Hybrid version of Porsche Panamera will also be available

looks like a stretched Eclipse with a Porsche rear end.

Screw Kyoto-protocol. That's why they are building hybrids, not because some Japanese blokes are doing it and try to look green-ish.

LEXUS

For all those who don't like the black pre-production Panamera test mule in the picture, take a look at this production vehicle:

http://www.autodeclics.com/blog/upload/fer1.jpg

Funny how this coupe, which is remarkably similar in proportions and purpose to the Panamera, receives rave reviews. Some people just don't know enough to reserve their judgement until the real vehicle is released.

About the hybrid powertrain: whoever has the mistaken idea that electric propulsion cannot yield high performance has much studying to do.
First, an electric motor can be tuned to offer 100% torque from zero RPM. No internal combustion engine can do that -- NONE. This is why modern locomotives are usually hybrid diesel-electric (diesel only because it avoids gasoline taxes).
Second, all the high-performance cars that are touted on this site have one thing in common -- traction control. What is traction control? It is a system that reduces power to the driving wheels when slippage occurs. Got 600hp under the hood? Big deal, chances are your traction control is cutting that in half every time you make a sharp manoeuvre, saving your ass from uncontrolled wheelspin. Properly controlled power across the entire RPM range is more desireable than a high peak horsepower than cannot be put to the street.
The advantage of an electric powertrain is that the latency of power control can be nearly instaneous with direct torque control of each driving wheel without employing the engine-crippling techniques of typical modern traction control systems: spark retardation, fuel cutoff, wheel braking, etc.
While most current hybrid petrol-electric vehicles do not maximize the packaging advantages of a hybrid, there are many -- arriving at a near-ideal 45/55% weight distribution and lowering the center of gravity beyond the current state of the art because no large tall engine block is sticking up at one end of the vehicle.
Finally, an all-electric AWD system can be about as light as a conventional engine-driven mechanical AWD system. So while a conventional mid-engine-driven RWD Ferrari is about the best it gets today, a properly designed hybrid electric car could definitely eclipse current supercar performance on anything but perfect dry asphalt track surface.

Why is it not on the market today?
1) lithium-ion batteries are in short supply (read; expensive) due to strong demand from laptop computer manufacturers. Other batteries are heavier and trouble-prone.

2) batteries due require maintenance -- proper charging and storage is necessary to ensure longevity.

3) all new vehicles have a high development cost, and manufacturers have thus far chosen easy-to-develop conventional vehicles rather than radically changing their engineering and production facilities.

Honda and Toyota, primarily in response to high fuel costs in Japan, decided to invest in a game-changer technology that would payoff in the future. Well folks, the future is here. Ga

moto: YOU ROCK. I'm pretty much exhausted trying to explain the PERFORMANCE benefits of hybrids to the home audience.

My hope is that they will raid the hybrid parts bin for some really outrageous AWD 911/Cayman/Boxster variants!

My advice to t bone is to take a hybrid out for a hard test drive and see how quickly it runs out of steam. A diesel has much more torque and diesel acceleration is sustainable until the vehicle runs out of fuel. In a hybrid one ends up with an underpowered (and hence unsafe) car once the batteries are drained.

EnnNorak: how much does a 911 have in common with a Corolla? That's about as much as the Panamera hybrid will have in common with today's Prius, etc. I'd be better off taking a Tesla for a test drive, it will have more in common with that.

i wonder if porsche will ask toyota for help again, in the hybrid department

A hybrid Porsche is an oxymoron. It must be some sort of political statement instigated by Porsche PR people to placate the greenies.

Talking about copying, now who's copying who? lol
Now the time has come for other car companies to look at what Lexus is doing and follow its food steps.

mmmmm sushi.

Will they offer a good looking version? Ha, ha, ha!