‘Jay, you look at the dials,’ I said to my passenger, ‘I’ve got other things to concentrate on.’ We were doing about 270km/h and rising fast.
‘OK, 300,’ came the calm reply a few seconds later as the digital speedo rolled over the magic number. That’s 186mph in our money, and I was happy to back off there and drop up into seventh gear, though the Panamera Turbo obviously had more to come. And it felt about the most stable car I’ve ever driven at that speed, thanks among other things to the lowness, length, active aero, adaptive suspension and four-wheel drive.
My quest for speed sated, we swapped drivers. I texted James May, who recently drove one of these the length of Britain for a telly Top Gear race. ‘Just hit 300k. Amazingly good but not quite as adorable as I’d hoped. You?’ Back came this: ‘Similar. Blindingly fast and composed but dull at ordinary speed.’
Dullness is relative, of course. The Panamera Turbo really is extraordinary in the way it’ll combine comfort with 911-style performance. Not just on straights, either: it’ll chew up and spit out any old stretch of twisting, bucking backroad. It’s like a low pass by a fighter jet, yet inside it’ll feel like a Gulfstream.
Work it hard and it communicates with you. But in the end it’s heavy and long and wide and, no, it never feels as agile as a good GT. A Jag XKR, say, is far lighter on its feet.
So the version I bonded best with was the regular non-turbo 2WD Panamera S. Without the nose weight of front-drive hardware, it’s more keen to change direction and feels more natural. Not by much, but by a bit. It has less torque than the Turbo but massive traction and a superb ESP system, so you don’t miss the 4WD. And c’mon, when was 400bhp really that deficient? Oh, and the manual gearbox is very nice, while the PDK twin-clutch job has issues.
Adoring a car is about more than the driving, of course. Whisper it, the Panamera’s shape is growing on me, especially seen from dead front or rear. But it’ll never be a Maserati Quattroporte. The Panamera is functional, it’s slinky, it’s low and sporty, but it sure ain’t beautiful and it isn’t quite sexy.
The cabin is pretty special though, with everyone getting their own 911-style seat. But, er, if you want to carry four people on a grand tour, wouldn’t they need more than airline handbaggage each? The Panamera’s boot is surprisingly cramped, hatchback or no. So the rationale of owning this car might be flawed.
If it isn’t entirely rational and isn’t entirely adorable, where does that leave a £75-£95k Porsche? With a slightly harder job to do than I expected. It’s brilliant, yes, but I thought it had the potential to be one of the all-time greats and it isn’t. Not quite.
You want 4WD, real POWER, and seat 4 with their luggage get an RS6, unless you can’t live without the badge
If you want to seat 4, go like the clappers, and arrive in something stylish – Merc’s CLS and the Quatroporte are still the best bets.
VXR8. But just with world ending power and looks.
Doesnt look so good. Porsche you need to try harder
I’m guessing, as this is a rival to the Quatroporte, that Porsche has made this car deliberately composed or “dull”, not wanting to scare the living daylights out of the passengers. That said, it’s totally wrong of Porsche to make a car which doesn’t excite in the right way, and maybe that’s the whole point. Stick to what you’re best at.
It looks horrible. The front is nice, maybe a bit bigger than what you can expect, but the back make no sense at all and the side are just there to put the car together. 95000£? When you can buy the quattroporte sport gts for £89,860? no seriously maybe is better to drive but it’s not a better car.
porsche lovers can start to throw rocks now
good car, but james may texting? :O
hehe
Roll on the Aston Martin Rapide
don’t understend why porcher are creating unporche cars porche used to be small and practical now half of there products are 4×4 and now a sport saloon
@Why (1), Ryan H (2) and Woody (3)
This is a much better car than the CLS 63 and Maserati. Honestly – better to steer, faster, grippier, more composed. Mind you I do like the Maserati’s engine noise. Audi RS6 feels heavier – a blunt instrument – and I suspect most people who’re in the market for a £100k car don’t want one that looks like a £20k Audi A6 2.0TDi. Might be wrong though, as I don’t actually know anyone who buys £100k cars. VXR8? You are joking aren’t you? Paul
what where your first oppenions of that porche ?
Because my first openion was that not very a good loking car
“The front end of this new 911 looks quite good, little corvettish perhaps but in a good wa… ..wait what? Its not a 911? Ok I’ll look at the bac… ..oh god… ..could somebody pass the bleach? I need to clean my eyes.”
