Photos of the Porsches We Spotted in San Francisco

So, here are the photos I took of the Porsches we spotted around San Francisco. First up is the Porsche we saw at the airport on the day we arrived: a Panamera S E-Hybrid.

It’s a facelifted 970 Panamera, and because it’s an E-Hybrid, the “Porsche” lettering is yellow. Next, we spotted this one at our hotel: a “new” (though maybe it’s not so new anymore) Panamera. From the rear, it has a completely different look from the earlier model. It’s sportier and looks great. I asked my husband, “Why doesn’t it have a license plate?” He explained, “In the U.S., a new car doesn’t come with its license plate when you buy it. The plate arrives later, and you can drive without one for the few months in between.”

It’s fascinating how license plate rules vary from country to country. The next Porsche we saw around town was a Panamera Turbo. This one was also a 970, the generation before the current model. It’s hard to see in the photo, but above the “PORSCHE” lettering is the Turbo’s signature rear spoiler. It deploys above a certain speed (or when you activate it yourself).

Then there was the Macan, which I saw everywhere. I can’t tell whether this one is a Macan or a Macan S, but it has a simple, cute look. Lately, I’ve found myself thinking, “The Macan looks like it would be easy to drive.” It’s a compact SUV that’s easy to maneuver, yet still sporty to drive. No wonder it sells so well around the world.

Next up: the Cayenne. I saw this generation everywhere. San Francisco also had plenty of huge pickup trucks (the kind with a large open bed), which made the Cayenne look surprisingly small. Just going by my general impression, many of the people driving Cayennes and Macans seemed to be Asian. Maybe it was just me…

I also saw plenty of first-generation Cayennes. The one in the photos below was parked in Sausalito, about a 40-minute drive from San Francisco. From the back, it’s not immediately obvious that it’s a Porsche (or is that just me?). A lot of other SUVs have a similar design, so I had to see it from the front or get closer before I could tell it was a Cayenne.

This Macan was also parked in Sausalito, in a restaurant parking lot. From the front, I found the Cayenne and Macan hard to tell apart—especially in America, where there are so many large SUVs on the road. (Not that I had to tell them apart!) Porsche white really is gorgeous and suits the cars so well.

Then there was a 911 Targa 4S. With so many Cayennes and Macans around, this was a rare 911 sighting, so I actually ran over to take a photo! The license plate was slightly wider and used only letters and numbers, which I thought suited the 911’s design better. (Japanese license plates can look a little out of place in photos, design-wise.)

I also spotted a Carrera S. It looks even smaller surrounded by SUVs.

And here’s a Boxster. I think this is a facelifted second-generation model?

And a 981 Boxster, too. This gray looks really sharp. I’ve never seen a Boxster in Japan with this sort of combination: gray paint and a brown soft top. It’s a subtle, sophisticated look.

Those are all the Porsche photos from San Francisco. (Not many!) After taking these photos, we flew to Los Angeles to do some sightseeing. I was looking forward to taking lots more Porsche photos at the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles.