Porsche, New Models, Test Drive

An article about the Porsche Track Experience (PTE) side event I recently attended in Shirahama. On that day, there was a special opportunity to test drive Porsche’s new models. The cars I got to drive were:

・New 911 S
・New 911 4S
・Cayenne S
・Panamera GTS
・Panamera GTS Sport Turismo

Five cars in total. I thought I might only get to drive one, but luckily, each of us got to drive all five in turn. (The group was small, so that helped.)

The test course was a short circuit combining straights and corners, taking about 20–30 seconds per lap, and we did two laps. Beforehand, the instructor explained:

“For the first lap, drive in Normal mode, then on the second lap switch to Sport or Sport+ mode to really feel the difference. Also, on the straights, don’t hesitate to push the pedal and accelerate up to 100 km/h. This is an experience you can’t get on a dealer test drive, so make the most of it!”

Wow, I was excited and nervous.

First up was the Panamera GTS Sport Turismo. Thinking about it, it was actually my first time driving a Panamera GTS. When I started this blog, my goal was to one day buy a Panamera GTS myself, so I was pretty thrilled to finally get behind the wheel of this long-admired car.

The engine in the Panamera GTS is a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo, the same as in the Panamera Turbo, but its maximum output is limited to 460 ps (the Turbo produces 550 ps).

Curious about how it differs from the Turbo, I started the GTS engine and was surprised by its light and restrained sound. It was nothing like the roaring “Vroooom!!” beastly sound of the Turbo.

Once on the move, it felt very nimble. The Panamera Turbo has a heavy, solid feel, moving its weight with powerful force, but the Panamera GTS felt like a lean, muscular body with all the excess fat trimmed away.

The handling was very sharp and responsive. Of course, the Turbo is also sharp, but the GTS felt even more precise, turning smoothly and effortlessly, making it very easy to drive.

And of course, the Panamera GTS’s acceleration was impressive. On the straights, it reached 100 km/h in no time, so I couldn’t floor the accelerator too much, but the acceleration was smooth and exhilarating.

On the other hand, the Panamera Turbo, when you press the accelerator, the body sinks firmly toward the ground, delivering a grounded acceleration sensation, and the engine emits a deep, thunderous roar. The GTS, by contrast, feels lighter and more agile.

Even though they share the same engine, the Panamera GTS and Turbo each have their own unique appeal.

After that, I also drove the Cayenne S and Panamera GTS, but with only two laps of a 20–30 second course, it was over in a flash. I was left wishing, “I wish I could do at least five laps—there’s so much more I want to experience!” as the test drive ended.

Still, I thought my husband would have been able to pick up a lot of information even from this brief minute-long drive. “If only we had left the kids with our parents and he could have joined me, that would have been great,” I thought.