Its all very well building a competent but boring super-saloon, but when its that fugly at the side and rear its just going to steal sales off the Cayenne. On the upside it might also steal sales from the X6 based on its looks, and anything which reduces the number of those on the road is a good thing.
the problem with this car is that it’s not a proper porsche. they obviously tried to create more of a bmw 7 series rival here, rather than a 911 with four doors.
and, anyway, this car is very luxurious inside. the dash of a quattroporte looks a bit low rent in my opinion.
but, i agree with you all. this car should be more exciting, it’s a porsche. i think it will sell by the millions. executives in hollywood will eat it up.
The Porsche Panamera is quite a strange car. The turbo has a 4.8l twin-turbo engine which produces 500hp and is capable of 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds. So it’s right up against the CL63 AMG, Maserati Quattroporte, Lamborghini Estoque and, very soon, the Aston Martin Rapide.
The performance figures are all very good, but the styling is lazy. There’s parts from the Boxster, Cayman and 911, although there are some brand new parts on this car, but that’s not the point. It’s incr… no, biblicaly ugly, especially that rear end which looks to have been stolen from Gordon Brown’s washing line.
It also looks too big for a Porsche and it can’t compete with the likes of the Estoque or the Rapide (which means ‘fast’ in French) for looks and style.
I just hope that this thing drives well. If it goes round corners better than the Maserati then i’d be tempted, but not by the turbo. I’d buy the Panamera S which should handle better: It hasn’t got a 4WD system which is heavy, it’s engine isn’t as heavy as the turbo’s and it’s still got 400hp which is should be enough.
The Panamera sounds very interesting with it’s incredible performance figures. But the looks just put me off. So if i had £100k to blow on a car i’d wait until the Rapide arrives, but for now, i’d buy an XK Convertible.
PetrolHead247: Agree!
I think this car looks like a 4 door Chevrolet Corvette… If me, I would rather buy an M5, or any other cars on sale that has a similar spec…
THIS CAR LOOKS HIDEOUS!!!
too much blufin in the article……… :%
the problem is lots of people will buy this and i cant stand it, give me a Jag XJR anyday or maybe a Bentley Arnage
I think this car’s biggest problem isnt the Maserati, its the forthcoming Aston Rapide.
Its likely to be the car this Porsche should have been.
That car’s awesome !!!
Audi A8 4.2TDI is not a bad option
hey
i am from israel i want to know what the group
think abuot nissan tiida .
I like the shape but this not enough to really know what under hood and what is performance .
I’d honestly rather have a Lada Samara off of the 1990s than be seen within 100ft of anything this ugly. Or, if I was in the position to afford about £75k worth of Lada Samaras, I’d have an RS4 instead and spend the change on Smarties.
The only good thing about the Panamera is that you can’t see what the outside looks like when you’re driving it…. Unfortunately you’ll always remember though… Can’t someone on the Porsche Boardgive the designers a kick in the face with a large boot???? If i had a dog that looked like that, i’d shave its ass and teach it to walk backwards….
the porsche is not worth it for £100,000, and be sides there are far better options out there regarding 4 door saloons. the mercedes cls 63 amg, is good looking,powerful, just like the audi s8 with its v10 lambo engine and much cheaper price tag. theres always the mercedes s65 amg, which is unbelivable, and has huge power, a good car even thou its pretty expensive. i personally would go for the cls 63 amg….
All I am going to say is this thing isn’t a patch on the prototype 928 4 door they made in the 80’s, the 928 is a stunning car and the 4 door was too, just longer!
What has happened to Porsche’s design the last few years??
i reckon the m5 is still the best 4 door drivers car. if it comes with a manual or the new m-dct it will be even better and more of a rival for the panamera. this will be especially true if they put the new twin turbo v8 from the x6m
chav..
cars like this, the cayenne and the Mas FourDOOR are the best examples of where branding might take the automotive… I mean, what’s wrong with style and finesse, innovation ? if porsche wanted something astonishing with space for four why not put some thought into it ? A 911 streach is.. well see for yourselves.. and they did the same with the cayenne.. tasteless piece of fantasyless garbage.. and I don’t care wether it handles like a 911 or has better stearing than the fourdoor.. honestly take a good look at the gt by cit.. and when you’ve come to again.. ask yourself the question.. HOW HARD CAN IT BE ??!!!
..is porsche really nothing more than the 911 ?? Did they really think..” I know, ve vill take za nine vone vone an make it into an offroader.. or.. ve vill take za nine vone vone and make it into a fourdoor..” ??? Get a grip ! Use the badge, the knowhow, the heritage and if you can, and want to.. make a car that isn’t za nine vone vone ! Ja ?!
