RE: Porsche Panamera Turbo S Revealed

[cathalm]

toppstuff said:

The Porsche looks the way it does because it is designed for a purpose. Comparisons to the Aston Rapide are pointless and stupid - the Aston is simply not capable of transporting grown-up people in the back. The Porsche is.

Sorry I have to take you to task on that. That simply isn't true, i imagine you have never been near a Rapide let alone sat in one if that's what you think. The back of the Rapide certainly is snug, you wouldn't compare it to the room in the back of a normal saloon. You can get two grown men one in from t of the other though, I know, I have done it and neither of us are short. Your knees would be close to the seat in front with two six footers but no closer than in something like a normal small family car. There is no problem with headroom.

In fact what makes it so snug and would hold you back from a very long journey is not headroom or legroom, it's width. You sit with your elbow up on a high transmission tunnel and a big fat fellow might struggle with that. Most people are absolutely fine room wise but it does feel a little claustrophobic purely because you are surrounded on all 4 sides.

Panamera certainly seems like quite the rocket, and i do like the interior. Yet to read a review that genuinely praises the driving experience though, a little numb, a little leaden seems to be the consensus.

[kambites]

cathalm said:

Panamera certainly seems like quite the rocket, and i do like the interior. Yet to read a review that genuinely praises the driving experience though, a little numb, a little leaden seems to be the consensus.

It's a two and a bit tonne car; it being "a little numb, a little leaden" is quite an impressive feat, really. I'm sure it still drives a damned slight better than anything else in the market.

[toppstuff]

cathalm said:

Sorry I have to take you to task on that. That simply isn't true, i imagine you have never been near a Rapide let alone sat in one if that's what you think.

Yes it is true and yes I have travelled in the back of a Rapide. Its like sitting inside my wifes handbag. Its a cramped, leather lined pocket that you have to contort yourself into. There is little view forward. Its awful. I was wishing the journey would end as quickly as possible.

Are you perhaps a little fella? Only a little fella would be happy in the back of a Rapide. You need a Panamera to take your mates ( assuming they are regular anglo-saxon sized blokes) on a road trip to Le Mans or the Cote d'Azur, for which purpose there is no better car.

[kambites]

toppstuff said:

Are you perhaps a little fella? Only a little fella would be happy in the back of a Rapide. You need a Panamera to take your mates ( assuming they are regular anglo-saxon sized blokes) on a road trip to Le Mans or the Cote d'Azur, for which purpose there is no better car.

I think I'd take two 911s.

However you're right, the real competition to the Panamera is probably Porsche's own Cayenne and the likes of the Quattroporte and S65AMG. The Quattroporte isn't anywhere near as fast, and the Merc probably wont drive as well, so the Porsche certainly has its place.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 30th March 12:10

[julianc]

You need a particularly quick version so that it passes you before you realise how pig ugly it is.....

[Garlick]

toppstuff said:

cathalm said:

Sorry I have to take you to task on that. That simply isn't true, i imagine you have never been near a Rapide let alone sat in one if that's what you think.

Yes it is true and yes I have travelled in the back of a Rapide. Its like sitting inside my wifes handbag. Its a cramped, leather lined pocket that you have to contort yourself into. There is little view forward. Its awful. I was wishing the journey would end as quickly as possible.

Horses for courses and all that, but I too have spent time driving and being a rear seat passenger in both cars and the Aston is rather hopeless at being a four-seater (IMHO)

Access, space and viability is severely compromised in the Aston, even more so when compared to the Pan-Am. It is a good car the Rapide, but the Porsche is a better proposition as a genuine four-seater

But, as I said earlier it's all down to personal opinion at the end of the day.

[RobM77]

I saw one of these yesterday - a very strange looking car!

[Rawwr]

Garlick said:

It is a good car the Rapide, but the Porsche is a better proposition as a genuine four-seater

But, as I said earlier it's all down to personal opinion at the end of the day.

And if you were forced to choose one as a daily proposition?

[New Scot]

Rawwr said:

Garlick said:

It is a good car the Rapide, but the Porsche is a better proposition as a genuine four-seater

But, as I said earlier it's all down to personal opinion at the end of the day.

And if you were forced to choose one as a daily proposition?

Would someone please please put me in that position asap (ie fund it)!

[Bezerk]

frankthetank2 said:

Fantastic engineering achievement, that kind of performance with 25mpg, im sure that will make it a very capable gt car

That MPG figure will be bks. I get 23mpg combined out of my N55 335i!

