The Carrera Panamericana was one of the iconic road races, covering thousands of miles across Mexico during the early 50s in a similar way to the Targa Florio and the Mille Miglia did in Europe. The name of Porsche's saloon of course comes from that legendary race and, should you want to cover a great many miles in comfort and speed, a Panamera fits the bill perfectly. It's fast, it's comfortable and it's very luxurious. It isn't a racing car by any stretch, but those with Panamera experience often return with high praise. With the
second generation car
revealed last week, many PHers commended its updated looks, a significant issue for a lot of people with the original. There was also a lot of discussion (unsurprisingly) on the numbers, specifically the fact that a Turbo is now faster around the Nordschleife than a Carrera GT.
Well if you always reverse in then...
Dan recently enjoyed his time in the naturally aspirated
Panamera GTS
but we've gone further up the range for this classifieds pick with a Panamera Turbo. We all know big, fast, expensive saloons like to depreciate, so why not start with one of the fastest and most expensive? This Panamera Turbo would have cost more than £100,000 when new, but its twin-turbo V8 power is now available for less than £40K. With 500hp and four-wheel drive, there's not much quicker that can carry four people.
Panameras are known to struggle with rough idling, which has been rectified by this seller with replacement camshaft actuators. The rather shouty advert states it could cost tens of thousands to fix if left unnoticed; useful to know. There is little keeping the new owner from using the Panamera as a cross country cruiser with a 100-litre tank, adaptive air suspension, main dealer history and a Porsche warranty until February next year. As a used purchase, it's well worth being aware of any potential issues with the Porsche acronyms though. This car includes - wait for it - PSM, PDCC, PASM, PCCB, PDK and PCM, so it will be really worth your time to ensure all of these are functioning correctly.
Sit here, be comfy, go fast
This example is one of the cheapest examples available, but what about the alternatives? A
2013 Jaguar XFR
with similar power can be yours for £31,990, albeit in a slightly smaller package. For the full luxobarge effect with a big V12, this
BMW 760Li
is offered at £32,000; are both cheaper than the Panamera Turbo. But which would you have?
The second-generation Panamera is said to be sleeker, sportier and more high tech than ever before; with attention now focused on that car, surely now is the time to strike a deal on one of the originals. At the price of a new RS3 and with much to commend it, this Turbo must be worth a look.
PORSCHE PANAMERA TURBO
Engine: 4,800cc, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 7-speed PDK, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 507@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@2,250-4,500rpm
MPG: 23.2
CO2: 286g/km
First registered: 2010
Recorded mileage: 67,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £39,999
See the original advert here