Am I Overrating the Panamera?

I’ve sung the Panamera’s praises time and again on this blog. But I’ve never driven one of its supposed rivals, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (I’ve only ever ridden in the back), and my experience behind the wheel of a BMW 7 Series is limited to a brief test drive.

So when I judge the Panamera, I have to go by how it feels to me when I drive it. Every now and then, I find myself wondering: “Am I overrating the Panamera?”

My husband’s younger brother once read this blog and apparently remarked, “This sounds just like Kazuo Shimizu! (laughs)” (Former racing driver and automotive journalist Kazuo Shimizu is well known for his love of Porsche.) So, yeah, I did wonder if I might be a little too biased in Porsche’s favor.

A Blog That Gets the Porsche Panamera Just Right

Then my husband sent me a blog post. It was from “Porsche ni tabi ni… Goron Blog♪,” a Minkara blog he’s been following for some time. The author writes reviews of the Porsches he owns, along with a variety of other wonderful cars.

It seems the author used to own a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and had also written a comparison with Porsche. I found it fascinating.

The post my husband sent me was titled “The Porsche Panamera Is the Perfect Driver’s Car.” Goron♪ reviews the Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo he owns, covering its performance, ride comfort, fuel economy, cargo capacity, and overall impressions. So much of what he wrote had me thinking, “Exactly! That’s it!” I was genuinely delighted.

Here are a few excerpts that especially resonated with me:

・Outstanding safety and performance on the road. Add rear-axle steering, and the Panamera—despite measuring over five meters long—can turn with a radius comparable to a Prius.

・Rear-axle steering is a must. Few options make such a difference to both handling and ride comfort.

・The 971-generation Panamera is the fully realized vision of a four-door sedan (or coupe or wagon) from a sports-car maker like Porsche.

・It’s comfortable and clings to the road, with the body rigidity to stay rock-solid in every situation. As a four-door driver’s car, few vehicles are this accomplished—or this thrilling.

・The Panamera is a driver’s car that lets you enjoy spirited driving in comfort. But if comfort is your top priority, it may not be the car for you.

The Panamera’s Appeal—and an Air-Cooled Porsche…

Honestly, I couldn’t agree more. I had the same reaction when I watched a program in which automotive journalist Goro Okazaki discussed the Panamera Turbo, and I wrote about it on the blog at the time:

→ Related article: Goro Okazaki’s Take on the New Panamera Is Spot-On

It made me so happy to find someone who could capture the Panamera’s appeal so perfectly.

On a completely different note (and what a segue! haha), my husband has spent the past few days glued to used-car listings for air-cooled Porsches. Yesterday, he finally announced, “I’m going to see an air-cooled Porsche in person and get a feel for it.” Then he made the long trip to a used-car dealership in Nagoya.

He’s not thinking of buying one just yet. He’s never driven an air-cooled Porsche, so he simply wants to see what one is like. I’m looking forward to hearing what he thinks when he gets back…