993C4S: Porsche Cars, Products and LifeStyle » Porsche Panamera

What’s one thing that makes getting lost fun?

Christian Maloof — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:06:43 +0000

Getting lost on the way to the track is no fun, with one exception: Porsche just handed you a 2011 Panamera V6 and an elaborate route to delay your trip between the airport and Barber Motorsports Park, where you’re scheduled to further explore Porsches on-track and closer to their limit then you could ever get on the road.

PorschePurist is back in Birmingham, Alabama, and I’m getting ready to spend time with the Panamera V6 and Cayenne (including the much anticipated Hybrid). Over the next two days, I will drive the full range of Cayenne models and the Panamera V6 – Porsche’s newest introduction to the growing Panamera model line. The venue of choice, Barber Motorsports Park, is not only visually impressive (Barber is a lover of four and two-wheeled vehicles, as well as.) The famed track is lined with all sorts of sculpture and the on-site Barber Museum boasts the largest collection of motorcycles under one roof (approx. 1200), one of the largest collections of Lotus and various other automotive assets from Bonneville salt flat racers to street and racing Porsches from years past. There’s even a 2002 Arrows F1 poised on the roof of the elevator! The icing on the cake? Barber is also the home track for the Porsche Sport Driving School (the pictures immediately below and further down use flash, if you’re having trouble viewing them in your email simply click on the title of this post to view on the site).

Adding to the already good mix of Barber and Porsche is a solid group of experienced Porsche drivers, who will serve as my “guides” as I get to know the new Panamera and next generation Cayenne. David Donohue, David Murry and Porsche icon Hurley Haywood, to name a few, are on site gingerly answering my questions and encouraging me to… (yes! back to full throttle.”)

During this visit, I’ll be looking to compare the Panamera to the Panamera S I drove in last year, test the subtle differences between the 2 wheel and 4 wheel drive versions and test the entirely new generation of Cayenne (especially the hybrid drive). The Gen 2 models have lost 400 lbs and are practically 90 percent new (all share the same engines except for the hybrid). I am really looking forward to the 2011 Cayenne. We will test the new clutch based all-wheel drive system on the race track and on the off-road course and have our first drive with the PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus).

Check in with us over the next week or two for the Panamera V6 and Cayenne reviews, coming soon!

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Just How Many Awards Has The Porsche Panamera Won Anyway?

993C4S — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:58:35 +0000

Let us know and you can win some cool prizes including a copy of Porsche: The Fine Art of the Sports Car and a PorschePurist Long Sleeve shirt that’s great for DE events. Read on for more info.

Everyday it seems like a new award is being announced for the Porsche Panamera. Can the four dour Gran Tourismo really be all that and more? Apparently, it can. Since its U.S. introduction in October 2009, the Panamera has received recognition and awards from at least nine (9) different publications including Playboy and Car and Driver.

Porsche Panamera Awards in Chronological Order

Editor’s Most Wanted Car from Edmunds.com’s Inside Line

2010 Top Recommended Sedan (over $60,000) by Edmunds.com

Car of the Year 2009 by Bloomberg 2009

Best New Cars of 2010 by About.com Cars

Editor’s Choice Award (Sports Sedan) by Car And Driver

Editor’s Choice Award (Luxury Sedan) by Car and Driver

Car of the Month January 2010 by NADAguides.com

Car of the Year 2010 by Playboy

Most Inspired Design by Ward’s Auto Interior of the Year Awards 2010

Amazingly, the nine awards above are just the tip of the iceberg as they don’t take into account accolades awarded by the press outside of the US. Anyone want to take a guess at the total number of awards the Panamera has received as of today (including those listed above)? Let us know by answering below in the comment section (click the title of the post if you’re reading this in your email) Anyone that can give us the complete number and the name of the awards not listed here will receive a PorschePurist long sleeve shirt great for DE events. In addition, one random winner will receive a copy of Porsche: The Fine Art of The Sports Car. Good luck!

What Kind of Cop Car Are You Not Getting Away From?

