A shortened Porsche Panamera mule has been spotted by spy photographers and it hints at a possible new front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupe for Porsche. This isn't the first time an engineering mule has been spotted wearing a modified body from the next-generation Panamera and sporting a shorter wheelbase.
In those earlier instances, though, the vehicle was wearing UK licence plates, and were widely believed to be early prototypes for the new Bentley Continental GT coupe. The next-gen Continental will ditch its current all-wheel-drive Volkswagen Phaeton-based underpinnings, and its long front overhang. In its place will be the new MSB component set that's being developed by Porsche for the Volkswagen Group's front-engined, rear- and all-wheel-drive cars.
This latest car is proudly wearing German number plates and is licensed in the city of Ludwigsburg, just north of Stuttgart, where Porsche has facilities.
If this is indeed a new front-engined, rear-wheel-drive Porsche coupe, it will be seen by many as the long delayed successor to the 928, which went out of production in 1995. Rumours have bounced around for quite a while that Porsche was considering a Panamera-based coupe with the option of V6 and V8 engines.
Given the wider front fenders and temporary grille slot above the front number plate, the Zuffenhausen brand may give the Panamera coupe a distinct visual personality and, possibly, a new nameplate.
