Porsche turned its ugly duckling into the perfect sports sedan

Hollis Johnson

There are few cars in Porsche's illustrious five-decade-long history that have been more polarizing than the Panamera since it burst onto the scene in 2009. Its raised fastback rear end design and odd proportions have long been points of controversy. Automotive journalists certainly haven't been kind.

The Panamera's odd looks can be attributed to the need for all Porsches to look, well, like a Porsche. In plain terms, all cars bearing the company's brand need to be instantly recognizable. That means they've all got to look like a 911. It's both a blessing and a curse.

Instant brand recognition is worth its weight in gold for a car company. However, for Porsche, that need for conformity has resulted in some truly odd looking cars. Another example would be the original Cayenne SUV, which the former hosts of "Top Gear" described as a Porsche that backed into a shed and got stuck.

In spite of the controversy, the Panamera became a sales success. Looks aside, the first generation Panamera was generally regarded as one of the finest performance sedans money can buy. The last first-gen Panamera GTS Business Insider tested blew us away with its luxurious cabin, pin-point-precise handling, and gutsy V8 engine.

In June 2016, Porsche unveiled the second generation Panamera. Unlike Porsche's first effort at a production sedan, this time, the automotive critics were enthralled. With a new rear end design, Porsche's ugly ducking is suddenly the belle of the ball.

With the controversial styling cue fixed, the automotive world went berserk over the Panamera.

In November 2016, Business Insider became the first journalists to drive the second generation Panamera in North America, after getting behind the wheel of a Panamera Turbo in New York.

Recently, Porsche dropped of another Panamera Turbo for us to take an extended look at its new high-performance luxury sedan. Here's what it's like to drive.

The new Porsche Panamera Turbo starts at $150,000 while our option-laden test car came out to about $180,000. The base Panamera starts at a more affordable $85,000.