993C4S — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:34:15 +0000

One heck of a scary police concept cruiser from Porsche Tuner Oakley Design. We’ve seen Porsche Cayenne Ambulances and Porsche 911 Police Cars, but this is the first Panamera we’ve ever seen wearing a law enforcement badge instead of a Porsche one.

Oakley Design used an already aggressive Porsche Panamera Turbo and developed a concept cruiser that shaves weight (more than 75 kilos or 165lbs), adds power (at least 80 more ponies) and bright blue lights to create a 580 HP Panamera Pursuit (we just made up the name, but maybe Oakley will like it enough to license it from us). Imagine seeing this in your rear-view mirror. Unless you’re in a Porsche GT2 (and even then) it would probably be best to just give up from the start. See details in the video below.

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Awards and Accolades Accumulate for the Porsche Panamera

993C4S — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:54:59 +0000

While the Panamera may polarize the Porsche enthusiasts community, there seems to be know doubt about its popularity among journalists and other automotive pundits. As further proof and on the heals of the Panamera receiving an Edmunds Inside Line Editors’ Most Wanted 2010 trophy at the recent 2009 LA Auto show, Bloomberg News has named the Porsche Panamera its 2009 Car of the Year.

This is Bloomber’s first-ever Car of the Year slection, with seven categories including Car of the Year, Green Car, Economy, Family, All-Around SUV, Sports Car and Executive Sedan. All eligible contenders were evaluated by Bloomberg’s automotive columnist, Jason Harper for overall performance, intelligent design and smart style, desirability and build quality. To qualify, models must have been new or significantly revised for model year 2010, and be on sale by the first quarter of 2010.(read more about the selection process here).

According to Jason, “The Porsche Panamera has broken the sports-sedan category wide open, producing a truly desirable auto that combines the best elements of a sports car and comfortable four-door,” Harper said. “Fast and fun, the Panamera is a car with real appeal.”

I continue to see more and more Panameras on the road and the reports from new owners have all been positive. I’m not sure how yet, but at some point I would like to replace our MB E500 with a Panamera 4S as this Porsche fan’s daily driver. Hey, Porsche! How about a long term review car??

An Option You Won’t Find on The Porsche Car Configurator

993C4S — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:06:08 +0000

The new Porsche Panamera has been unjustly likened to a tank by some. Well now there might be just cause. Porsche is known for offering a myriad of options on all their new cars. However, when I recently used the Porsche car configurator to option out a new Panamera, I thought I had all there was on offer including a refrigerator in the back seat and a list price just north of $200k. Boy, was I wrong. For another $250k (for a total cost of $450,000) I could have a Panamera worthy of 3rd world dictator (or at least today’s Wall Street CEOs).

According to an article on Luxist.com, JS Armored of Frankfurt Germany is offering a Porsche Panamera Turbo for sale on Jameslist (a global online luxury marketplace). Armored to B4 levels the protective Panamera will stop anything from 9mm rounds to a full metal jacket of a carbine rifle. B4 Armoring specifications include:

1/8″ armored steel (3mm AR500 ballistic steel) in the doors, posts, overlaps and walls.
Bullet resistant glass 39/40mm.
5 Run Flats including Spare.
Armored Fuel Tank.
Armored Battery and Radiator Protection.
3mm AR500 ballistics steel in the roof and floor.
Tailpipe Protection.
Power window driver side.
Suspension Upgrade.
Upraded door hinges.

Some times a good offense is better than an armored defense. While B4 armoring is better than nothing, it won’t stop most automatic rifle fire and can’t withstand a hit from a RPG or IED. Knowing that, it’s nice to have the 500 hp of the Porsche Panamera turbo to rely on in case you need to get out of a bad situation in a hurry. If you need something with a little more protection to it, but want to stick with the Porsche badge, you could always opt for the Porsche Designed AMPV below.

