25,000th Porsche Panamera produced, commemorative special edition to be sold in the U.S.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in the auto world, few current vehicles capture that sentiment more than the Porsche Panamera. Progressive? Yep. Innovative? Absolutely. Eye-catching? For sure. But good looking? Not so in the eyes of many. But at least 25,000 other people might beg to differ.

This week, Porsche cranked out its 25,000th Panamera Gran Tourismo. And while volume models like the Camry, Accord and Altima might laugh at such numbers, they were the cause celebre at the German automaker's Leipzig factory for a polarizing vehicle that some consider more ugly duckling than graceful swan.

For those with the means, keep your eye on eBay for a special edition Panamera commemorating this milestone. Dressed in classic Ruby Red, it will be outfitted with a specially designed and manufactured, more efficient 300-horsepower 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine, and will be delivered to a customer somewhere in the United States - where only 5,000 of Porsche's four-door sports car have been sold.

"The benchmark performance of our Panamera V6 models wins over our customers worldwide," said Bernhard Maier, Porsche's Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing. "Even in the USA, a country with a preference for V8 engines, they impress with their efficiency and sportiness. The Panamera combines these aspects with the comfort and exclusivity of the luxury class."

Next year Porsche will introduce a Panamera model featuring a hybrid drive system similar to what powers the 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid, which goes on sale this fall. Porsche's future also shines with yesterday's announcement to commence series development of the 918 Spyder, Porsche first plug-in hybrid super sports car.

Click here for a list of Washington DC-area Porsche dealers