Rumors of a Porsche Panamera four-door convertible are nothing new, but new patent drawings suggest Porsche is, in fact, working on just such a car.
At the time, we thought Porsche was thinking of a two-door version of the Panamera, but these drawings and CAD renderings actually show what appears to be a four-door Panamera drop-top. Although some automakers have toyed with such an idea in modern concepts, the extra bracing required to stiffen the body to compensate for a non-existent B-pillar makes actually producing such a vehicle difficult.
Autocar says engineers were forced to substantially stiffen the floorpan and bulkheads, along with the A-pillars. Little else is known about the car, but judging by the shape of the rear deck, it appears ripe for a cloth top, which would allow for a (somewhat) usable rear trunk.
At this point, these drawings suggest Porsche's working on this car, but like other dreams -- patented or otherwise -- there's a chance it may not make it to fruition.