[Source: Jameslist via Luxist.com; Armoring info via TexasArmoring.com

Four, Unveiled, Without Compromise

993C4S — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:10:23 +0000

Porsche dealerships around the country have been getting excited for the new Panamera for some time now. This exquisitely controversial (or controversially exquisite, depending on who you ask) four-door Porsche unveiled for sale to the public on October 15th, and I was fortunate enough to attend an unveiling held at a local Cincinnati, Ohio dealership, Porsche of the Village.

I went down to the dealership a day early to grab some pictures of the one Panamera they had on hand (it was delivered early and not visible to the public) so I could get pictures without dozens of people in the shot. Upon arriving, I discovered another surprise in store for guests: a 90P Porsche Indy racer from the early ‘90s!

Participating in three Indy 500 races, this Porsche is a rare sight.

A spectacular blue Panamera Turbo prepares for its public entrance.

The event itself was wonderfully organized. There were some local artists with their work on display throughout the dealership. A local caterer, Fleur de Lys, served cheeses and other assorted hors d’oeuvres, as well as champagne, throughout the evening. Scott Reising Jewelers had a display of men and women’s jewelry on display, and there was a Burmeister home audio display showing off the quality sound system you could have indoors OR inside your new Panamera (for a paltry $3,990 bucks, it is one of the Panamera’s less expensive options!). There was a great looking ice sculpture made for the event, too!

Sculptor Felix Eboigbe, one of the featured artists at this event, was kind enough to pose with one of his works, titled “The Intellectual Abstract Head.”

Partygoers take in the decadent sights, sounds and tastes that could only be topped by seeing the Panamera in person for the very first time.

When the time came to unveil the Panamera, guests crowded into the main showroom to watch an exciting video clip before they revealed not one, not two, but three brand-new Porsche Panameras!

The lights are low, and guests eagerly wait for the car cover to be removed from this new and unique automobile.

Test drives were not allowed, but that didn’t seem to bother anyone – for now.

The Panamera is a hit! Everyone wants to take a seat in this car…

..Until they realized the Turbo was on the other side of the room!

This car was very popular – it was sold within 48 hours of the event!

As you can see from the pictures, these cars were well received! I spoke to a few sales professionals from the dealership and they were all very excited about these cars, stating the Panamera crushed its competition with superior performance. They even went so far as to say the Panamera felt as good on the road as a (gasp!) 911!

This shot of the rear console shows the optional 4-way climate control system. Each seat can have a completely different temperature! It’s stuff like this that can lead one to doubt the sporty nature of the Panamera…

… But the beefy 4.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 underneath the hood can pull its weight around…. And then some!

On their way out, guests received a wonderful parting gift from Porsche of the Village. As you can see from the pictures below, I picked up….

A bag! And inside the bag…

… A box! And inside that box…

… A replica Panamera key fob that is actually a 1GB USB jump drive filled with Panamera paraphernalia, as well as a small booklet about the new exotic sport sedan!

Overall, it was a great way to spend the evening! I will leave you all with a quote I found in one of the books Porsche released about the Panamera: “The purpose of traveling is to get to a destination; the purpose of driving is being on the road.” I have to wonder what kind of car consumers will identify the Panamera as – a traveler’s car, or a driver’s. Anyone who has driven the car, please feel free to offer your opinions!

Today’s post is compliments of frequent contributor Andrew Granieri. Andrew is a graduate from Miami University with a degree in Technical & Scientific Communications and a minor in Entrepreneurship. He has a strong passion for cars and is working hard as a private contractor and freelance writer so he can continue to support his (pseudo) extravagant enthusiast lifestyle. He currently drives a worn but strong 1986 Porsche 944 that his future wife has come to appreciate and adore.

[Source: 993C4S]

What has Four Doors, a Front Engine and Performance Enough to Make Your Head Spin?

993C4S — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:32:54 +0000

As if you can’t guess. Find out for sure, tomorrow the 17th at 7:30pm ET on Speed Test Drive as host and 4 time Trans Am champion, Tommy Kendall, heads from California to Georgia, to Oregon, to unleash the power and excitement of the brand new Porsche Panamera (oh no, did I just give it away?).

