At the end of May, the GT3 delivered to us is approaching 4,000 km on the odometer, and my husband, who drives the GT3 every week, has recently been saying, “Driving the GT3 has made me appreciate the greatness of the Panamera even more than before.” He wrote an article about this, so please take a look if you’re interested.

The Greatness of the Panamera Turbo

It’s almost been two years since the 971 Panamera Turbo came to our home.

I previously wrote an article titled “I Think the GT3 and Panamera Are Similar,” but since then, I’ve had some new thoughts, so please consider this a follow-up.

ポルシェ 911 GT3に乗った後にパナメーラターボに乗る。すると、よく似ていると感じる件

From the start, I’ve been amazed by the dual nature of this car: it can cruise luxuriously, yet transform completely when you want to push it hard. Especially in Sport Plus mode, it’s in a class of its own. Around corners, that massive body turns with unbelievable agility and delivers breathtaking acceleration. I was already very satisfied with that.

However, at the time, not knowing the GT3, I imagined, “Surely the GT3 must be far more incredible than the Panamera.”

But then…

After owning and driving the GT3 almost daily, I came to think, “The difference in driving performance between the Panamera and GT3 isn’t as big as I imagined.” Of course, the 991 GT3 is faster on the circuit, and its cornering speed is clearly superior. But what I want to say is,

that difference isn’t that large. In fact, the Nürburgring lap time for the Panamera Turbo is 7 minutes 38 seconds, which is faster than the previous 997-generation 911 GT3’s 7 minutes 40 seconds.

Lately, I’ve been lowering the ride height when driving the Panamera. It feels like the handling becomes more precise and body roll is better controlled. Sometimes, when I take corners in Sport or Sport Plus mode with some enthusiasm, the first thing I think is, “Wow, just like a GT3!”

I’m not exaggerating. While the rear-axle steering certainly helps, to me, it really feels very similar.

The Panamera Is a Sports Car

Since feeling this way, I’ve grown even more fond of the Panamera Turbo and feel like I’ve rediscovered its true greatness. From the initial awe of “just how incredible this car is,” to now being able to measure its performance against the GT3, I better understand the scale of its amazing capabilities.

If I had to sum up the Panamera Turbo in one phrase, I would confidently say:

“A 4-door sports car that can become a GT3 anytime.”

When talking about the Panamera, calling it a sports sedan is too mild. It’s fully within the realm of sports cars. And once you switch to Sport Plus mode, it feels just like a 4-door GT3.

If you want a Porsche but have family to consider and can’t have two cars, I highly recommend the Panamera. Even if you don’t know the 911, don’t worry. The Panamera lets you experience the essence of the 911 without even realizing it. That’s the kind of car it is.