Driving the Panamera in the Rain

The other day, I had the chance to drive the Panamera on the highway in the rain. While driving, I kept thinking, “the Panamera’s stability is really something else…” The joints on the highway were no cause for concern at all, and with its all-wheel drive and solid feel, I was once again reminded just how wonderful this car is.

Since I was driving on the Hanshin Expressway Route 3 Kobe Line, which is usually very busy and where it’s rare to hit 100 km/h, that probably helped. But even when I’ve driven the Panamera through heavy rain on the Tomei Expressway or the Chugoku Expressway, nothing scary ever happened at all. (Though I was careful to avoid puddles.)

A few years ago, at the end of March, I went to Fuji Speedway during an unseasonal heavy snowfall. The mountain roads were slightly icy, but driving the Panamera slowly was no problem at all. On the other hand, my husband’s Boxster, which was ahead of me, was quite scary to drive because it felt like it might slip if he wasn’t careful.

The ultimate test was the Porsche Driving School (Porsche Track Experience) I attended in pouring rain with the Panamera. I’m known as a “rain woman” — almost every event I attend ends up rainy or stormy — so naturally, my first driving school was also in the rain. Actually, it was a downpour (lol).

During the curriculum, I experienced things like “full acceleration followed by full braking” and “steady-state circular driving with PSM turned off.”

Accelerating the Panamera Turbo full throttle in heavy rain was quite scary — my body was pressed into the seat, and it felt like the tires briefly lifted off the ground — it was an acceleration that made me grit my teeth in fear. But when I slammed on the brakes, the car stopped perfectly without sliding, accompanied by a loud screeching sound, which really surprised me.

Moreover, during the exercise where I had to avoid an obstacle right after braking hard, the car didn’t slide at all, and I was able to steer nimbly. That’s when I truly realized, “in such heavy rain, to be able to stop and control the car this precisely — the Panamera’s performance is far more incredible than I imagined.”

During the steady-state circular driving with PSM off, at first the grip was fine and I could turn without issue, but when I floored the accelerator, the car gradually understeered, and letting off the accelerator caused it to spin.

However, even when I floored the accelerator (in 2nd gear for the Panamera), understeer was hard to induce, and the instructor said, “the Panamera really is stable. Being all-wheel drive, it’s hard to spin.”

Eventually, I managed to spin the car, but I was amazed that “it only spins after pushing it this far…!”

Since that experience, my trust and confidence in the Panamera’s incredible capabilities have grown, making driving it even more enjoyable. In fact, I think I’ve become a safer driver.

When my children get their licenses in the future, I’d honestly prefer they not start out with a high-end car (I don’t want them to take it for granted), but considering safety and performance, I now feel it would be reassuring if they drove a Porsche or another German car, especially as beginners.

My Husband’s Thoughts on the Panamera in the Rain

My husband also shared his thoughts on the Panamera’s performance in the rain:

In a word, the Panamera is an all-weather super-fast tourer. There are easier cars to drive, but I think the balance of speed and stability is at an incredibly high level. Well, all Porsches have great driving performance, but among them, the Panamera’s stability is top-notch. I really want anyone who buys a Porsche to go to a driving school at least once. Experience spinning and other tough conditions to truly feel how amazing these cars are.

I thought, “That makes sense…!”

Actually, production of the 911 Cabriolet (992) has been confirmed, and it looks like it will arrive at our home sooner than expected. That means we’ll have to say goodbye to the Panamera, but I’m filled with gratitude for all the wonderful experiences it has given us.

Above all, the Panamera was the car that sparked my interest in cars, even though I wasn’t interested at all before. I even chose “panamera” rather than “porsche” for my blog URL, so I have a lot of affection for this car.

With my upcoming childbirth and plans to return to my parents’ home for a while next month, I probably only have a few more chances to drive the Panamera. Even though rainy days will continue for a while, I want to savor every drive and cherish it.