Along with the introduction of the Panamera range at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show, Porsche introduced the 4S version as well.
It was one of the best-balanced versions of its stablemates.

The idea of a four-door Porsche was not new. It was tried in the late ’80s with the 989 concept car, which was based on the 911 platform. Later on, two four-doors Porsche 928s were tried by the German car-maker. After more effort, the engineering team succeeded to make the Panamera.

A four-door Porsche was hard to understand and to be accepted by some fans, but it was necessary. Those who owned a 911 needed a 4-door car to enjoy driving it daily with all the comfort and requirements from a daily driver. The Panamera was an evolution from the 928, with a front-engine and rear-wheel-drive architecture. The headlights were inspired by those installed on the Cayenne and the sloped back resembled a 911. A pair of vents were installed behind the front wheel arches. The taillights were similar to those found on the Cayman.

Inside, the Panamera designers took their inspiration from the luxury Vertu mobile phones. A four-seat layout was the only option, with a big center console that separated the driver from the other passengers. In the back, there was a decent room for adults and since it was a hatchback it could get an impressive luggage room, for a Porsche.

For the drivetrain, Porsche chose Cayenne as an inspiration model installing the 4.8-liter V8 engine under the hood. For the Panamera 4S, it fitted the car with an all-wheel-drive system and a 7-speed automatic (PDK – double-clutch) gearbox. The 400 hp Porsche 4-door hatchback was good for a 5-second run from 0 to 100 kph (0-62 mph).