Wife’s Review: What She Likes (+)

① No Issues for Daily Use

Before driving the Panamera, I thought “It’s so big and not very nimble, maybe inconvenient.” But once you get used to it, that’s not true. In the suburbs, parking is rarely a problem, and shopping mall or commercial parking spaces tend to be wide enough to fit it easily. The feeling of “heaving this heavy giant into motion” at every stoplight doesn’t bother me. (The previous 970 Panamera Edition felt heavier off the line, but the 971 doesn’t.)

Also, as long as a bus can drive on a road, the Panamera can too, so unless you’re trying to take a shortcut down a very narrow road, it’s easy to drive around without trouble.

② Both Highways and Winding Roads Are Fun

Since daily life rarely calls for the Panamera Turbo’s full power, we’ve made a point to take family trips this past year. We’ve taken a ferry to Kyushu and driven around Aso, and visited Fuji Speedway and the Hakone Turnpike. What I realized is:

The Panamera is a car that lets you enjoy both comfort on highways and fun on winding roads.

I often hear that other luxury sedans are “comfortable for long trips but boring on twisty roads,” but the Panamera Turbo offers the best of both worlds.

③ “Standard Pressure” Tire Inflation Mode is Best

I wrote about correct tire inflation for Porsches before, and as my husband mentioned, he always says:

Standard pressure gives a firmer ride but seems to absorb road vibrations faster. With comfort pressure, the tire’s flex frequency and the suspension’s absorption frequency feel slightly out of sync. But since Japan’s comfort pressure is only rated up to 160 km/h (warning sounds above 160 km/h), it might be set softer. The German spec comfort pressure is rated up to 270 km/h and is firmer, so that might strike a better sporty balance.

For me, the difference between comfort and standard pressure is subtle—only noticeable if I really focus (-_-).

④ Makes You Want to Seek Out Roads for Sports Mode

In daily use, the tachometer rarely goes above 2,000 rpm (probably due to mostly city driving and my driving style), so I almost never hear the “4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine sound.”

So sometimes we go to places like the Royu Driveway and switch to Sport or Sport Plus mode (PDK might be fine too) to finally enjoy the high-rev sound. If we don’t make these opportunities, the Panamera never really wakes up, which makes me feel a bit guilty.

⑤ Rear Axle Steering is a Must

I said in point ② that daily driving is no problem, but that’s largely because we have the rear axle steering option. For example, when turning right or left at a narrow, sharp-angled intersection, the car initially swings wide but then “snaps” around. Parking is also easier thanks to the tighter turning radius. With the previous 970 Panamera Edition, I’d have had to back up and try again at least once in such situations, but with this Panamera Turbo, that almost never happens.

⑥ You Want to Show Off the Rear Spoiler for No Reason

The Panamera Turbo has a retractable rear spoiler (rear wing) that automatically deploys at high speeds to generate downforce. Also, the spoiler angle changes again once a certain speed threshold is exceeded.

Unfortunately, you can’t see the spoiler deploy while driving (only a quick glance in the rearview mirror), but sometimes I notice drivers in the cars behind excitedly gesturing and saying “Wow! The spoiler just popped out! (*ﾟ∀ﾟ)!” which is pretty funny (laughs).

Wife’s Review: Points of Concern (−)

Now for the minor downsides. These are all “if I had to say” points.

① Limited Parking Options in City Lots

Many parking lots in Osaka city have width limits under 1900 mm (especially mechanical parking), so the Panamera barely fits. However, many underground lots near stations do accommodate it (such as Honmachi Semba Center Building underground parking, Nagahori-dori Parking, Tosabori Parking). If you research these beforehand, it’s manageable.

Actually, I’ve been thinking it would be really helpful to gather and share information on “city parking lots that can fit large cars like the Panamera” from readers of this blog (Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Kobe, etc.).

② Difficult to Reach Parking Tickets

The Panamera’s doors are thick, so if you stop a bit too far from the ticket machine, you can’t reach it (I’m 158 cm tall). You can get close enough to reach by parking just beside the side mirror, but the warning beeps go off nonstop. It took me a while to get used to this.

③ Turbo Isn’t Necessary

Or rather, the base Panamera is more than enough. The 4S would be plenty. In Japan, there are almost no chances to unleash the full power of the Panamera Turbo, so it’s truly a “luxury that goes to waste.”

So if we buy another Panamera someday, I think we’d go for the base model or a hybrid. (Though we don’t plan to replace it anytime soon.)

Let’s Celebrate with Cake!

So recently, on October 13th, a day late from the 12th, we decided to buy a “one-year delivery anniversary cake.” Honestly, we rarely get to eat a whole cake, so I just wanted an excuse to have some.

“Happy 1st Anniversary, Panamera”

When the shop staff asked, “What message would you like on the cake plate?” I nervously said it, but they kept asking “Pa… Pa-na…? Sorry, could you say that again?” several times, which was embarrassing (-_-).

Since we had the cake, I tried taking commemorative photos with the Panamera at home, placing the cake on the hood.

…The cake’s tiny (¯―¯٥)

That day, there was unexpectedly heavy traffic, so taking photos with the cake on the hood felt quite embarrassing. Anyway, happy one year, Panamera, and thank you. Here’s to many more.

Then on October 14th, the next morning, I checked Facebook and saw “the post with the most comments from six years ago” along with a photo from our wedding day.

…

…

…Wait, today’s our anniversary ((；ﾟДﾟ))!

Oh no, we totally forgot. When I asked my husband, he said, “Oh yeah! We forgot (*_*)” (laughs). Then he added:

Seriously, we shouldn’t be celebrating the Panamera’s one-year anniversary! The cake should’ve said “Happy 6th Wedding Anniversary” instead! We’re totally crazy, haha!

He was laughing hard. I always thought “He’s the crazy one, and I’m the sane one,” but maybe I’m starting to go a little crazy too…

Well, even if we forget our anniversary, as long as every day is fun, that’s what really matters these days.