When the Porsche Panamera was launched in 2009, it was received with a lot of praise for its excellent ddriving dynamics, which some described as close to that of the 911 with a comfortable ride, and large trunk. On the other hand, the German sedan also attracted some criticism. Some argued that the Panamera S lacked sportiness and was oriented toward comfort maybe a bit too much, while others slammed Porsche for making the Turbo model way too heavy. Most journalists were also very critical of the look, and I'm among those that considered the Panamera as the ugly duckling of the Porsche family. And, although the Germans fixed many of the sedan's issues, we had to wait for more than six years for the Panamera to get the hot look it deserves.

This happened with the arrival of the second-generation model, which finally sports the aggressive and flamboyant design we'd expect from a vehicle with a Porsche badge on its nose. And all this without sacrificing the elegance of a luxury sedan.

We all know that Porsche redesigns are always evolutionary. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when talking about the 911, which still takes it cues from the original coupe and enjoys a huge amount of success for doing just that. The Panamera is no exception from that rule, but Porsche paid a bit more attention and took things up a notch design-wise, injecting just enough "911ness" into its styling to give it the look it should have received from day one.

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Four-Door Awesomeness

So what makes the second-gen Panamera a much more exciting sedan? Well, the first thing that catches the eye is the fact that the new design turned it into a four-door 911. But, is that good given they are entirely different models? Hell, yeah! It's not the first time Porsche looked at the 911's styling when designing other products but, this time around, it took all those sexy cues from the 991.2 and slapped them onto the Panamera. The headlamps, the aggressive bumper, the slender taillights with the thin strip between them, and the lower rear apron are almost identical to those seen on the sports car. What's more, Porsche did an excellent job blending all those sporty features into the elegant appearance of the Panamera, giving us a performance sedan that has no rival in the looks department.

If you ever wanted a roomy, luxurious sedan that would look and run like a 911, than the second-generation Panamera is the car you've been dreaming about.

But, it's not just about 911-inspired looks. The new spoiler on the Turbo model is also darn impressive. Granted, the device is not entirely new and it is based on the first-gen model's, but now it's larger, sharper, and enhanced by a sleeker trunk lid that no longer makes the Panamera seem juts a longer hatchback. And, not only it provides additional surface area for improved downforce at high speeds, it also gives the sedan a more menacing, 911-like appearance from behind. Not to mention that the way it pops out, extends toward the sides, and settles in place at the perfect angle.

Hats off to Porsche, which did a great job on a sedan that was in desperate need of an exterior design worthy of its badge!

Porsche Panamera

Read our full review on the Porsche Panamera here.