2016 Porsche Panamera Will Use the Same Platform as Bentley

Porsche and Bentley will implement the same variant of VW Group’s MSB platform for the 3rd-gen Continental and 2016 Panamera.

Rather than running on the same underpinnings as vehicles like the Audi A8, VW’s top level automakers will benefit from a refreshed variant that will allow the motor to sit within the vehicle’s wheelbase. The A8 also runs on MSB, but its motor sits much farther forward, which isn’t regular for Porsche and Bentley’s performance expectations.

The architecture will be constructed with a combination of top-strength steel and aluminum in an effort to keep weight while living up to progressively demanding crash regulations. Porsche will reduce weight from the current Panamera, although a radical lowering is unlikely.

Porsche will also carry on offering the wide range of powertrain options featuring the V6, V8, hybrid and diesel versions. The hybrid will also lose weight thanks to raising energy density in lithium ion battery packages. A 15 % boost is predicted, which would transfer to approximately 90 lbs being reduced from the hybrid system.