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I just got back from training and driving the all new, Porsche Panamera.


I'm going to repeat myself a lot, so bare with me. But the car is, in my opinion, a 99 out of 100.

Tuesday, I flew in late, so I was late arriving to the registration process and dinner. So I made no haist and went directly to the nearest Panamera I could. On the pod stood 2 Panamera's in Carbon Grey. A Panamera 4S and Turbo.

As soon as I walked up to the cars I started smiling. What a RELIEF!! Just like many of you; I was worried she was going to be a tosser! Tosser she is not. She gorgeous. Sexy. Exotic. Curvy! And .............practicle?! We'll see.

Sitting in the car you immediately get two feelings: Feels like home (comfortable) and Whoa! The gagues are amazing. Very Porsche, lot's of gauges and buttons. I'm not a pilot, but I get the real sense I'm in a cockpit of something special. At first glance down towards your right arm you could get a little overwhelmed with ALL the buttons, But after spending a few hours in the car the next day, you realize it's not that bad.

The wood, leather and materials are not cheap at all. Of course, most of the cars had a full leather treatment, I did sit in a car with the standard leather. It's on par with the standard leather of an S550. The wood is highly polished, and used abundantly. The types of wood were impressive too. As were the polished metal peices. I mean this in all due respect; but they were very MB like on their treatment. But the car felt very 'Bentley' to me.

Going arond the car, you start seeing that this car is VERY Porsche. Unmistakeable Porsche. The side profile is a little daunting..but the 1/4 shots as well as head on and rear shots are amazing. The REAR is gorgeous, and EXOTIC. This car does NOT take photo's well. - At all. The LED's and front Bixenons are very well thought out. Opening and closing the doors gives you the sense that Porsche has worked very hard on this car and they've used a LOT of Aluminum to keep weight down.


Curb Weights are : 3968lbs for the S, 4101 for 4S and 4343 for the Turbo. Which after driving the car and going through the technical breifing, you realize she could have been a LOT heavier. - Thank God she's not.

Enough about this; I just want to drive it. And that would have to wait, until the next day. For now, its off to bed and get a full nights rest.


The next morning I had to register, fill out the required paperwork and show my license.

Coffee was my breakfast as I was too excited to eat. We were broken up into 2 main groups, one was technical breifing and class room, the other was Road Course and a 2 hour drive.


- I got the better deal; Driving first!

We all had Panamera S's to drive. Platinum Silver on Black. 2 Chase cars by instructors.

There were teams of 3, I was with a sales guy and service advisor from a dealer in CA. Not sure which one,but both seemed like cool guys. I sat in the back for the 1st 1/3 of our drive.

We were all warned that AZ Highway Patrol was aware of us and will be patroling the sky. And to obey all speed limits.


-I think they stuck to that rule for about 2 minutes before heading into speeds that were, sort of silly. Not to mention the FLEET of Panamera with our headlights blazing.........no, that wont attract attention! LOL

Shocking was my initial impression. Shocking as to how much ROOM I have in the back. I'm 5'11 and there was at least 5" above my head. Getting in the car was uneventful. Meaning you don't have to contort yourself to get in the car. Once in, you feel as part of the car itself. The seats are fantastic. Very good support - none of that sliding around feeling you'd get with a typical sedan in the rear. We drove off and the driver immediately laughs and says "Woooooww".....- That opinion was shared 2 more times, as we swapped drivers.

The car conveys complete inspiration and confidence. Feels VERY safe from the rear seat. Visablity is great, even with the 1st driver being a very stalky guy. Under hard acceleration the car isn't all over the place nor are you tossed about. And even better: She can be quiet when you want her to be quiet, and loud when you want LOUD.



Now me. Again the drivers seat is very very comfortable. It's note worthy that if you're a bigger frame, you SHOULD get the full power seats with adjustable air cushions. I could see that for someone over 225, or with back issues, for long drives, you'll need the ability to adjust the cushioning. From my where I was sitting, that was one of the few observations that could be an issue. Not every S Class owner will feel 'great' in this car. But then, this car wasn't made for everyone.

Acceleration was immediate and power came on VERY smooth and strong. The PDK feels better at home in this car then the 997. Each car comes standard with PASM, and Adaptive Air suspension is optional. As is PDCC. The car we drove on the highway was NOT equipped with Sport Chrono. More on that later...

Wow. Just..........wow is what I felt the entire time I was driving. Whether in Auto mode or Manual mode the PDK failed to dissappoint. The controls are on the steering wheel (think multi function wheel) are very easy to use. The amount of information that's at your finger tips is STUPID. I've never seen so much crap available to you. Want stock quotes (the stocks YOU want?) No problem. Want a 3 day forecast when you're flying into San Fran? No problem. You want to hear how the Sox are doing? You've got 3 live feeds to choose from.

Not to mention the 3D navigation makes you feel like you're commanding the Space Ship Enterprise. Holy. Moly. Menu after menu is at your finger tips. Mobile office in an exotic four door? Check check.


And it drives EVERY bit as a Porsche CAR should. After 80 miles or so on the car, I really couldn't get enough. I wanted to just get in one, and drive home. Forget the plane ticket. Toss my bag in the back (electronic truck standard) and away I go. It's note worthy that watching this car from behind and the front - it IS unmistakeable for another car. It doesn't look like anything else out there. And it's gorgeous. Exhaust tips, wheels, curves.

Mmmmm.



I'll report on the track part and comparo against Mercedes, BMW, Maserati, and Audi in the next bit. Stay tuned.