The Long-Awaited Delivery Day

Our new Panamera Turbo was delivered safely today. It had been seven months and seven days since we placed our order on March 5. The wait felt both endless and over in the blink of an eye. My husband and I were both on edge from the moment we woke up. He took the afternoon off work for the occasion and came home shortly after noon, then the whole family headed to the Porsche dealership. As soon as we arrived, a staff member showed us upstairs…

“Wait, why are we going upstairs today? We usually take care of everything in one place.” I wondered, following the staff member to a room at the far end of the second floor. And then…

There it was—our Panamera Turbo, waiting for us!

Apparently, H, our sales advisor, had planned the surprise. Unfortunately, another customer meeting ran long, so he missed our reaction and later told us how disappointed he was. But we were genuinely thrilled. Thank you, H! (Laughs.)

All the paperwork and keys had already been neatly laid out on the table. “So the sales advisor wears gloves on delivery day. Of course—if the new car were covered in fingerprints before we even got to drive it, that would be a bit of a buzzkill…” I thought, then ordered my usual café latte. (Not that anyone asked.)

A little while later, H arrived and we started checking the final documents and signing where needed. There were several places to fill in and stamp, so the paperwork felt like it was taking forever when all I wanted was to hear about the car. Meanwhile, the kids were happily munching on Halloween treats.

This was the first time Porsche had ever given the kids candy. (Laughs.)

The paperwork was moving along without a hitch, but I was practically fidgeting as if to say, “Let’s get this wrapped up—I want to get in the Panamera! Hand over the keys!” Maybe H picked up on that, because he opened a small box. Inside were two Panamera keys.

Wow…they were lined up so neatly, almost like a matching pair of watches. The keys seemed a little flatter than those for our previous 970 Panamera Edition. At last, H began putting on his gloves and said, “Shall we head over to the car now?”

Inspecting the Car

Wow…this was really happening. First, the whole family walked around the car to check for any scratches or marks. As you’d expect from a brand-new car, it was gleaming. It must have had a high-quality coating. I’d have to be careful when driving and even when touching it, so I didn’t scratch anything. Once our inspection was done…

Next came the trunk demonstration. Apparently, this Panamera has a sensor that opens the trunk automatically when you move your foot beneath the rear bumper. It’s handy when your hands are full and you can’t open the trunk manually. H demonstrated: “You just move your foot underneath like this…” But…

It wouldn’t open. (Laughs.) H has pretty long legs, too. My husband gave it a try, but nothing happened. I tried as well—also no luck. Apparently, there’s a knack to it: another staff member simply swept a foot beneath the bumper, and the trunk opened instantly. His footwork was so smooth, he looked like a trunk-opening magician.

The trunk is surprisingly spacious.

I wonder if it’s about the same size as the trunk in our old 970 Panamera. We could easily fit two suitcases or a stroller in the previous model, and this one looks ready to handle plenty of luggage, too. You can also pull out the cover shown below and secure it to separate the rear seats from the trunk.

Next, we climbed inside for an overview of the navigation and controls. I was busy with the kids, so I didn’t catch all the details, but the touchscreen has a lot of controls and apparently takes a little getting used to. My husband turned to H and said, “I don’t think my wife’s going to be able to figure out how to use it.” Fair enough—I’m hopeless with technology.

Once H had finished explaining the touchscreen and navigation system, he opened the hood to show us what was underneath. “It looks really cool,” he said. It was my first time seeing under the hood, and everything looked incredibly tidy. I’d expected to see more of the engine, but it was mostly hidden from view.

For the record, it’s a 4.0-liter V8.

The Moment Our Porsche Was Ours

At last, finally…all the checks and explanations were complete, and the Panamera Turbo was lowered to the first floor in an elevator. When they started the engine, it sounded every bit as good as you’d expect. The rear lights stretched across the back, giving it the look of a 911 scaled up. And when the brake lights came on, the whole rear end took on an even sportier look.

H led our family down to the first floor in the elevator, and we hurried over to where the Panamera had been brought down. My heart was racing…this was it. We were about to take delivery.

Our Panamera Turbo was waiting for us at the rear entrance. It looked even more stunning outside, its paint gleaming in the light. We chose Night Blue Metallic, a color that apparently takes on different personalities—looking blue under a clear sky and almost black in the dark.

Even outside, it looked unbelievably good. I couldn’t help letting out a little sigh. Our 970 Panamera Edition was Carrara White, but a darker color really gives the car a more planted, purposeful look. The new design no doubt helps, too. We climbed in, and when my husband started the engine, a refined, deep rumble filled the cabin.

Following H’s directions, we drove the car out. At last, our Porsche ownership journey had begun. Still, both my husband and I felt a little unsettled, as though we were driving a test car, and we left the dealership with a hint of nervousness.

And just like that, our new Porsche was officially home! H—and my husband—thank you from the bottom of my heart! We’re grateful beyond words! We headed straight to the Royu Driveway, but I was so excited that I’d only have been able to write a rambling post. I’ll share that drive once I’ve had a chance to gather my thoughts. The kids slept the whole way back on the Royu Driveway, by the way.

Now, this weekend we’re off to Fuji Speedway to watch the WEC—and, of course, we’ll be taking the Panamera Turbo. We have plenty more drives planned after that, so I’ll share our Porsche owner experience here on the blog as we go.