Porsche Panamericana
Encyclopedia
The Porsche Panamericana is an automobile
produced by Porsche AG. It was designed by Dutchman Harm Lagaay
(designer) and Ulrich Bez (technical director) to renew the design of the 911
. Lagaay was known for his work in Porsche's Weissach R&D center from 1970 to 1977 as a member of the Anatole Lapine design team that designed the 924
. He also worked for Ford to develop the design of their models Escort, Sierra
, and Scorpio
and for BMW Research and Technology developing the BMW Z1
in 1985.
The Porsche Panamericana was intended to be only a concept car, and although Lagaay hoped that his creation would be produced at least in small series in 1992, the growing financial crisis at Porsche put an end to his wishes. However the car had an influence in the development of the 911 Targa and Boxster
. The Panamericana was shown at Frankfurt Car Exhibition
, after a development period of only six months.
It was built on the basis of the 911 Carrera 4, its bodywork was built with plastic
and carbon fiber
panels. An outstanding characteristic of the car were its wide wheel covers with the objective to have enough room for various sizes of rims and tires, so if necessary it could be transformed in an off-road car.
The three part Speedline rims were made exclusively for this model. The roof line was homogeneously streamlined and sloped gently towards the rear engine deck. It could be covered with a waterproof fabric with a pink zipper. Various roof configurations were possible and the car was in fact an hybrid of a targa
, convertible
, coupe
and off-roader.
When viewed from the front its style has a resemblance with the 996
and Boxster—as could be expected, since Laagay also has designed the Boxster. In spite of its unstreamlined wheels, its aerodynamic drag coefficient was only 0.30.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
produced by Porsche AG. It was designed by Dutchman Harm Lagaay
Harm Lagaay
Harm Lagaay is a Dutch automobile designer. Educated in the Netherlands he completed the studies at the IVA and went to work for a Dutch company Olyslager in Soest....
(designer) and Ulrich Bez (technical director) to renew the design of the 911
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
. Lagaay was known for his work in Porsche's Weissach R&D center from 1970 to 1977 as a member of the Anatole Lapine design team that designed the 924
Porsche 924
The Porsche 924 is an automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. A two-door, 2+2 coupé, the 924 replaced the 914 as the company's entry-level model, and was the model that finally retired the 912. In production terms, the 924 was the first Porsche model powered by a...
. He also worked for Ford to develop the design of their models Escort, Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
, and Scorpio
Ford Scorpio
The Ford Scorpio is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1985 through to 1998.It was the replacement for the European Ford Granada line...
and for BMW Research and Technology developing the BMW Z1
BMW Z1
The BMW Z1 was a two-seat roadster developed by BMW and produced from March 1989 to June 1991. The Z1 featured doors which dropped down into the door sills. A total of 8,000 cars were produced.-History:...
in 1985.
The Porsche Panamericana was intended to be only a concept car, and although Lagaay hoped that his creation would be produced at least in small series in 1992, the growing financial crisis at Porsche put an end to his wishes. However the car had an influence in the development of the 911 Targa and Boxster
Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engined roadster built by Porsche. The Boxster is Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the 550 Spyder....
. The Panamericana was shown at Frankfurt Car Exhibition
Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung
The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung , also known as the Frankfurt Motor Show or Frankfurt Auto Show, is one of the world's largest motor shows. It is held biennially in Frankfurt, Germany. The show occupies 12 buildings.The IAA is organized by the Association of the German Automotive Industry...
, after a development period of only six months.
It was built on the basis of the 911 Carrera 4, its bodywork was built with plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
and carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
panels. An outstanding characteristic of the car were its wide wheel covers with the objective to have enough room for various sizes of rims and tires, so if necessary it could be transformed in an off-road car.
The three part Speedline rims were made exclusively for this model. The roof line was homogeneously streamlined and sloped gently towards the rear engine deck. It could be covered with a waterproof fabric with a pink zipper. Various roof configurations were possible and the car was in fact an hybrid of a targa
Targa
Targa is an old word for targe, shield. Targa or TARGA may also refer to:Car rallies*Targa Florio, Sicily, Italy*Targa Canada West, Canada*Targa New Zealand*Targa Newfoundland, Canada*Targa Tasmania, Australia*Targa West, Western Australia...
, convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
, coupe
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and off-roader.
When viewed from the front its style has a resemblance with the 996
Porsche 996
The Porsche 996 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 model manufactured and sold between 1998 and 2005. It has since been replaced by the Type 997...
and Boxster—as could be expected, since Laagay also has designed the Boxster. In spite of its unstreamlined wheels, its aerodynamic drag coefficient was only 0.30.