Porsche Owners File #7] 971 Panamera 4E Hybrid - Purchase, Options and Driving Review

Porsche Panamera

Hello everyone. This is Mina, the administrator of "A Porsche Came to My Home". I would like to share the real voices of various Porsche owners with you! This project was born from the request of our readers, "I want to share the real voices of various Porsche owners!Porsche Owner's File". The seventh installment is a whoppingSN, who "lives in the U.S."We are pleased to present the purchase, options, and driving review of the Panamera 4E Hybrid received from This blog is becoming more and more global in scope (lol).

〘Owner Information〙
This is my car: Panamera 4E-hybrid 2018
Pen name: SN
Region/Residence: United States
Family composition: 5 persons
Past car history: Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 -> Audi A4 2.0 2008 -> Maserati Ghibli SQ4 2014 -> Volvo XC90 T6 Inscription 2016
A word to the reader: Porsche hybrids offer uncompromising technology and performance in sports driving.

(1) Background leading to purchase

-From Italian cars to German cars

Back in the day, I had no interest in Porsches at all, but rather had my eye only on cars with an Italian flair. I used to buy an Alfa Romeo GTV.Pininfarina, a company that sets itself apart from the rest.(An Italian company mainly involved in automotive design. (An Italian company that mainly designs cars, including Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, and many others.)Design of theThis is because I was fascinated by the

Nevertheless, tastes change over time. TheIt all started with an Audi A4 I bought for my family.It was. It was a really nice car to drive, and for the first time I had the feeling that I could trust the car as far as I could while driving it.

-Interest in Porsche

Since that time.What kind of car would Porsche, the pinnacle of German sports car manufacturing, make?"and I became interested in Porsche. At the same time, I learned about the 919 Hybrid's success at Le Mans and the amazing hybrid technology, andI want to drive a Porsche sports hybrid car...!"The feeling that this was the case became stronger and stronger.

I was quite interested in the previous generation 970 Panamera because of its soft design, but then I saw the remodeled 971 Panamera.It's the only way!"I was completely enthralled with the product and decided to purchase it.

(2) Options/Specifications

Body color: Carrara White Metallic
Wheel: 20" Panamera Turbo Wheel with Center Caps Colored Porsche Crest
■Interior
Leather interior Marsala
Panoramic roof (Panoramic roof system)
Premium package plus: Optional package for the U.S. market only
Comfort access
Soft close doors
Lane change assist
Seat heating front/rear
Power seat 14-way (14-way electric seat with memory function)
Bose surround sound system
PDLS
Seat ventilation front
Assistant package: Optional package for the U.S. market only
Lane keep assist
Adaptive cruise control (Traffic jam assist)
Night vision assist
Rear axle steering including power steering plus
Rear 2+1 seats (available in Japan from the new GTS)
Window trim high gloss black side window trim
Headrest Porsche crest (Porsche crest embossed headrest)

-Options that were mandatory

In the U.S., the options are packaged, but not all of them were options that I absolutely wanted to have. However

Adaptive cruise control
Traffic jam assist
Rear axle steering

Traffic jam assist is very effective in reducing fatigue on long drives and stress in traffic jams, so I couldn't miss it. As for Rear axle steering, although the dealer told me it was not necessary, I decided to install it after reading the comments on the blog of Mina's husband, who is the administrator of this blog.

-Favorite Point

I like the details.High gloss black finish on window trimIt is. The contrast with the white body is very beautiful. I wondered whether I should paint the mirrors, door handles, door handles, and air intakes gloss black as well, but I thought that the Panamera on display had that specification and it might be a little too harsh. I thought it would be a little too much, so I decided to use only the window trim.

-Convenient Rear2 + 1seats

Since we are a family of 5, a 4-seater is a must, so we initially decided to go with the Panamera Sport Turismo(5-seater)I was thinking about doing this. At that timeI learned that there is an option called "Rear 2+1 seats" and thanks to this, the design of the Panamera remains to my liking, and it seats 5 people!The first time I did it, I was able to do it.


(Even with a child seat in the center, there is still enough room for an adult to sit on either side.)

(3) Process of vehicle delivery

(1) August 28: First visit to Deira

He said, "We don't have an allocation for a 2018 Panamera 4E-hybrid, but apparently dealers in other states do, so I'll ask them if they can replace the frame." The next day, he said, "I can order it for you. Come back if you are so inclined!" He called me back.

(2) August 31: Order completed at dealer

The car will be delivered at the end of January.
...No contact for a little over a month after that.

October 11, 2011: I thought it was time to make a move. I thought, and called

He said, "Wait a minute, I'll check it out now. Oh, it looks like it's leaving a port in Germany tomorrow, so we should be able to deliver it in early November." I think we can deliver the car in the beginning of November.

4) Arrived at the dealer on November 10.

I can come and pick it up or deliver it to you by the end of the week. You can either come and pick it up or I can deliver it to you. I decided to pick up the car in person.

November 12, 2005: Delivery!

...but there was a glitch in the procedure and I had to wait a day. Drove around the dealership for a bit.

(6) November 13, 2012: To be Delivered

A dealer representative will drive directly to you at exactly the meeting time and bring it to you.I thought to myself, "Maybe in Japan they don't deliver cars like that where the person in charge drives them around..."I don't care about the details. (Laughs.) After that, I drove around the neighborhood, learning various settings, and ended up dropping off the uncle in charge of the project. He left with a big smile on his face and said, "Enjoy! and left with a big smile on his face.

