ENGINE Devotes an Issue to Porsche

My husband recently ordered a copy of a magazine called ENGINE. It turns out the latest issue is a Porsche special.

ENGINE is a monthly magazine focused on cars, with coverage that also spans fashion, watches, home goods, food, film, music, and just about anything else that might interest a grown man. The cover promises:

“Porsche’s evolution never stops.” Driving the new 911 GT3 RS at the Nürburgring. / A trip to Alsace in the new Cayenne Turbo, just before its arrival in Japan. / What it means to design a Porsche. And much more in a special feature spanning more than 70 pages!

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…So, um, what about the Panamera? (-_-)?

I thought, “There’s not a single mention of the Panamera!” But when I opened the magazine, there it was after all (Well, of course it was! lol).

The magazine featured a six-page comparison test of three models: the base Panamera, Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, and Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo!

What Did the Reviewers Think of Each Panamera?

In short, all three models received glowing reviews.

First up: the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.

☑ What’s surprising about the Turbo S E-Hybrid is how it brings together the qualities of a sports car, a four-door sedan, and an eco-friendly car.
☑ It uses cutting-edge technology to travel around 50 km on electric power alone, yet hasn’t lost any of the driving pleasure Porsche is known for. That’s impressive.
☑ Put it in Sport Plus and take it on a winding mountain road, and it feels almost like a 911 Turbo.
☑ No car enthusiast can ignore environmental concerns. The Turbo S E-Hybrid is Porsche’s answer: “This is how we’re going to do it.” It combines the most fuel-efficient car with the fastest car in one.

I see! This time, the car was the Turbo model, but what about the 4 E-Hybrid? Would it still deliver that 911-like feel and all the driving fun you could ask for? I’d love to find a road test covering that, too.

Is the Base Panamera the Best of the Bunch?

So, what did the reviewers think of the base Panamera?

☑ The car that most strongly made me think, “Porsche really is something,” was the base Panamera with its 3.0-liter V6.
☑ The strengths of the new front-engine, rear-wheel-drive platform are easier to appreciate when it isn’t loaded up with lots of extra equipment.
☑ The base Panamera’s light-footed feel is what makes it special. That’s “light” at 1,800 kg, of course.
☑ It’s vastly better than the first generation. I think Porsche learned from building that first car what it could and couldn’t compromise on when creating a large sedan that had to be undeniably fast and fun to drive—like a 911—without compromising the Porsche name.
☑ The new model can suddenly look like a 911 at a glance. The trade-off is that rear-seat headroom and cargo space aren’t especially generous.
☑ Rather than competing with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and Audi A8 on interior space, what matters is whether it looks like a Porsche.
☑ The Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide are the only cars of this size that accept some compromises in passenger space in order to prioritize styling.

The base Panamera gets rave reviews. My husband also said, “The base Panamera really did feel light-footed, and it was more than good enough in every way.” The article also said the second-generation Cayenne was better regarded than the first, and the same goes for the Panamera.

It makes sense. A first-generation model is often a learning experience, and the second generation can improve dramatically by building on what came before.

What About the Sport Turismo?

And what about the Sport Turismo? Apparently, the Panamera’s large body and sporting focus led Porsche to make the standard model a four-seater—creating a need for the Sport Turismo, which can carry five.

☑ Apparently, there was a strong demand for a five-seat version.
☑ In Normal mode, it manages power delivery with an uncompromising focus on efficiency.
☑ This Sport Turismo was a non-hybrid Turbo model, but it was plenty quick.
☑ In fact, because it’s 220 kg lighter than the Turbo S E-Hybrid, I thought it was the fastest of the three.

That’s what the reviewer had to say.

The Verdict on the Panamera

The overall verdict on the Panamera was full of observations that made me think, “Exactly! That’s such a good way to put it.” Here are a few highlights:

☑ After driving these three cars, I started to appreciate the new Panamera whenever I saw one on the Shuto Expressway or around town.
☑ I wouldn’t say it makes you stand up straighter, but it does make you think, “You’ve bought something really special.”
☑ The BMW 7 Series M760i and Mercedes-Benz S-Class AMG models are no longer in the same league.
☑ In the realm of sports cars, the Panamera stands in a league of its own.
☑ There’s never a moment in the new Panamera when you forget you’re driving. You always have a strong sense that you’re the one behind the wheel.

Whenever I read an article like this, I’m reminded of how impressive automotive journalists and critics are. Maybe it goes without saying, but they know cars inside and out, describe them with precision, and make their comparisons easy to understand. Professionals really are something!

The rest of this issue of ENGINE was packed with fascinating articles, too. A thousand yen for this much great reading… magazines are amazing.

You can buy the latest issue here. It’s a must-read!

→ENGINE, July 2018 issue