The Panamera Is a Big Car

A week has passed since our Panamera Turbo was delivered. Ours is finished in dark Night Blue Metallic, which gives it a rather imposing look. It’s also big and hard to miss: apparently, the manager at the gas station my husband often visits said,

“Whoa, what a huge car! Is it a Ferrari? That thing is massive!”

He reportedly repeated himself about ten times. (Laughs.)

Anyway, today (not that this has anything to do with what I’m about to write), I’d like to share a few of the hundreds of photos we took at the WEC race the other day.

At the Pit Walk

First, here’s a look at the pit walk. The drivers held an autograph session for just 30 minutes, but the line was so long that we could only watch from the outside.

From left to right: Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber, and Brendon Hartley. Seeing the drivers in person, I was struck by how slender and slight they all were. I suppose you have to be small to fit into those cars; anyone bigger would struggle. The crowd around Porsche driver André Lotterer—famous for his good looks—was so huge that we couldn’t see him at all, let alone get a photo.

Here’s Lotterer, by the way.

(Photo reproduced from the official Porsche Japan website.)

What a handsome guy… If I woke up, looked in the mirror, and saw that face, I’d probably spend the whole day admiring myself instead of going racing. (Laughs.) I was also surprised to learn that he was 35—the same age as me.

Wait… Is That a 919 Hybrid?!

Behind them was the 919 Hybrid. My husband was beside himself with excitement and spent the whole time snapping photos like a total fanboy.

Porsche had announced it would leave the WEC’s LMP1 class at the end of the season, so this would be the last chance to see the 919 Hybrid in Japan. Looking back, it was a truly special opportunity. A little farther along, we also got to see the Porsche RSR.

There weren’t many people around here; it was practically deserted. It seemed that far more fans had come to see Toyota’s LMP1 cars.

The Grid Walk

Next up: the grid walk.

It’s a chance to get up close to the race cars lined up on the circuit.

Of course, the 911 RSR was there, too.

Some fans even touched the cars or posed for photos in awkward positions. The Porsche team members looked visibly annoyed. What would those fans do if they tripped or caught a sleeve on something and damaged a car? There were more than a few moments that made me feel fans need to show a little more consideration.

The VIP Lounge for Guests and Team Members

Next, we headed to the hospitality lounge. The Porsche lounge was filled with all kinds of people: team members, sponsors and their guests, drivers, interpreters, a motor journalist who writes for Car Graphic, and what looked like a driver’s girlfriend—a stunning woman who reminded me of Jessica Michibata.

It felt like a seriously VIP space.

And there was Brendon Hartley.

He seemed to have stopped by the lounge before the race. He was incredibly charming and handsome. We were told that autographs were only available to DMG MORI guests, and since we only had Porsche guest passes, we couldn’t get one. I thought maybe they’d make an exception, but a DMG MORI staff member stopped us. What a shame…

During the race, drivers who had finished their stints would come to the lounge and talk about the race. But I had to go pump breast milk (yes, I’m a mom to a nine-month-old and still breastfeeding, so skipping a pumping session would have been a bad idea). I stepped away for a while, and when I got back, there was a huge crowd in the lounge.

I wondered what was going on, until my husband said, “Lotterer was here.”

Wait—handsome Lotterer was here?!

I never got to see him, and as I pored over the photos my husband had taken, I couldn’t help thinking, “Why did I have to go pump milk at exactly that moment?” I regretted it so much. Here are the photos.

So handsome.

Even when he’s just listening to someone, he looks handsome.

He looks like a Hollywood star. Imagine how much fun life would be if you were born with a face like that! (Laughs.) “But I’m sure handsome guys have their own problems that only other handsome guys can understand,” I thought, getting completely carried away…

The weather stayed poor throughout the race,

and the race was stopped by a red flag and never resumed. Porsche finished third and fourth, which was disappointing, but we got to watch the action up close and experience what goes on behind the scenes. It was a truly memorable experience. Next time, I’d love to bring the kids along to a race.