I drove the new Porsche Panamera 4S a few days ago back in California. I was really curious to find out what the Panamera could deliver. The looks of the car have already grown on me and I admire the uniqueness of the design. If the exterior doesn't win most people over the interior really should. I love the cockpit style layout with lots of buttons overhead and on the center console. I prefer this approach to the iDrive, COMMAND, MMI, HMI, etc.
The quality of engineering that went into this car is apparent from the moment you swing open the door. If you accidentally open the door too fast there are mechanisms in place that slow the motion of the door down so you don't slam into something or someone. The seats are very comfortable as they should be in a long distance cruiser and are highly adjustable so that finding a good driving position should be possible for everyone. The rear seats are amazing as well and there is more than enough leg and head room for anyone in the back, I honestly felt like I was sitting the back of a Maybach.
Some of the buttons in the center console control the exhaust noise, sport and sport plus options, damping, and stop/start operation. I left the exhaust butterflies open the whole time as the V8 had a nice burble. The stop/start operation was seamless, the car shuts down the engine everytime you stop for a couple seconds and as soon as you get on the gas the engine starts in an instant and the car moves off... the engine doesn't need to crank again as the engine stops mid-cycle. Sport and Sport Plus really change the ride of the car and shift get even faster. For highway driving I would just leave the car in standard mode, that way you can have a supple ride and still have excellent body control. The car exhibits no perceptible body roll even in standard mode. The Sport Chrono is another really cool feature that the car I drove was equipped with. Basically its a stopwatch mounted on the dash and controlled by buttons on the steering wheel...just in case you have a need for a stopwatch.
The 7-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission (the only available trans in the Panamera) is quick and very smooth, I didn't find any rough spots and I think the character of the transmission suits the Panamera perfectly. This was the first time I had the chance to try out the new PDK transmission and although its fine in the Panamera I would only go for a manual transmission in the 911 and Boxster/Cayman.
The Panamera 4S is off course all wheel drive and although I didn't get the chance to drive a rear wheel drive Panamera I think the AWD option is a good choice because you don't really loose much driving feel in the AWD Porsches. The Panamera is not GT3 RS but then again it's not meant to be. Being a Porsche the car is playful, entering the freeway I floored the throttle and was able to easily get the rear to hang out for a sec, with the traction control still on. I'm sure this car will drift happily with the traction and stability controls turned off. Acceleration is more than adequate for a heavy beast like the Panamera.
Overall, I really liked the Panamera and I think Porsche has more than achieved what they set out to do. However, I must say that the Maserati Quattroporte is still the more soulful car...Italian cars are just really good at that. In terms of overall refinement, engineering, and practicality the Panamera beats the QP hands down. Which one would I pick? The Panamera.
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