Just as Matt Farah did recently, /DRIVE’s Mike Musto got behind the wheel of an (until a few years ago) unusual Porsche – the four-door Panamera GTS. Whereas Farah knocked the Cayenne Diesel for its poor value and preferred two of its competitors, Musto was perfectly content with the Stuttgart company’s humpback human hauler. As he puts things, “The Panamera is a rare car, in that it does everything so, so well that it’s hard to find fault with it.”
For instance, Musto says the interior layout is so intuitive that he never has to search for a window or climate control switch. He must have a sixth sense. Have you seen how many buttons are in there?! (Go to 0:36 in the video to see for yourself.) The lucky /DRIVE reviewer also lauds Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission for not needing to hunt any of its seven gears. As Musto charges past scrub land, you get to hear what he calls “some of the best sounds in all of motoring”: a throaty, roaring symphony of 440 horses conducted by a 4.8-liter V8. Nice!
Even though Musto says a loaded Panamera GTS, with options such as a $7,000 Burmester audio system and $2,900 adaptive cruise control, can dip its toe in $150,000 waters, he doesn’t let that stop his love fest. He finds the car addicting. Its high limits, grip and balance team up to inspire confidence – and Musto’s desire to put down the coin on this super saloon.
The aesthetically odd duck of Musto’s affection garners an 85 percent, “Must have” rating. He says the Panamera GTS will put a smile on your face. But his statement that the way the front-engined, V8 four-door drives makes it a “back-to-basics Porsche” is sure to leave you scratching your head.
Do you agree? Can such an anomaly really blend in with multiple generations of rear-engined two-doors in a family photo?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
