Yesterday, I wrote a blog post making the point that many people in Japan don\u2019t pay much attention to their driving position. Just as golf and tennis have proper form, driving does too\u2014and it\u2019s worth learning how to get it right.<\/strong> One of this blog\u2019s readers left the following comment:<\/p>\n I\u2019m really particular about my driving position! When I get in the car, I start by adjusting how much my knees are bent. You can\u2019t really push hard on mountain roads if your driving position isn\u2019t right. That\u2019s fantastic! Whether you want to enjoy a spirited drive on mountain roads or simply drive safely, take a moment to adjust your driving position before starting the engine whenever you get in the car.<\/strong> I think they taught us that at driving school, too…(Though that was so long ago, I\u2019ve forgotten.)<\/span> It would be nice if refresher classes for renewing your license covered basics like this, too.<\/p>\n Lately, I\u2019ve started spotting the new Panamera around town. It looks several times better on the road than it does at the dealership.<\/strong> My husband has already seen quite a few around Osaka and near our home, so the first Panameras ordered early have probably arrived in Japan, with deliveries now getting underway at Porsche Centers.<\/p>\n As I mentioned briefly in an earlier post, my husband and I went to test-drive the new Panamera 4S around March this year. Compared with the Panamera Edition we currently own, the 4S felt much lighter off the line, with a lively takeoff and a wonderfully satisfying engine note from behind as it accelerated.<\/strong> The design was also very refined, with the look of a 911 scaled up<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A few weeks later, we went back to test-drive the new Panamera Turbo. \u201cWe just drove the Panamera 4S, so there\u2019s no real need to test this one too…\u201d<\/strong> I told my husband. But he said, \u201cWe have the chance, so let\u2019s see for ourselves how the 4S and Turbo compare.\u201d<\/strong> And off we went to the Porsche Center.<\/p>\n When we arrived, H, our sales rep, kindly suggested:<\/p>\n \u201cSince you\u2019re here to drive the Panamera Turbo, I\u2019d love for you to experience its acceleration on the highway!\u201d<\/p>\n So my husband took the wheel first and headed for the nearest interchange. We went through the ETC toll gate and drove along at the legal speed for a while. Then, as we reached a nice, straight stretch, H said, \u201cThe road\u2019s clear now, so please give it a try and accelerate!\u201d<\/strong> My husband replied, \u201cSure, I\u2019ll accelerate.\u201d<\/p>\n And in the very next instant…<\/p>\n I was shoved back into my seat with such force that I actually held my breath. It probably lasted only two or three seconds, but I was so stunned I couldn\u2019t speak. Then my husband said:<\/p>\n I barely pressed the accelerator\u2014maybe a centimeter\u2014and we were already doing 1*0 km\/h…<\/p>\n \u201cSeriously?!\u201d<\/strong> The Panamera was so composed at speed that it didn\u2019t feel quite as fast as it was. It wasn\u2019t until I heard the number that I realized just how ferocious the acceleration had been. No wonder\u2014it\u2019s a car that can sprint from 0 to 100 km\/h in 3.7 seconds.<\/p>\n After we exited the highway, it was my turn to drive. But having just experienced that incredible acceleration(and knowing my husband had only pressed the accelerator about a centimeter)<\/span>, I was far too nervous. Despite concentrating as hard as I could, I crept along for the rest of the drive back to the dealership.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t get even the slightest glimpse of what the Panamera Turbo can do… (-_-)<\/span><\/p>\n What a waste… I\u2019d been given the chance to drive a Panamera Turbo packed with incredible performance. And that morning, we\u2019d been casually saying, \u201cIt\u2019d be great if we could feel the difference from the 4S.\u201d<\/strong> But I didn\u2019t just fail to experience the difference\u2014I was completely out of my depth, and the test drive was over before I knew it. I was left feeling utterly defeated. Then, feeling a little dejected, I got out of the car and settled into a seat at the Porsche Center. As I finally caught my breath, I noticed something.<\/p>\n Wait… why does my jaw feel so tired? (-_-)<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s right. I\u2019d been clenching my teeth the entire time I was driving, without even realizing it. The new Panamera Turbo… what a machine. I wish I\u2019d been better prepared before going for the test drive. It was an astonishing car, combining almost frightening power and high-speed stability with a luxurious ride.<\/p>\n \u2193\u2193<\/p>\n Later, once I\u2019d had a chance to calm down, I wrote a somewhat more useful test-drive review.<\/p>\n
\nI press the clutch pedal and set the seat so my knee stays slightly bent.
\nThen I adjust things so my elbow is bent when I grip the steering wheel at the very top.
\nThere are other things to consider, too. I have a semi-bucket seat at the moment, but eventually I\u2019d like to get a full bucket seat.<\/p>\n
\nYou need to feel what the car is doing through your back and hips ^^<\/p><\/blockquote>\nDeliveries of the New Panamera Are Underway<\/h3>\n
Next Up: A Test Drive in the Panamera Turbo<\/h3>\n
I Never Got to Experience the Panamera Turbo\u2019s Full Potential<\/h3>\n