My First Drive in the SL500 My husband brought home a Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R129) in February, but with two kids and only two seats, I hadn’t had much chance to drive it. Then, after a few months, I finally got behind the wheel for the first time last week. In an old issue of Car Graphic, the SL500 was praised to the skies under the headline “You Should Be Impressed.” After driving it myself, I...
A message from my husband. Around lunchtime last Thursday, three days ago, I checked my phone after finishing some work and found this message from my husband: The S63 AMG Coupe’s been delivered. I took it for a drive. Whoa… seriously? ( ﾟдﾟ ) He’d been talking about buying one, and now it had finally arrived. He’d picked up a used Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe, first launched in 2014. The fastest version of the S-Class...
The Sport Chrono Package Our Panamera Turbo is equipped with the optional Sport Chrono Package, which gives us access to Sport Plus mode. In this mode, the engine, transmission, and chassis are set up for maximum performance (including a firmer suspension), making the car more suited to racing and track driving. You can find more details on the Porsche Car Configurator page. Six months after buying the car, I still hadn’t really driven it in...
Porsche tests its cars in the extreme heat of Death Valley The other day, I came across an article titled “The Porsche 911 GT3 Doesn’t Have a Turbo or Hybrid System Because Customers Don’t Want One.” It included this passage: The GT3 is the only car in Porsche’s current lineup without a turbocharger. Its naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six produces an impressive 520 PS (according to Preuninger, that figure was recorded in the scorching summer heat...
My Brother-in-Law Was Going to Buy a Panamera… The other day, I wrote that “my brother-in-law might come home one day with a Panamera Sport Turismo.” As it turns out, he apparently won’t be buying one after all. What a shame… (-_-) → In the end, my brother-in-law did buy a Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo after all. Four Key Differences Between the Panamera and Panamera Sport Turismo, Plus Our Verdict — Comparison Test, Vol. 2...
A Panamera Run to Kansai International Airport Yesterday, my husband was due back from a business trip to the United States, so after picking up our child from kindergarten, I drove the Panamera to Kansai International Airport to meet him. My husband took the wheel for the drive home, and as soon as we pulled out of the airport parking lot, he said: “Porsche really is something else. The way it feels planted on the...
Using the Touchscreen It’s been a little over a month since my Panamera Turbo was delivered. I sometimes use the touchscreen when heading out on longer drives, so I feel like I’m finally getting a little more comfortable with it. That said, there are still plenty of features I haven’t discovered, and I think I’m only using the essentials. Here’s what I use: ① Navigation Setting a destination, checking my current location, and so on...
Is ACC Really That Useful? I had an errand in Nara today, so I decided to take the Panamera Turbo. Most of the drive from home to Nara was on the expressway, where ACC (adaptive cruise control) is especially useful on roads like the Hanshin Expressway, with unmarked police cars, speed cameras, and heavy traffic. So here’s a quick look at the ACC system in the Panamera Turbo. First, the control lever is located below...
Picking Up My Daughter from Kindergarten in the Panamera It was raining today. Lately, I’ve been trying to walk to pick up my daughter from kindergarten, but with the rain, I decided to take the Panamera instead. When I arrived, she kept rubbing her eyes and saying they hurt, so on the way home we stopped at a convenience store for snacks and then at a pharmacy to pick up some eye drops for kids....
A Spontaneous Drive on Royu Driveway Yesterday brought torrential rain. In the morning, our eldest daughter had a Halloween event at kindergarten, so my husband drove us there in the Panamera through the downpour. The three of us—our eldest, our youngest, and me—took part. By late afternoon, the rain had stopped and the skies were beginning to clear, so I took the wheel and we headed to Royu Driveway as a family. It was my...
