Development of a modification of the Panther started in the spring of 1944. The new variant was to incorporate a newly designed Schmalturm turret. The new vehicle was designated the Panther Ausf. F. On January 23, 1945, it was reported that the 88-mm gun of the Tiger was mounted on the upgraded version of the new turret. A large number of hulls for the vehicle were manufactured, but the turret never saw production and existed only as a wooden model.