Panamera (971) - Roof bars & bike racks?

[Marshy]

Obligatory opener: I did search, but didn't get anywhere terribly useful.

I was wondering if anyone's got experience with roof bars (and necessary accessories) for carrying bikes on a 2017 era Panamera (971.1) and have recommendations or horror stories? I've ruled out a tow hitch carrier because my car is an e-hybrid model, so doesn't seem to have a tow bar offering available from Porsche. It's also under warranty as an approved used car, so I don't expect a third party tow bar to sit will with the terms of the warranty.

I can see roof bar options from Porsche and Thule, among others, though I'm (obviously?) disinclined go the Porsche route due to it being nearly a grand for the bits to stick two bikes on the roof. All that said, it looks a little like the Porsche items are just badged Thule kit anyway.

Bike-wise, I'll be looking to put one cheap/light MTB and one absolute chonker of an eMTB on the roof, the latter just dipping under 20kg if I whip the battery off it.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

[pete]

Not a 971, but a similar era 9Y0 Cayenne.

I use the Porsche roof bars, actually made by Thule, along with Thule ProRide 598 bike carriers. They have been fine for everything from kids bikes, through carbon road bikes, to a full suspension MTB, admittedly only around 13kg. I eventually paid a fortune for a Porsche tow bar so I could carry 4 bikes at the same time as a roof box, but the roof solution was fine for a couple of bikes. A Panamera would be even better, as you wouldn’t have to lift the bikes so high, although your eMTB could be a challenge.

For roof bars, just buy the Thule wing bars rather than Porsche. I only have the OEM versions because they were very cheap when bought with roof rails as an option from new. Consider buying the bars that extend beyond the mounting feet. They don’t look as nice, but do give you more width for multiple bikes, or bike/roof box combinations.

[esuuv]

By used Porsche bars on ebay for a fraction of the original price - then whatever Thule accessories you need

[Marshy]

Thanks for the advice both. Looks like I’ll go straight for wing bars - I prefer the look of them compared to the (few) second hand Porsche bars on the bay.

[RiccardoG]

Agree with your approach. Last year I was comparing OEM racks vs the Thule wingbar and concluded that the Thule (and also Yakima) are a superior design.

In particular the issue of how you add the various carriers (bike, ski, etc.) and how the noise is managed with the rubbers supplied. The Thule & Yakima solutions are better as they allow to slide accessories onto the bar. OEM solutions generally require you to cut down the rubber to size, which is an issue for (if) you use a different set / number of carriers.