..having said that, I’m sure Theo Pathetis and his m8 Jones already have one on order… Just to weigh up ..and put on display their financial success.While Ferdinand P. is probably rolling in his grave…
buy a panamera, honestly i’m not joking i have a reason, keep it in storage for a few years then, when nobodys bought one, its been long since been forgotten and put out of production, sell it too the highest bidder telling them that after a terrible night out a group of porshe workers with splitting head aches and hangovers turn up at work one day and accidentally join two 911s together and set upon the back of it with sledge hammers! and its not as if the winning bidder is not getting a one of a kind because no one will buy something that well looks the result of a pile up of 911’s.so i beg please porshe desighn something new thats not a 911 and looks different but cool!!!!!!
DON’T LISTEN TO JAWZ’S COMMENTS
HE KNOWS NOTHING HE JUST KNOW ABOUT DOGS
stuff cars, we should all ride goats.
@34.. you probably already do
Its A Very Fast Car.4.8L twin-turbo engine.It produces 500bhp.0-60mph in 4.3 seconds.Wow!Very Impressive!
Nice looking Porsche, that is. James May has a mobile phone… seriously? And he knows how to text? =O
Ti was a really great car and it very fast.
it may not look too good but im sur it’s quick
i just wanna say that top gear is like a religion to me the guy who present IE: Jeremy, hamster & James are the best presenters i’ve ever come across on a talk show now wonder you guys are the best i’ve watched every single episode that you’ve ever made and think that Jeremy is such a top driver and it is my long life dream to appear on the show and race around the top gear track against Jeremy i know he’ll probably beat me but the sheer excitement will be great enough for me plus the leader board for the reasonably priced car would have a new NUMBER 1 Wel thanks for the show guys i must say you the best
Many Thanks
Shaun Rose From South Africa.
hey guyz,i’m from india,which has got more to it than just bollywood. why dont u guyz at top gear,that is, jezza,hampster & captain slow, come to india for a show. u can cover the TATA NANO, the world”s cheapest car,which u can get at RS.1 lakh (1000 pounds). its an engineering marvel.n try to broadcast topgear in india.
And tell bernie to wait another 20 years before putting an indian GP in the F1 calendar…
not the nano again !!!!
Went to goodwood today saw the panamera and i am happy to report it is rubbish. it looks like a stretched chrysler crossfire. and the engine sound like a rattly 4 pot. mind this was the carrera 4 not the turbo.
Dont compare the panamera to the Crosfire – The Crossfire looks awesome – the Panamera is Fugly
I can not see a point in a telly top gear race
Well your on the wrong page then
Why cant passangers be passangers and stop telling the driver how to drive. Why cant they just sit in a car be quiet and enjoy the run and not give their views of, your too close to that car, watch the curb, your driving too fast at forty in a 70 mile speed limit, there appears to be an angry driver behind us. What have you done to annoy him, there is a fast driver overtaking you, but you stick at forty in a 70 mile speed limit its safer and on and on and on.
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH
Need I say more.
Recently this happened to me with one of my passangers I was sorely tempted to boot them out, but grit my teeth… New challenge for topgear team, how long can they hold their cool with backseat drivers on long long, very long journys.
P.S I use to drive a proton and it was fabulus, and because I sang dolly parton songs I named the car, or my mates named the car Dolly Proton.
Sorry I will point out that I did drive the proton in my early twentees and at the time it was a good car.
I will shut up now.
Was TG shorter this week? What happened to the Stig bit,did the Beeb get the timing wrong (Yes I know men where batting a donkey’s bollock around some poncey club in SW19) and why do I never win any of the comps because no-one believes that my username/surname is my real name and not made up.
Oh ,,and hello for the first time.
my name is my real name as well..how weird, and yes man in white tights slaming rubber in fur at eachother on a field cocked my sunday TG up a bit..TV timer came on late, bits were cut..etc.. I’ll just have to catch it again on saturday…
and hello do you own the track ? in which case we can be friends..:D
Hello bushman….So there are at least 2 of us here then eh? I don’t own it but the family have strong links. I was born with Castrol R instead of blood. This is me: liskeardclassiccars.co.uk
It looks like an early Sierra.
Perfect car for the modern driver.
hi gays how r u. umm do u know Mat Ricardo if not, try and get him on the show. and see what car he has and how fast he gose round the track.
last year top gear said itt was’ too good but now?
dont like the look of it much. the back looks a bit mank.
personally i dont like to mutch of this car but is great to grab the wife and the kids, and riding on a porsche. never before porsche have buil a four doors car so it´s great for market..
grab your wife in bed.. leave the kids to michael jackson and be a man and buy a real car.
maserati quattroporte = worlds coolest car. get a black on black on black one and youll look like a member of the mafia. dark gucci shades essential!!!!!!