If you can’t catch the show tomorrow night, record it on your DVR. If you don’t know what a DVR is then go back to your cave and be sure you don’t let the fire go out. Otherwise, you can catch repeat episodes as follows:

Repeat broadcasts are scheduled for:

Oct. 31 4:30 a.m. Eastern/ 1:30 a.m. Pacific
Nov. 01 2:30 p.m. Eastern/ 11:30 a.m. Pacific
Nov. 07 1:30 p.m. Eastern/ 10:30 a.m. Pacific

The Full 60 Second Porsche Panamera TV Commercial

[Source: PCNA and Speed TV]

Porsche Panamera TV Commercial

993C4S — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:35:39 +0000

By now, most of you have seen the videos of the making of the new Porsche Panamera commercial. Today, Porsche launched the finished product on you tube. While I enjoyed the video below, I do hope they release a much longer version for on-line consumers. It would be great to see more of those amazing cars they compiled to create the commercial.

[Source: PCNA]

Driven: 2010 Panamera Turbo

993C4S — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:30:18 +0000

It feels somewhat ironic, writing a review of the Panamera Turbo for a site called “PorschePurist”. There’s nothing about this five-meter-long sedan that would appeal to most old-school Porsche enthusiast. It’s a front-engined, water-cooled, self-shifting four-door that weighs as much as four 909 Bergspyders stacked vertically. In the modern profit-seeking Porsche tradition, it is priced in the stratosphere and supplied with a depressing lack of standard equipment, though the options list is delightful and comprehensive. And while it looks vaguely like a bloated 996, it is far closer in concept and execution to a “Siebener” BMW than to any Porsche in history.

This past Tuesday, we traveled to Elkhart Lake, WI for limited track and street time in a pair of Panamera Turbos, as well as a few passenger laps in a Panamera 4S with noted Porsche factory racer Patrick Long. Around Road America, the Panameras are surprisingly content. The seven-speed PDK snaps off shifts with seamless vigor, the direct-injected engines are strong and willing, and the brakes hold up for several fast laps before beginning a predictable descent into heat-soaked madness. As one would expect from a modern Porsche product, the Panamera is idiot-proofed by a fundamentally sound weight balance and a flotilla of protective electronic systems. It’s possible to run deep into the “waffles” at Road America’s exit curbs under full throttle without exiting the track backwards; all-wheel-drive works with the latest PSM variant to straighten the car instantly.

Our laps are limited, both in speed and number, but it’s easy to see how the Panamera Turbo broke the eight-minute barrier around the ‘Ring. To some degree, it’s a true point-and-shoot car. Porsche worked hard to mimic the 911’s seating position, creating low-slung front seats and matching the hip point of its smaller cars, but no 911 has ever felt this mild or this composed. There’s virtually no challenge to extracting massive pace, and in this respect the Panamera is spiritually closer to Nissan’s GT-R than to any “race-bred” Porsche in history.

Out on the road, we are free to enjoy the outstanding interior and myriad of features. Clearly, Porsche took the well-justified criticisms of the Cayenne’s interior to heart; the Panamera meets or exceeds the standards of the German D-class competitors. Only the Bentley Flying Spur really has it whipped on interior quality and materials, and specifying a Spur to an equal level would likely cost more than fifty thousand dollars more. There’s two-tone leather and contrast stitching galore, and hardly a shiny piece of plastic to be found. A steeply-sloped center dash mimics the Vertu high-end cellphones so popular among wealthy Eurotrash, while the rear seats are individualized, spacious, and available with a full console’s worth of temperature, position, and audio controls. It’s very satisfying and, more than any other aspect of the vehicle, adequately conveys some justification for the staggering sticker prices.

The newest generation of PCM continues to lag behind Audi’s MMI and BMW’s iDrive in feature count and display quality, and if there is a disappointment to be had inside the Panamera it is the rather substandard nature of the electronics. Everybody else in the class does it better, and surely the same kind of buyer who chooses a Q7 over the Cayenne due to the convenience features might also prefer the less athletic A8 or S8 to a Panamera for similar reasons. Even Mercedes-Benz, which tortured its loyal customers with a couple generations’ worth of absolutely miserable COMAND systems, now offers a better navigation and audio system. The Panamera is full of small annoyances in this regard, from the unnecessary “tuning delay” in the XM system to the Byzantine complexity of destination selection in the nav.

