Comments wanted: Your thoughts on the Porsche Panamera

September 30, 2009 at 11:55 pm(1) Mark Proulx says:

It’s homely, but if Porsche needs it to survive, it’s worth it.

October 1, 2009 at 12:03 am(2) bgreen says:

The first thing that comes to mind is that if Porsche can make a successful selling SUV, then it stands to reason that they would enter the sedan market with similar results.

Many I’ve spoken with have traded 911’s in for the powerful and smooth riding Cayanne SUV’s with no regrets. Sure, it’s a different animal, but a low to the ground aerodynamic 4 door sedan with some muscle might just take on the 911 and the Cayanne crowd in one fell swoop. Go Porsche….

October 1, 2009 at 3:16 am(3) DFI says:

This trend started by Fisker of taking a sports car and slapping on a couple extra doors and a usable back seat is a welcome one in my opinion. Take the new Aston Martin Rapide for instance. What a beautiful piece of work, all the flare and passion of a DB9 with function of a sedan. I only wish I could afford one!

While I think Porsche’s approach is somewhat less attractive than Aston’s or Fisker’s, I’m sure it will be successful in the end. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Porsche fans will find the Panamera quite nice, personally I think it’s a bit ugly but then again I feel the same way about the Cayanne. It’s way over priced and one of the ugliest SUVs on the road. But I suppose it doesn’t matter what the outside looks like to the one behind the wheel as long as the performance and comfort are present in spades.

Do I think it will sell? – Yes
Would I buy one if I had the money? – Nope

October 1, 2009 at 8:48 am(4) Agent Mike says:

I feel confident in Porshe’s engineering, So I am certain that this car will drive well. But… Don’t really care for the looks. Maybe just too condtioned to the 911 looks.
Would I buy one if financially capable ? No. I can think of many 4 door sedans that I think are much more appealing
Jag, BMW M series, just to name a few.

October 1, 2009 at 9:05 am(5) Matt B. says:

Probably a very nice car but fails in the looks dept. all other 4-door coupes on the market or coming to market are more attractive. I’m not crazy about the CLS but i think it beats the Panamera. the Rapide looks great and the upcoming Audi A7 will likely look much nicer. I still don’t see why any of these cars are necessary. A 4-door coupe = a 2-door Ford Explorer = El Camino/Subaru Baja. These are cars to fill gaps where no real gaps existed..

October 1, 2009 at 9:14 am(6) Tim says:

Welcome to Wisconsin, that car looks very nice. If you’re near Milwaukee, stay off of 894 anytime during the day.

October 1, 2009 at 9:43 am(7) Used Cars Guide says:

This is a much better looking car in person. I drove on at Pocono Raceway and came away very impressed. It’s way more car than any American will ever need, but it’s going to catch on big time. As much as I dislike most of the Porsche PR team, I’m glad to see Porsche with a winner like this that isn’t a Cayenne.

October 1, 2009 at 9:44 am(8) Matt says:

In my best Planktin voice: She sure is purty, Sheldon.

I agree it’s a great looking car and I’m sure it handles better than most 4 seaters.

However, I don’t think I could justify dropping that kind of coin to haul the little groms to soccer practice. Say, I’ll bet that sucker’s got 5-point harnesses in the back, right?

October 1, 2009 at 10:03 am(9) Classic Car Guide says:

I have to agree with some of the other comments regarding the cars looks. I wouldn’t be able to distinguish it from the new Jag XJ, BMW 5 Series or an Acura if all four were lined up side by side. And its price tag would have us look at a Jag first.

October 1, 2009 at 10:51 am(10) Steve in GA says:

At last! A Porsche for all of the older, class-action lawyers who made billions suing the drug and tobacco industries.

Actually, I think this car is kind of neat. Classy looking, but in a very Porsche kind of way.

Some car brands, e.g. Ferrari, are almost universally considered beautiful. Italian cars may not be the world�s most reliable, but almost all Ferraris look like rolling automotive art. But Porsche, on the other hand, travels a different road when it comes to styling.

Styling has always seemed like something of an afterthought at Porsche; first comes function, and then a body seems to be designed to fit around all those parts that make the car a comfortable runner and handler.

That may never appeal to some, but others see Porsche as a manufacturer who believes form should follow function. A Porsche, including the Panamera, can be considered beautiful in the same way that a well-designed knife or lamp or doorknob can be beautiful: it does its job gracefully, and in an efficient manner.

October 1, 2009 at 11:15 am(11) Jeff Glucker says:

I love it…

I think it is clearly a Porsche that we are looking it.

The performance numbers sound fantastic.

This car will sell in greater numbers than the 911, and help Porsche build more great cars.

October 1, 2009 at 11:22 am(12) Bob says:

Nice Buick

October 1, 2009 at 11:30 am(13) John says:

Whereabouts were you driving Aaron? I live in WI and actually saw two Panameras this morning – surely they must be related to the event you are at?

October 1, 2009 at 11:41 am(14) Nick says:

I would have preferred a Porsche sedan to be lighter and smaller. Something more like 3,500 lbs – about the size of the CTS and 5-series. Porsche could still charge a healthy premium over those cars. Starting price in the upper $50K range. And the base engine should be the flat six from the base 911/Boxster S/Cayman S.

October 1, 2009 at 12:03 pm(15) Jay says:

You certainly wouldn’t mistake this car for anything other than a Porsche. The looks might grow on people who think it’s ugly, but I think to truly love it people will have to drive it and get a taste of that legendary Porsche performance before it really comes across as a car they would own.

October 1, 2009 at 1:08 pm(16) Jacques says:

Several manufacturers are discovering that there is a market for a $100K-$150K sports car with 4 doors and 4 usable seats. I am not sure if the market is large enough for all (BMW, MB, Audi, Maserati, Bentley, etc.) and the timing is really bad as most of those people don’t want to be seen in a non-eco-conscious car. The Maserati Quattroporte found an audience but it is very narrow. It is possible that Porsche’s reliability and everyday driveability image will broaden it. If it does not catch on fast, then it will go the way of the great but ill-timed 928 introduced just as the 2nd oil shock hit in 1979. I guess what I am saying is that it may not matter how well it drives in that market segment.