(4) Panamera's performance as experienced through ownership

(1) Engine

The engine for comparison is the V6 twin turbo from my previous Maserati Ghibli. It is a little strange to compare it to a hybrid engine...but the 4E-Hybrid has great synchronization between the motor and engine, and when you step on it, the car accelerates from any speed range by switching from motor assist to the turbo engine.This is the modern race car!"I was unintentionally pleased.

-Acceleration from a standstill

Especially when accelerating from a standstill, thanks to the motor's responsiveness.Without feeling the time lag that is present in turbocharged engines, the driver can experience the sensation of being pressed against the seat and accelerating the moment he or she steps on the pedal.To use an analogy, if the engine's acceleration "feels like a gulp and a stretch," the motor "feels like a bounce and a bounce.

-Vehicle weight handicap

The car weighs 4784 lb (Panamera) and 4122 lb (Ghibli), the difference being 660 lb (297 kg). I've seen occasional reviews criticizing the hybrid because they don't like this weight.At least there are no situations where you would feel that handicap in daily use.

-A sense of acceleration

The acceleration is better than the Ghibli. I think the main reason for this is that thanks to the motor, maximum torque is generated between the low 1100 rpm range and 4500 rpm. The power and torque of this E-Hybrid are best felt in Sport and Sport+ modes, but it is also good enough in Hybrid mode.

-E engine mode, E mode

When the car was first delivered, the driver could not only charge the battery while the car was running, but also could not use the battery in the "hybrid e-charge mode".Motor off and engine running.I felt as if the motor was "not assisting", but it seems that the motor will assist if you step on it even in the E-charge mode.

On the other hand, in E mode, you can experience the quiet but ample acceleration of the motor. The motor alone has a maximum torque of 295 lb-ft, making it very comfortable to drive in stop-and-go traffic around town. Once you get used to it, though, you'll want to stay in E-mode the whole time.The maximum speed in E mode is 137 km/hr, so it suffers somewhat in the flow of 120-130 km/hr on the highwayis(legal speed is 112-120 km/hr). (Legal speeds range from 112-120 km/hr).

In addition, theAcceleration from zero is good, but acceleration from mid to high speed range is not suitable for E-modeI feel that I am in a hurry to get into the flow of the car. However, when the accelerator pedal is depressed one step deeper, the engine starts even in E mode, so there is no need to panic because you miss the flow of the car.

(2) About PDK

The paddle shift response of PDK is quick both up and down, and I think it can be very enjoyable in some situations, but unfortunately there are no winding roads in the neighborhood, so I have not been able to test it much.
The upshift and downshift timing of the AT changes depending on the mode, such as Normal, Sport, Sport+, etc., and this can be felt well in city driving and at high speeds. However, the paddle shifters do not seem to be used in many situations.

(3) Handling

I used to race karts, and I prefer a sensitive response to steering movements, and the Panamera is a car that reminds me of that.It is. It turns as much as you cut it and runs the line you are aiming for.

-Benefit of rear axle steering

The power steering feel is generally lighter and more relaxed than the Maserati Ghibli. By setting the air suspension to sport mode, the steering feel is more sensitive andLarge curves at high speeds are driven through as if they were straight lines. I wonder if this is partly due to the long wheelbase effect of the rear axle steeringIt is thought to be

It is stable and easy to turn even in situations where a large circle is required, such as exiting from a highway.There is no sense of oversteer or understeer, and no need for inputs along the way.There are many situations where U-turns are made in Michigan traffic, and there you can feel the benefit of the short wheelbase effect of the rear axle steering.

Where previously the car had to turn to the full lane, it can now turn one lane smaller without straining. Unlike oversteer, where the rear end of the car flows, this is a sensation of a sudden change in direction. It's hard to explain, but...that's how it feels.

What takes some getting used to is the track when parking. It can be confusing because it is more sharp than you think.

→ [Next Page] Fuel Economy, Ride Quality, Family Reaction, and Rear Axle Steering...

Follow me if you like this blog!

Close Comment
  • Comment ( 2 )

  • Trackbacks are closed.

  1. Tommy.

    I ordered a Panamera in Japan in November 2018 and was able to choose the 5-passenger option with the 4+1 seat option.I found this article while doing an image search to see if I could find a child seat that would fit well in the rear center seat, which is not ISOFIX compatible. I was surprised to see that the article was written in English when I found it, but I was surprised to see that it was written in Japanese as well, I am very impressed with the great amount of information. Thank you very much.

    • Mina.Mina.

      Mr. Tommy.
      Thank you for visiting our blog.

      >I ordered a Panamera in Japan in November 2018 and was able to choose the 5 passenger option with the 4+1 seat option.
      Oooh, I see! I envy you... if I could do that, my Panamera would be all right... I really envy you...!

      >I was surprised that the article was written in English when I found it, but I didn't expect it to be written in Japanese as well.
      Thank you! Actually, it didn't take me much time at all, because I automatically translate the articles I wrote in Japanese into English and make them stand alone as English articles.
      However, sometimes the translation is quite different... I think I need to review it regularly ^^^;

      I would be happy to exchange information about Panamera again.
      Keep up the good work!