Once again, Porsche has refused to acknowledge the simple superiority of wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manumatic shifting, and as a result Panamera drivers will be forced to memorize the operation of odd sliding selectors which look similar to the two other kinds of Porsche Tiptronic wheel controls but work completely differently. These are pushed forward or back with thumb or index finger. Under pressure or in a hectic track situation, the dexterity and particular hand position required verge on the impossible. [Editor's note: While not yet official, it is our belief that the Paddle Shifter option announced for the 2010 911 Turbo series will make its way downstream to all models in the very near future.]

It is generally acknowledged that the Porsche Boxster is, was, and probably always will be superior to the competing products from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Try as they might, the other German manufacturers simply cannot create a car with the clarity of purpose and execution found in Porsche’s mid-engined roadster. There’s too much compromise, too much sedan DNA, too much uncertainty in the Z4 and SLK. The Panamera offers a counterpart to that situation. In attempting to infuse a luxury sedan with the spirit of a 911, Porsche has failed to hit all its luxury-sedan marks. The Panamera would be better with Audi’s MMI, a true torque-converter automatic, and a functioning trunk, but then it wouldn’t have the “Porsche DNA” so frequently discussed in the press briefing.

In the end, one will have to be a particular Porsche loyalist to purchase one. The driver merely looking for a best-in-class vehicle would be well-advised to choose an S-class Mercedes. If he has a Panamera Turbo’s worth of personal funding and wishes to buy an outstanding Porsche while simultaneously transporting his family, he might well be better-off purchasing a 911 GT3 and a pair of Greyhound passes.

Today’s post was written by Jack Baruth. Jack is a former professional BMX racer who owns a 993, a 986S, and a forlorn 944. He has worked for a variety of car manufacturers in sales, finance, and manufacturing. Based in Powell, Ohio, Jack spend his weekends racing a Plymouth Neon and dreaming of a Daytona Prototype test day.

Porsche Panamera Puts the “Meat” in Mietwagen auf Deutschland

993C4S — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:05:04 +0000

The first time I landed in Germany and tried to find my way to the car rental counter I kept seeing signs for something that read like it was pronounced “meat wagon” (Mietwagen) with a car symbol next to it; regardless of who I asked, they all said that was the place. I kept thinking to myself, “hmmmm, is the autobahn really that dangerous?” As it turns out, given the type of cars you can rent, it can be (but that’s for another ~~story~~post).

As I’m sure you’ve already guessed, Mietwagen is the German term used for rental cars (the literal translation is “hire car”). When I finally arrived at the counter (it’s a fairly long walk in the Frankfurt airport) I was amazed at the selection of cars; everything was foreign. You could rent a Mercedes, an Audi, certain Volkswagen variations that weren’t available back in the US and more importantly, your could rent a Porsche. I was blown away. Without any hesitation, or even a though to a possible rejected expense account report, I immediately upgraded from my economy car (an oddly shaped and surprisingly underpowered Peugeot) to a 911 Carrera S. Let me tell you, this was one of my smartest decisions ever.

To a Porsche buff very little can compare to that first taste of open Autobahn and the freedom of potentially unrestricted speed. Well, starting this week, if you live in Germany or plan on visiting soon, Porsche just announced that you can experience that same feeling in their new flaghsip, the Porsche Panamera. Available exclusively at Avis in Germany, the Porsche Panamera S and Panamer 4S can be yours for 189 euro ($278 US) for a day or 567 euro (equivalent to roughly the same price as a month mortgage payment on a small home) for the weekend.

According to the release, the Panameras will have the standard direct injection, PDK, start stop technology and optional aerodynamics. However, for the time being, you’ll have to travel to Germany for the chance at a daily rental and there is no promise they’ll ever make their way into the US rental fleet.

[Source: Porsche]