Four-seater Porsche: The projects behind the Panamera

Without this long history of prototypes, dating back to 1951, the history of the great German coupé would not have been the same.

By: Javier Llorente

Nov 22, 2023 at 6:40am ET

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On Porsche 's calendar, the unveiling of the new Porsche Panamera is imminent. At least, if we go by the spy photos of models that are well advanced in their testing phase or even by the teasers that the brand itself has published (such as the one of the interior of the 2024 Panamera).

But before analysing what this third generation of Porsche's great coupe will offer, today we want to take a look at the origins of the model, which, at least in its concept, date back to the 1950s.

Nowadays, it is quite normal for a Porsche to offer a more practical and comfortable concept, far removed from the sports cars that have marked the nature of the brand. But imagine what it was like when Porsche unveiled the first generation of the Panamera in Shanghai in April 2009? And it had already broken the ice a few years earlier with the Cayenne!

1950s, Type 530: the first seed of the future Panamera

Porsche recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. And today, in our review of the history of the great German coupe, we go way back to the origins of the brand, to remember what could be the first ancestor of the Panamera: the Porsche Type 530.

At the height of the 356's success, Porsche began to consider the possibility of developing new models, and not just sports cars like the Type 540 Roadster. It was against this backdrop that the idea of creating a comfortable four-seater, the Type 530, was born.

In essence, the first styling exercise for the model dates back to 27 December 1951, with a two-door model based on the 356 platform, but with a wheelbase extended by 24 cm.

Porsche Type 530, side view

Essentially, we are talking about a four-seater, 4.16 metres long, with generous interior space and large doors for easy access to the interior. The rear occupants were well thought out, with a softened roofline and rear windows that could be lowered.

As a curiosity, in 1952 Porsche created a second concept, with cabrio bodywork, which declared the same weight as the closed model: 918 kilos. In terms of performance, the Type 530 was powered by a 1.5-litre boxer engine with 60 PS (metric horsepower), which enabled the model to achieve a good performance, with a top speed of 155 km/h and a fuel consumption of 9 l/100 km. However, thanks to a 54-litre fuel tank, it was able to offer the range of a saloon of the time.

Both models completed an extensive test programme, and in the words of the marque, "there was little to complain about from a technical point of view", but Ferry Porsche decided not to go into series production for marketing reasons.

Porsche Type 530

Porsche 695 T7, the inspiration

After the initial success of the 356, Ferry Porsche and his team were clear about the line to follow for their cars: keep the air-cooled boxer engines in the rear, offering more power and refinement, while at the same time improving the roominess and luggage compartment.

Following this line of work, taken to the extreme in terms of practicality, Ferry Porsche's son, Ferdinand Alexander, created a 1:1 scale prototype of a four-door model in 1959, which he continued to develop over the following year: the 695 T7.

A model that, while it never became a reality, did inspire the model that changed the company's history: the 901 of 1963, which would become the 911 in 1964.

Porsche 695 T7

Highlights of the 695 T7? It used a new six-cylinder boxer engine, had a cabin with four real seats, as opposed to the 2+2 concept of the 901, and offered 30 cm more wheelbase than the 356. The only requirement it did not meet, compared to the order form, was the fact that it did not have a tailgate, a solution that was discarded for aesthetic reasons.

The car began dynamic testing in 1960, but its engine did not win the hearts of the development team, who, in the words of their top manager, literally stated that "they should forget about the car". Ferry Porsche decided not to go ahead with the development of the four-seater. A decision that, perhaps unwittingly, ushered in the era of a new 911 legend.

Porsche 695 T7, rear view

Porsche 915: another attempt at the end of the 1960s

At the end of 1968, Porsche returned to the idea of creating a true four-seater sports car with the 915, building on the success of the 911.

The formula was simple: sportiness and comfort, trying to retain and attract new customers who needed more space - for example, all those who bought a 911 and now had children.

At 4.61 metres long and with a wheelbase of 2.62 metres, which was 35 centimetres longer than the 911, the model offered almost 20 centimetres more interior space. In addition, the hypothetical range would include the 2.4-litre boxer engine, with 200 and 240 PS (already capable of 250 km/h), as well as a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox.

After numerous discussions and technical developments, a second prototype, the 911 SC 20, was launched in July 1970. But we should rather refer to it as a real, 100% functional car, with a design similar to that of the 911... and very little headroom for the rear occupants.

Again, due to various problems, Porsche cancelled the project, but the 915 continued to 'live' in the Weissach factory, as a means of transport between the racing department and the cafeteria, which made it a very popular model, and today it can be admired in the brand's museum.

Porsche Type 915

Porsche 928 - 4 S: Anniversary gift

Everyone in the house knew Ferry Porsche's tastes. And in this four-seater one-off model, created for his 75th birthday, we have them all: dark green paintwork, chequered interior and no extra flashy details.

Thus, in 1984, this unique grand tourer was born, developed in Weissach on a 928 S, with 25 cm more interior space (dedicated exclusively to the legs of the rear occupants) and with modifications to the B-pillar, the doors and rear windows and the tailgate. More or less what a modern 'longwheel base' model would look like.

Of course, it was the boss's car, so it was equipped with the best of the era: upgraded headlamps, electric memory seats, air conditioning, telephone, hi-fi stereo... and custom-made rear seats.

Weighing in at 1,625 kilograms, just 75 kilos more than the original model, it required only minor modifications to the chassis. On the mechanical side, a 310 PS 5.0-litre V8 was chosen, enabling it to accelerate from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds. Ferry Porsche apparently loved the gift and drove it frequently for years.

Ferry Porsche receives his Porsche 928 - 4 S

Porsche 928 S4 H50: a bid for space

It's no secret that Ferry Porsche loved his Porsche 928 four-seater, so he thought that customers should be able to experience the same feeling of comfort.

And in the spring of 1987, the Board of Management gave the go-ahead for the project in collaboration with the bodybuilder American Sunroof Corporation (ASC), who set to work on the modifications to the four-door 928 (with the rear doors opening backwards) together with the brand's designers.

Porsche 928 S4 H50

The requirements for the prototype were clear, and the basic 928 S4 was thoroughly modified to offer rear-seat space on a par with that offered by the big coupés of the competition.

As a result, the wheelbase was increased by 25 cm (to 2.75 m), the roof was raised and the tailgate was adjusted, while springs and shock absorbers were retuned for a weight of 1,666 kg.

But make no mistake, the doors were the most spectacular thing about the car, especially as the car's B-pillar disappeared completely. And that was partly the problem. Because with its 320 PS V8 it was more than up to the task, but the body rigidity was not up to the desired standards, so the project was cancelled in 1988.

Porsche 928 S4 H50 side view without C-pillar

Porsche 989: the closest to production

With the four-seater 928 out of the picture, Porsche was back to square one in what had become an obsession with expanding its product range. And finding help from outside 'home' was looking more and more like the most solid solution. And so it was done, travelling to Italy to seek Giugiaro's help.

In fact, at the time, it was not unusual for the marque to evaluate ideas from both in-house and external designers in its projects at the same time. And so, when the 989 project got underway, Porsche contacted Italdesign Giugiaro.

Porsche 989

The iconic Italian designer's team quickly set to work on a four-door saloon with a conventional luggage compartment as part of the so-called 932 project, which combined features of the 928 and 911 with other classic Porsche styling elements.

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Italdesign Giugiaro did his part and sent a full-size model of his proposed design to Weissach, a concept which, incidentally, is one of the few surviving creations by external designers and is now part of the Porsche Museum.

At the time, however, the marque relied on its own in-house project to bring the 989 to life, which came very close to production... but once again, ended up dying on the shore.