of three cars tucked among other vehicles in a fenced parking lot.

A glance in passing had prompted a sudden double-take at the handsome rounded rump; was this a pre-production Bentley, or another practical concept take on a four-seat GT?

No - it was the Panamera, and forget photos, this car is impressive in the flesh, its lines as sleek as you'd expect from the brand - albeit extended to accommodate additional cabin space.

New Zealand sales and marketing manager Greg Clarke confirms initial customer reaction is positive, but drive impressions must await the remaining cars' mid-September arrival, with their showroom debut also on October 3.