The Alternatives
Meet some rivals from the same league that would all be cheaper than the Panamera on Thai shores
Audi A7
Of all the alternatives here, the A7 comes closest to the Panamera in packaging terms. When Motoring saw the A7 at its debut in Paris this year, it found the flagship hatch a very elegant car - more than the Porsche. But if Audi wants to spar with the Panamera S in performance, it needs to roll out an S7 Quattro variant because its most powerful unit so far is 290hp 3.0-litre supercharged V6.
BMW 5-series GT
The frumpiest car to look at here, although it's got a 408hp 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, also with xDrive 4wd option, to match the Panamera S and 4S. Motoring once had a chance to ride in the GT in Germany and found the car to be quite peculiar for a BMW. BMW Thailand says it has no plans to import it - and we think that's a very good idea.
Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S
The only alternative you can currently buy in Thailand on an official basis. Armed with a proper six-speed automatic in place of the old, jerky automated manual, the GT S comes with a 440hp 4.7-litre V8 engine costing B14.5m. It has lots of Italian flair, although the drive is allegedly flawed. This Maser comes with classic rear-wheel-drive and no 4wd option.
Mercedes-Benz CLS
Unveiled only recently in Paris, the second-gen CLS is slated to come to the Bangkok motor show next March. In CLS500 form, there's a 408hp 4.6-litre V8 with seven-speed automatic sitting above the V6 and below the hot AMG versions. All-wheel-drive 4MATIC comes in Sept 2011 to match the Panamera 4S.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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