[J4CKO]

These have grown on me a little, the initial shock subsided like it did with the Cayenne, it still looks out of proportion but I wouldnt say no to one, not sure if I would spend 120 grand on one but I suppose if you are sat inside it you dont have to look at it.

I know a lot of cars are bland, ugly or both but from a Porsche you expect perfect proportions and purpose if not outright beauty, it manages purpose quite well but the 911 styling cues dont carry off the proportion thing very well on a bigger car like this.

I still think it will do very well as the Cayenne was a shocker when released and the roads are teeming with those, with the added benefit it kept Porsche alive to make the other stuff.

[Jonara]

The Maserati Granturismo comfortably sits four people and can be driven, four up, across Europe. So I'd say the contention that the Porsche has no real competitor is not accurate. The Porsche is much quicker, of course. But the Maserati is much cheaper. You can get an S Auto with all the key options for £85k. And 183mph isn't that slow.

Looks are subjective, but I'd have to say that the Porsche is struggling to match the Maserati on the looks front.

[Garlick]

Rawwr said:

Garlick said:

It is a good car the Rapide, but the Porsche is a better proposition as a genuine four-seater

But, as I said earlier it's all down to personal opinion at the end of the day.

And if you were forced to choose one as a daily proposition?

Daily, drive it anywhere, put stuff in the boot, park at the shops, ferry family and friends around and still be able to take it to a track day?

Panamera please.

[M Powered]

Its safe to say the looks of the Panamera successfully are controversial and divide opinion. Time to move on.

[Rawwr]

Garlick said:

Panamera please.

I love you. We should try and make kids.

[FWDRacer]

Jonara said:

The Maserati Granturismo comfortably sits four people and can be driven, four up, across Europe. So I'd say the contention that the Porsche has no real competitor is not accurate. The Porsche is much quicker, of course. But the Maserati is much cheaper. You can get an S Auto with all the key options for £85k. And 183mph isn't that slow.

Looks are subjective, but I'd have to say that the Porsche is struggling to match the Maserati on the looks front.

So often overlooked. Anyone wish to have a subjective discussion on the Porsche sounding better? Didn't think so

As for class of 1.

Fast. Seats 4 in comfort. Ugly. What about the XJ Supersports (s/charged one???

[Johnboy Mac]

Can't say one negitive thing about the car and really have no right to as I've never driven one. As for the looks, I can't knock it after all it's not an 911 (seems a lot of people get confused on that fact and think all Porsches should be Bettle derived and nothing else ), it's S-class/7 Series by Porsche, so if I want a mega luxo barge with sporting pretentions how could one go wrong with the Panamera?

[angusc43]

Fabulous engineering and packaging. But, subjectively, FUGLY.

I saw a couple of Black S's in close succession the other day and they were, to me, FUGLY.

I sometimes see a very odd-looking one in St John's Wood in black with huge black rims, black tints and some sort of body kit/aero package and it, to me, looks even worse.

Rapides, on the other hand, look breathtakingly beautiful (to me).

So I'd like a Turbo S with a Rapide bodyshell please

[Hellbound]

kambites said:

toppstuff said:

I cannot comprehend how or why the Panamera attracts such criticism for its styling when EVERY SINGLE DAY we have to endure the sight of fish-mouthed ugly Peugeots all over the place, without hardly a mention of how utterly ugly they are.

It is baffling and irrational to single out the Panamera when there are so many, such a vast majority of cars on our roads, that are both considerably uglier and many, many times more common.

Firstly, the Panamera is far uglier than most of Peugeot's range, although obviously I'll concede that they're ugly too. Secondly it costs rather more money so people expect more from it. When people are spending 120k on a car, they typically don't want something that "looks better than the worst Peugeots".

I struggle to get to more than five currently available cars which look worse than the Porsche.


I'd happily buy one if I was after that kind of car, looks have never been high on my list of priorities. It is still, however, extraordinarily ugly.

Edited by kambites on Wednesday 30th March 11:30

I agree. Great car for such a bulging monstrosity. I think people criticize it because, deep down, they feel disappointed. But then we went through this with the Cayenne.

I'd gladly have the S, with Porsche design kit and in a very subtle colour.

[Beefmeister]

Rawwr said:

Garlick said:

Panamera please.

I love you. We should try and make kids.

Run Paul, run!!