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By George Wong
You are not alone if you have never heard of Semper Vivus.
It was a car that was created long before anyone alive today was born.
Porsche will have you know that Semper Vivus (Latin for "always alive") was the world's first hybrid car it created through Austrian coach and motor carriage maker Lohner.
Introduced in 1900, it was a race car with two electric motors attached to the front wheels.
But production of Lohner-Porsche hybrids was shortlived, ending in 1906 because they were not competitive against conventional petrol-engined cars of the time.
However, a working replica of this vintage hybrid exists today to remember it by.
Buoyed by the current industry trend that demands higher fuel economy and lower emissions, the German sports car company is re-discovering hybrids, with the Cayenne S Hybrid, Panamera S Hybrid and 911 GT3 R Hybrid track car as current examples.
The Panamera hybrid, the focus of a recent Sunday outing, is a four-door Gran Turismo (grand tourer) which its maker declares is the most fuel efficient Porsche at 6.8 litres per 100km.
It appears ungainly at first blush, with a long nose and a short muscular tail.
But it really is better looking in the metal than the photos here can show.
Place it side by side with the 911 and it resembles somewhat an oversized version of the iconic sports car that has cemented Porsche's reputation as a builder of performance cars with extreme German engineering.
Porsche has decreed that such size is necessary to offer an enlarged limousine-like cabin for four, fitted with all the luxurious fitments and amenities that RM910,000 (S$377,559) can buy.
On top of the usual meter readings, the five-meter cluster displays GPS information as well as the electric motor's power status.
The centre console is obviously Vertu-inspired.
It is aesthetically pleasing and is bookmarked by a sizeable 17-cm touch screen that serves as a multi-information display.
Seats are comfortable and cosseting amidst acres of leather that makes the cabin a truly sumptuous place to be in.
It not only looks rich, it feels rich.
Outing with the Panamera Hybrid
Click on thumbnail to view. Story continues after photos.
(Photos: The Star/Asia News Network) |
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The RM910,000 price tag is just for starters.
A car in this league is, naturally, highly customisable.
Inch up to 20-inch Spyder wheels, a Bose stereo, a reversing camera plus a long list of other options and you could end up spending over RM100,000 on extras.
Porsche purists would prefer the Panamera not be mentioned in the same breath as the revered 911 but the Panamera has proven that it sells just fine around the world, tailing the growth curve of the Cayenne SUV, that other oversized vehicle in the automaker's fleet.
 
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