[biotechee]

On the way into work, a darker blue (not midnight) Panamera was going in the opposite direction.

Not my cup of tea, but the color was cool.... The thing is huge!

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[Chris Vais]

I've seen a couple around the Bay Area here. They had several that they used as safety cars at the Monterey Historics last August. From what I could see, they do get around that track rather smartly. Initially I was put off by the styling, but it looks much better in the flesh.

I've got an appointment set up to go drive a new Boxster (please don't hit me) Spyder and the sales guy asked me if I'd care to try a Panamera as well. So why not.

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[flash]

i don't think you'll like the spyder - i think they really missed it on that

top speed with the top up is only 120 something - top down is much higher - i know that seems backwards

no rear window - do NOT get caught in the rain

no internal door handles

no stereo whatsoever (therefore no phone interface, nav, etc)

not all that much lighter than normal boxster

not much more power than normal boxster

goofy looking rear cover

bottom line - i was singularly underwhelmed

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[Chris Vais]

Your points are well taken. The current addition of Excellence has a road test of a Spyder out on their loop through Sonoma and Marin. They were very impressed with the cars performance and handling. Even had to use the top in the rain.

I'm thinking that I'll soon need to retire the 968 to weekend only use. I've had a rash of minor and not so minor failures [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif[/img] in the past year or so that I've had to have repaired becasue I need the car ready to go everyday. If it weren't my daily driver, I might be able to do some of the work myself and not have to worry about being ready to go Monday morning. Unfortunately, having been blessed by having a 968 for a daily driver since 1996, I"m spoiled rotten. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

Anyway, anytime somebody offers me an opportunity to drive a new Porsche, the only polite course of action to accept. My Mother raised me well!!!

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[flash]

yeah - no arguing with the performance and handling - i only wish that if they were going to create a spyder, that they go all the way - dump the airbags, go lightweight on the body, lose the power anything, yada yada - they should have been able to get that car down to 2500lbs - lotus did

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[ds968]

I haven't seen a Panamera live yet.. which is a bit surprising considering every other SUV is a Cayenne S or Turbo arund here, you'd think those people would trade them in by now for a Panamera..or buy one to keep the Cayenne company.

I think the Aston Martin Rapide is in an entire class above the Panamera ( aesthetics-wide ) but at $ 200k it's $ 50k more than the Panamera Turbo and the performance, while very impressive, does not even match that of the Panamera T.

Not sure if Maserati still produces the Quattroporte, and if so what the MSRP is for that one, ostensibly those would be the three competing models in that genre . Well, the Jaguar XFR performance falls in that category, but it does not have the same "sports
4door sedan" label or looks , as the Porsche or the Aston, or the Maserati..

just my $ .02

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[Chris Vais]

Well, in a couple of weeks we'll be able to debate the merits of all of this over scotch and cigars [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] and who knows, maybe even solve world hunger [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

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[ds968]

Amen to that [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif[/img] Although to be on par, I'd have to run to the nearest Aston dealer so I can test drive the Rapide..

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[jlm968]

I have precisely the same reaction to the Panamera that I did initially to the Cayenne: WTF is (was) Porsche thinking?! It's just not their market. Maybe it'll grow on me with time...

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[flash]

they seem to do a lot of this - first they bring out a wimpy version, or an overweight or oversized version

then they go back and come up with a sporty version, more in line with their heritage

i'm not sure why they keep trying to appeal to the volvo owner or soccer mom - that market is always cost conscious - they do well when they focus on the guy with money - they always seem to get into trouble when they turn away from that and try to cater to the average joe

i think it cheapens the marque

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[Scott Collins]

Did the Cayenne get Porsche in trouble, financially?

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[flash]

well, i think it got the company sold

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[Scott Collins]

Does everyone know something I don't? I think VW owns Porsche, right, but don't understand how the Cayenne is the culprit.

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[94SilverCab]

Scott,

I'm sure you're right, The Cayenne is not the culprit, a humungously botched take over plan was the culprit.

Boxster brought Porsche back from the brink, and the Cayenne expanded the line as the Panamera will also do.

I remember seeing a Lambo SUV type thing many years ago and was replulsed at the idea that Lamborghin could ever dream up such a contraption. I guess we kind of feel guarded about the Porsche brand in the same way.

These may be great vehicles, even worthy of the Marque, but we don't have to like it.

Most purists would consider 968s an abomination...to me that's part of the charm [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif[/img] .

Potato/Potato, Tomato/Tomato (which does not translate in any way to the written word).

Jay

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[flash]

yes, the boxster brought porsche back from the brink.......again - they had strayed from the "simple car" philosophy with the development of the 996, and needed a way back into that market

the cayenne resulted in opening the door for VW to take over the company based on the idea that they could better produce the line - remember that the cayenne is a toureg in drag - vw, in connection with porsche and audi, developed both, but the toureg was always intended to be the big market seller - while the cayenne was probably more of a marketing success, it opened the door for vw, which ultimately resulted in the takeover

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[1kompas]

I seen Gemballa Panamera for rent in Toronto eeee

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[oceanvue]

I saw a turbo rolling up the 210 in the Pasadena area on saturday. I wasn't sure what I would think of them in person. It was breathtaking.

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[SHA-JR968]

I've seen only one up to now and was not impressed ...

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[Ceenit]

One of the guys at my office bought one. Looks and rides very nice. However after the 4th trip to the shop and leaving him stranded on the road once, he gave them back the keys and told them to keep it until they get him a car with a build quality consistent with the price.

They have since given him a new 911 Carrera loaner until they get him a new car to similar specs off the manufacturing line. He'll get to keep the loaner for about 90 days.

Porsche does have it's benefits when it comes to customer service.

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[perbal]

On my way to work yesterday on the famous (infamous) Belt Parkway, I passed a new midnight blue metallic Panamera, same color as my 968, and he switched lanes and followed me for about 12 miles. I was struck by how much the front of the car looks like a 968 (except the headlights). Is it possible they stared with the 968 front end in designing it? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

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