New Porsche Panamera

Frankfurt am Main, Germany, August 27, 2009. The Automotive Group within Continental, the international automotive supplier, is responsible for an extensive range of components in the Porsche Panamera. This fourth model series from the Stuttgart-based vehicle manufacturer includes outstanding technology in the form of a new air-spring suspension with adjustable spring rate, allowing push-button selection of a variety of suspension settings from comfortable to very dynamic. The system, developed in collaboration with Porsche engineers, is produced by the Chassis&Safety Division. The Powertrain Division supplies the complex controls for the Porsche double-clutch transmission, ensuring short gearshift times with minimum fuel consumption, while the Interior Division provides not only the Panamera's instrumentation but also virtually all the vehicle's comfort function control units. “Our extensive involvement in such a high-end category vehicle underlines the claim made by Continental's Automotive Group that it can provide vehicle manufacturers with complete design solutions,” says Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Chief Executive Officer of Continental AG and Head of the Automotive Group.

No compromises: air-spring suspension over a wide range from comfort to dynamic driving

Instead of adjusting the vehicle's suspension to a compromise setting between comfortable and sporty tuning, Porsche has opted to install Continental's completely new air-spring suspension with adjustable spring rate in the Panamera. The adjustable spring rate is achieved by connecting and disconnecting an extra air volume supply for each spring but it poses huge challenges when designing the electronics for controlling the system. Starting from the basic comfort setting, the driver can change to the sports suspension mode at the touch of a button thanks to active suspension system. The vehicle's sporty performance can be further enhanced, due to the integrated design of all the drive and suspension systems, by pressing the Sport Plus button available in the optional Sport Chrono packages. In addition, adaptive air suspension with its individually selectable additional volume of air in each spring - a feature which is normally only available as an option - is fitted as standard in the Panamera Turbo, producing an even greater and previously unachievably wide range of chassis characteristics between dynamic and comfortable suspension programs. The air volume for the air suspension system is provided by a novel air supply system, unique in that it operates on the self-contained principle. The air volume required to control the pressure adjustments is pumped into and out of the air springs from a reservoir. Compared with open systems which vent the air to the outside, the self-contained system reduces energy consumption by roughly one third, shortens compressor operating time to about a quarter and, at the same time, provides superior control response speed. The Chassis&Safety Division's self-contained air supply system and the specially developed compressor are now being installed by a European manufacturer for the first in a luxury class vehicle.