Porsche are the laziest company ever the only thing they have tried to change is adding 2 doors. They need to try harder!& I think there best car because they tried to change its looks is the Cayenne
just would like to say why is Richard starting to look like mini May ,with his hair.think he needs to have a hair cut.
Hi I am the long suffering wife of a top gear addict , who has spread this to my son much to my daughters disgust!!! one thing she does agree on is that jeremy IS her dad’s long lost brother !! mad on fast cars and is a drummer, not only does he have these thing’s in common he also looks like jeremy!!!!!!! Help. 6′5 in his white t shirt and scruffy jeans,curly hair, and just refuses to grow up, my empathy goes to mrs clarkson and children, because i can’t say it will change.
love the show really,
Karen Goulder
I HAVE JUST COME BACK FROM A TOUR OF INDIA
I CHALLEGE THE TEAM TO A RACE IN OLD INDIA,I DONT THINK YOU HAVE TRIED IT BEFORE< BUT I AM SURE YOU WILL FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE.
MRS JUNE HUGHES, TAWEL_FRYN BRYNTIRION ROAD.
BAGILLT nr, FLINT, NOTTH WALES
an avid top gear fan/lover/supporter! you boys never fail to entertain! my first car was morris minor, complete with moss growing round the gear stick! she died a sad death on bonfire in afield behind our house! followed by a white vw beetle who got me from cannes where i brought her for a bargain price of 50 french franks to rome and back again where i sold her complete with a do it yourself paint job for 250 franks! then i got a citeron dolly on my return to england! a couple of boring renault clios later- i am now looking to pick up a lovely short wheel base tdi landrover! so after a shocking car history that i’m sure is unforgivable to jeremy whos theory is more power!!!!!!!!! i still miss morriss!!!!!
thank-you or brightening up my sunday!
never stop!!!!!
much love to all three
In one of the previous series of TG shows, Clarkson gave a negative comment on the Panamera when he saw a TV pic. of it and said that “I don’t want to see this car again…ever”.
Now he brought the car to the studio…!!!!!
I don’t understand you Mr.Clarkson…Realy.
last nights top gear was the worst yet.what was the point of the utterly pointless 20 mins about a letter.what a waste of air time.get a grip
Hammonds hair is just like May’s hair now – what’s going on!!!!!
anybody know what make watch jezza was weraing last night?
71.. breitling…
Is it me or does the new porsche panamera look like the old rover SD1
The problem porsche have right now is that the rest the the world has caught up and in some cases surpassed their high standards of the past.horsepower wise m5 4 seats-500hp.rs6 4 seats-580hp xjr 4-seats 500hp.and so people will really need to be convince that its better than these and that the car is better value for money as well.i am afraid it just does not seem like it.i am sure derestricted the other 4 would hit 300 as well but realistically speaking in britain does not happen often.the badge is prestiges but the product you end up with is what matters most.
this has just brought negativaty around a prestigous sports car badge.take a lesson from ferrari.leave the four door stuff to your sister company.the same way the fiat company.maserati quattroporte’ was made in conjunction with ferrari as i was informed by j.clarkson ‘feels and drives like a ferrai’
cars are sometimes not all about looks or figures on paper.its about feeling.does it drive like a porsche.does it sound like a porsche.then i would say its a porsche.different but still a porsche.i just think people are scared of different.
porsches always look the same like the carrera gt, 911,911 turbo,cayman,and now the panamera. (just to name a few) it might not drive like a porsche but it looks like one.the only difference really is its got 4 doors.porsche just cant compete.you say carrera gt someone else says lamborghini murcielago.you say 911 someone else says ferrari enzo.there is a giant difference between german car makers and italian car makers.if someone offered you a boxster and then a diablo you would be absolutely mad to take the boxster.porsches just dont have the same passion as a ferrari or a lambo.
top 2 audi`s :R8,RS4. top 2 mercede`s :slr 500,clk 63 amg. top 2 bmw`s:m3,m5. top 2 porsche`s:carrera gt,911 turbo
Didn’t anyone notice when they were making it that it looked almost the same as the last one?
