Roperaio’s Review of the Panamera Turbo

The other day, my husband said, “There’s a Panamera Turbo review on Roperaio’s YouTube channel!” and immediately started watching the nearly 40-minute video. As soon as he finished, he said this:

“Hmm… I get what he’s saying, but it’s not quite right. It feels like there wasn’t enough prep beforehand, and the power and handling of the Panamera Turbo weren’t really evaluated enough, so the true greatness didn’t come through. I almost want to add a few points myself, haha.”

Hearing that made me curious about the video, so I watched it too. Indeed, it felt like the review was conducted without really unleashing the full power of the Panamera Turbo throughout.

That said, reviewing a wide range of models from various manufacturers every day must be quite challenging, with many considerations to keep in mind. When I told my husband, “I can see why you’d want to add some notes to the review^^;,” he replied,

Exactly. It’s not that the review is bad, but adding some points would better convey the Panamera Turbo’s charm.

So, for today’s article, I decided to write down some additional comments, haha.

Additions to the Panamera Turbo Review

By the way, the Panamera Turbo featured in the review had the following specs:

Year: 2017
Displacement: 3,996cc
Engine: V8 DOHC Turbo
Horsepower: 550ps
Torque: 78.5 kgm
Length: 5,049mm
Width: 1,937mm
Height: 1,427mm
Curb Weight: 1,995kg

Roperaio’s staff rated it [Ride Comfort & Driving: 4.5, Appearance: 5, Cost Performance: 4.3], while Mr. Kawakubo gave [Ride Comfort & Driving: 4, Appearance: 4.5, Cost Performance: 4]. Overall, quite positive.

With that, here are the points I want to add.

Air Conditioning Controls

There are a few points, but first, about the air conditioning vents. My husband said,

In the review, it looked like you could only operate the vents by pressing “Diffuse” or “Concentrate” buttons on the touchscreen, but you can actually freely move the round button in the center, which moves the louvers accordingly. It’s a small detail, but worth mentioning.

There was also a comment about how “the spoiler ON/OFF button isn’t a one-touch operation, so it’s a bit inconvenient.” I can relate—I struggled to get used to the Panamera’s touchscreen at first, not knowing where everything was.

However, the Panamera’s touchscreen lets you customize the home screen to your liking, so you can place frequently used buttons there for quick one-touch access. In fact, at our house, the spoiler ON/OFF button is on the home screen for easy control anytime.

It would have been nice if they mentioned that too.

Sport / Sport Plus Modes

The Panamera Turbo in this review came with the optional Sport Chrono Package, so I felt they should have driven not only in Normal mode but also in Sport and Sport Plus modes to highlight the differences.

My husband often says,

The Panamera really shines when driven in Sport mode.

Indeed, just driving the Panamera Turbo in Normal mode, especially around town, feels a bit dull. The gears shift quickly up to 6th or 7th, and you mostly cruise around at about 1000 rpm, taking it easy.

On the other hand, switching to Sport or Sport Plus mode makes the driving lively, changes the engine sound, and lets you enjoy a sporty ride. I really wish they had reviewed the difference between Normal and Sport driving.

My husband said,

They didn’t even use the Boost button (Sport Response button) in the video, right? That acceleration is truly incredible. Just a slight press on the accelerator and it rockets forward like crazy. That button really shows a glimpse of what the Panamera Turbo can do.

He sounded a bit disappointed.

By the way, the “Sport Response button” is a mode above Sport Plus. It activates for 20 seconds, during which the engine and transmission settings deliver maximum performance. A timer on the display counts down the remaining seconds, and after about 20 seconds, it automatically returns to the previously selected mode. (Pressing the button again during activation cancels it.)

I definitely would have appreciated if they covered this too.

Winding Road Driving

Also, my husband said,

If you’re reviewing the Panamera Turbo, you have to drive it on winding roads like the Hakone Turnpike. Otherwise, you won’t truly understand its greatness. On normal roads, the Panamera Turbo’s power is just wasted, and the conclusion would be, “If you’re only driving on highways or city streets, then sure, a Mercedes-Benz S-Class is more luxurious and comfortable.” But the Panamera Turbo’s charm is that it perfectly balances “luxury” and “sportiness,” and its cornering agility and poise are truly amazing. I wish they had reviewed that. But yeah, driving all the way to Hakone just for one review is tough.

Panamera Turbo Pricing

Finally, about the price. The two Roperaio reviewers said,

“Considering the base price is 23 million yen and options push it over 26 million yen… that’s a bit expensive. I’d want one used, but buying new is a bit much…”

And well…

Yeah, it’s definitely expensive (-_-)

No argument there. It’s basically the price of a house…

So, as a Panamera Turbo owner, I shamelessly added my two cents here, but I’ll continue to look forward to Roperaio’s YouTube channel.

Afterwards, Mr. Kawakubo from Roperaio responded on Twitter. Thank you very much!

By the way, here is the Panamera Turbo review by Roperaio.