Porsche’s win at the 1986 Paris Dakar rally with the 959 must have left some residual sand in their shoes, prompting this piece of conceptual frivolity – the 1989 Panamericana.
Part 911, part Baja dune buggy, part Hotwheels toy, Harm Legaay’s Panamericana was Porsche sounding out its fanbase as to the limits of where the 911 concept could be stretched. As we all know now, the answer was not nearly far enough. So while this concept falls some way short of the detestable Cayenne, it marks something of a casting off point on that journey into the heart of darkness.
Apart from demonstrating how precedents litter the automotive landscape like discarded Lunar hardware, the Panamericana also should also warn us that Aston Martin’s recent DBX concept – while abhorrent, at least isn’t abominable – well not yet anyway.
Driven To Write 
Is it wrong that I quite like this? Awful wheel arches apart, of course. The glasshouse treatment is particularly well done.