To reduce the weight of the Leopard 2A4 platform on which the development vehicle was based, Rheinmetall prioritised active over passive protection.

[4] Further developments under consideration for the vehicle include measures to make it more environmentally friendly during peacetime operations; the installation of a more powerful and more efficient engine; the integration of AI into the fire control system for automated target detection and identification; mounting an unmanned turret on the vehicle; and the creation of an unmanned version of the Panther.

[4] Where the design of the KF51 departs from that of the preceding generation of most Western MBTs is by the introduction of a new two-person turret fitted with an autoloaded main gun.

The Leopard 2A4's motor is an MTU MB 873 Ka-501 water-cooled V12 diesel engine producing 1,479 hp at 2,600 rpm, coupled to a Renk HSWL 354 four-speed automatic transmission.

The running gear of Leopard 2A4 consists of seven dual-tired rubber road wheels and four rubber-tired offset track return rollers on each side, with the idler at the front and the drive sprocket at the rear.

[10][11][12][13] The Panther is fitted with eight Rheinmetall Rapid Obscuring System (ROSY) smoke grenade launchers mounted in staggered rows of two behind the central camera housing on each side of the turret.

It is possible to integrate sensors into the Panther that can detect the launch signature of ATGMs and anti-tank missiles and cue the crew towards the threat.

The Rh-130 can fire armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition, programmable air burst high-explosive (HE) rounds and practice projectiles.

Rheinmetall's 'Natter' remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) with a 7.62 mm machine gun (can be elevated from −15˚ to +85˚ and can carry 2,500 rounds of ammunition) can be mounted on the rear of the turret roof to provide close-in defence and a counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capability.

[26] The variant to be built in Hungary, with the 120 mm L/55A1 cannon (found also on the Leopard 2A7HU tank) and a hull derived from the Bergepanzer 3 'Büffel' chassis.

[14] At the MSPO 2024 international defense exhibition in Kielce, Poland, Rheinmetall demonstrated a new hybrid variant with the KF51 Panther's 130mm turret mounted on a Leopard 2A4 chassis.