I'm happy to oblige.
I've had the Panamera for around 3 months now, and have completed just under 3,000 miles. It's unlike any car I've ever owned before, and its Jekyll and Hyde character is very engaging.
The first thing to say is that it is beautifully put together. That's normal for Porsche, but the interior quality is a definitely a notch up on the norm. It is a lovely place to be, and even London rush hour traffic can't negate its calming effect!
Having come from a string of large BMWs, latterly an Alpina B5, I have found the quantity of buttons a challenge to get used to, but overall I much prefer single action buttons to the over complex i-Drive system.
Staying with the interior, I chose to specify the Burmester high end hi-fi. What a great option "" the sound quality is outstanding. You can tell particularly by how clearly and crisply the treble comes through; for me always the mark of great hi-fi. The car is very quiet even at motorway speeds, with tyre and engine noise well suppressed, so your favourite tunes can be heard at their best.
But to return to its split personality. In Comfort mode, it really does ride very softly indeed. You might even say it wallows over high speed bumps. The ride is unusual; coming from steel sprung cars, the air suspension feels just a little odd, with the occasional transverse ridge setting up a diagonal rocking movement (not large, but noticeable). Nevertheless I like it "" it is soothing and comfortable, not doubt aided by the very long wheelbase.
With the dampers turned to Sport the slight wallowing disappears, but the car still rides very well. In this regard, it is quite unlike the Sport mode on, say, a 911, which is usually rock hard! That is reserved for Sport Plus "" in this mode, the suspension is much more tightly controlled and in this mode the car is simply amazing "" whilst still riding acceptably. A combination of accurate steering, no body roll (thanks to PDCC), taut damping and biblical traction means the car can be hustled down a B-road at high speed with nary any drama. No other big saloon car I've driven comes close to the Panamera on a B-road blast. It puts a smile on my face every time.
The PDK gearbox is a mixed blessing. It is, for the most part, very smooth, but occasionally in town it does fumble a bit. But it is far better than the single clutch automated manuals. On the move, the speed of shift is, as expected, impressive, and the downshifts well rev-matched, although I am disappointed that in Sport Plus mode the gearbox does not "over blip" with the associated tuneful flare of engine revs (as the M3 DCT "˜box does). The thing I like least is the sense that of the clutch slipping as you pull away. Nothing is untoward; I just have a pathological dislike of slipping clutches more than needed (usually with a manual car I get the car rolling by just gently engaging the clutch and then squeezing on some gas "" CGT style). So I tend to be very gentle on the throttle, to avoid too much torque being transmitted from rest, and then once the car is rolling squeeze the gas more firmly.
Brakes are huge and exceptional. As ever, Porsche manage to make a ceramic system that has feel and is not over-servoed. I drove one of the Silverstone Driving Experience Turbos around the outer handling circuit for 30 minutes without stopping. The brakes, needless to say, never once faded.
The engine deserves special mention. It's wonderfully smooth and quiet (even with the sports exhaust, the note is pleasantly muted but with a nice growl), but it has exceptional torque. In Comfort mode, the "˜box has shifted to 5th by 30mph, and then 7th by 50mph. 7th is an inter-galactic gear "" by my estimation it is geared for 280mph plus! The advantage is low fuel consumption "" more than 20mpg on my 25 mile London commute, which I think is sensational. Use Sport mode, however, and the consumption drops to 14mpg on the same journey! Finally, I love the way the engine revs out properly "" there is no sense of breathlessness at the top end; in fact, the last 2,000rpm are frankly ballistic. It's not as tarmac rippling as a 997 GT2 (which always feels like it is going to tear up the road), but it is not far short.
Finally, I have to mention the looks. In the flesh, as is so often the case with an unusual design, I have grown to really admire many of the lines of the car. The front quarter view is lovely, and the side profile also handsome to my mind. It can't hide its big rear, but overall I like the fact it is distinctive and imposing. The car gets a lot of attention in London and most glances appear to be admiring (or perhaps I being optimistic!).
So after 3,000 miles I'm very much falling for the car "" in a very Teutonic fashion, you understand!
Cheers
I attach a few pictures below:
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