First official photos Porsche Panamera

The first picture of the four-door Porsche reveals a car which is clearly linked to the classic 911 but goes far further into the luxury world than the German brand has been in the past.

The Panamera will not hit the road for nearly a year, but the first official image opens the action on car which has been scooped and papped for years during development everywhere from Death Valley to the Nurburgring.

The picture shows the car much as it has been scooped, and still with its controversial rounded rear end, but with much cleaner lines and the sort of smooth detailing you would expect from Porsche.

It is only a side-on shot, and probably not the powerhouse Porsche's best angle, but it reveals the reality of one of the most-anticipated newcomers of recent years.

Why? Because Porsche is moving up and away from sports cars, and the giant Cayenne SUV which has been its cash cow in recent years, to give its existing owners a car for their greying years. It has space for a family but, just as important, will be easier to get in and out as well as giving a softer drive.

It also takes Porsche deeply into BMW and Mercedes-Benz territory for the first time, although its real rivals are much more likely to be the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide and Lamborghini Estoque which are also being produced as morph machines by sports car makers.

The first official picture of the Porsche Panamera comes just two months after a teaser shot from Porsche which only showed the car's nose, alongside the 911.

And there is no confirmation of anything technical, even though the Panamera is expected to come with either a familiar flat-six engine or a new 4.8-litre flat eight with up to 400 kiloWatts under turbo power.