I’m glad that vw are taking over: they might actually be imaginative when the desighn the cars.
all porsches look the same (not all but most)
Hey guys! you’re missing the point completely! It’s a superb car without all the incovenients of the other super-cars. We don’t talk about handling and grip, how’s going to know, let’s be real here, no one real working guy, or rich enough to buy those kind of cars is ever going to feel the difference. It’s all about relaibility, a Masaerati, who’s going to do the maintenance only 5 or 7 workshops in Europe? can you use it on a everyday basis without really worry about crashing or parking scratches or… it’s a long list. Same for all the other cars, maybe one exception Audi RS6, incredible car, but will you pay that much for an Audi that looks the same than an 29.900€ A6 2.0TDI. People that buy this cars wants grip & 4WD & ESP should they need it, because you got too fast on a corner, cause YOU’RE NOT A PROFESSIONAL!!! You usually don’t need to go skiding with your child at the back! it all about medium age normal guys playing to be M.Shumacher but without risk.
car mad, answering your question… in this fiction world of yours… if they tell you, we’re gonna give it to you, but you’ll be doing 30.000km per year, you have to have it for 5 years, and you’ll pay for running costs and maintenance….
Will it be the Boxster or the Diablo?
Im sure it is a great car but it looks as pretty as someone from Chernobyl
i just got a turbo version had a cls63 before crashed it, cant argue about the looks especially back part but this car makes happy only those who drive it in my opinion.
I think the porse panmera is absolutly crap if you want a trill then just get the vauxhall vxr8 bathburst
i dunno i like it but i dont…does tht make sense?! its not on my cars to own befor you die list but owning one wouldnt embarrass me out of exsistence. and wtf is up with hammonds hair?!! It looked WAY better shorter lol
It’s a nice car, the Porshe Panamera. But I think that by making a four door ruins Porshe’s territory. A bit. Much prefer other German executive saloons though. Aston Martin Rapide looks better. Why is everybody talking about Hammond’s hair? It’s completely out of the question! Anyway, it does need doing. Is he to lazy to walk down to the barbers or cut it himself? Make sure somebody tells him and May.
May I have my Panamera in Basalt Black Metallic with Sand Beige Interior. Pirelli tires.
And I would like to have a Porsche special free car wash & polishing – as long as the warranty.
Yeah! A clean car! Ultra clean
Who’s going to wash it otherwise? Me? My maid?
My gardener cum bodyguard? The drive-thru-wash pound the corner next to McDonald’s?
Can’t even trust high street department car wash.
My only concern is who gonna clean it.
John Koistinen-Lindgren
http://www.carsanook.com
Bangkok
Well well , verdicts have varied on the Panamera , in the flesh it has an unbelievable presence , as a driver what a place to sit , yes its refined but hit sport plus and the launch control and adrenalin turns brown . As a package the Panamera is complete, Aston Rapide real alternative , twice the price and still has freelander electric window switches ! Most of the original comments are based on its looks , and thats its not a 911 …. no its not and thats not always a bad thing , quattroporte is gorgeous sounds fantastic but loves servicing bays under warranty and blue tak seems to be the choice of fixing , cls now dated and the audi looks too much like its siblings and cannot do the best of both worlds ….. ps my panamera comes on staurday morning and having seen the babe in the flesh ….
Yes, I know, some (not few, not you) people only understand horsepower as a measure of drool. That’s what gals do.
Some (not few) people who write those abominable vocabularies, understand power as follows:
W = kTR,
where
W – power;
T – torque;
R – revolutions count;
k – equalization coefficient.
That is, the true measure of the ‘pull’ is torque.
But!
With raising rpm, engine’s crankshaft becomes sensitively (for accurate measurement) twisted and transmits the power jolts from the blasting combustion mixture quicker and absorbs less of them. Hence the torque rise.
But!!
Besides that: at 2′400 rpm in a 4-cylinder engine, it’s 1′200 ignitions per minute, or 20 per second; at 7′200 in a 12-cylinder, it’s 180 per second. Feel the power surge.
There, boy!
As they say [far] outside the UK: grow up, lad, you might become a gang master!
Ho-hoh, pipl, how’s Oktoberfest?
Didn’t work?
Specially for you, the more than noticeable features of the eine deutsche Dumme:
- seriously believes that bigger is better
- prays at horse powers
- never can explain what Qualität is
- insists on everything German, getting surprised that English is of the same origin, as science established
- fiercely proves that Ford Focus is a curse on Vaterland
As Hamster will never pass for anything far from London, May and Clarkson could settle, I hope, in Braunschweig (that’s Brunswick), sooooooooo close to the House of Golf.
I thought I could a couple of thoughts on the ‘aerodynamic styling’, tee-hee.
I. It’s aerodynamic design, actually, or simply ’styling’.
II.
i) That hole in the front is actually an air intake, and there’s neither need nor technical opportunity to make it the whole width of the car.
ii) The rear wing, or rear spoiler, is for pressing the car down, for better tracking in the corners; it’s curious trying to use it for a picnic table.
iii) As to the general ‘aerodynamic wedge shape’ – it’s one of the funniest mistakes in the aerodynamics after the F1 ‘aerodynamic kit’.