To the OP:

I just got a GTS and am in your neck of the woods.

We went with the 20 in wheels with all seasons.

As for options, we went with:
Leather interior
14 way seats
heating steering wheel
panoramic roof
Roof rails in black
Sunshades
Entry and Drive
Black high gloss interior (no cost)
PCM with Nav
Park assist with camera
LCA
Bose
Compass
Sirius/HD radio
auto dim mirrors

I would skip the hotspot - very expensive and you can do better with a mobile hotspot.

The only thing I have wondered about is the rear climate control. So far not an issue.

We really wanted Entry and Drive - all of our other cars have it and it was a must have for my wife.

She also thought that the 14 way seats were more comfortable than the 18 way seats and easier to get in and out because the bolsters are not as large.

 

Just put a deposit down on a CD that's due into the dealership early next week. I ended up going with that over the GTS for a few reasons. First because I have a feeling that my wife will take ownership of this very shortly and second, because the diesel at 75k vs. the gts at 100k+ affords me to both buy a Cayenne AND ship my BMW M3 out to get prepped for the track (and buy a tow trailer) all for less than the GTS all-in.

The CD is:

Entry & Drive
Trailer Hitch
Heated Steering Wheel
Panorama roof
black rails
front cooled seats
park assist with camera + LCA
14-way memory seats
comfort lighting
20" spider wheels (if I recall)
All-season tires
(maybe more that I forgot)

I'm excited. Between the fuel economy and the style of the car it'll be great. The kids will start driving in about 5 years so we'll probably keep this until they get their licenses and then trade it in.

I wanted Adaptive Cruise Control but was willing to overlook it since my wife will be taking the key from me and probably never letting me drive again

I have a question about the Enter and Drive:

Can it be turned on & off?? We had a LR3 previously with a similar situation to this and there was a workaround but it was a bit strange. They learned that if you lock the car and then wrap the key in tin foil (so you can hid it in a trailer hitch receiver box or under a wheel) then the car would lock and you could keep the key hidden in/around the car. (think going to the beach, surfing, sailing, etc.)

Is that a solution for the CD?

Thanks

 

Congrats! We had to wait about 2 months to get ours.

I don't know about the workaround for Entry and Drive as we haven't tried to do this.

This is my wife's car as well.

I also have a E92 M3 - it stays inside in the winter.

 

Congrats and welcome to the club

Someone with it should chime in, but I believe you simply remove the dummy "key" from the ignition and that disables it. There might be a button to disable instead though.

 

Thanks!! I'm excited. This is the very first non-BMW (other than the Suburban) we've ever owned and our first Porsche!

This is going to be my wife's car as well (she doesn't know it yet) both because she loves it and because my E36 M3 is about to be turned into a Spec E36 track car and I'll be needing to remind her how lovely her new car is every time she sees another check written for the race car.

I think we just got lucky that there was one available at the right place/time. Not that it was an emergency or anything but of all things to happen - the exhaust manifold (yes, manifold) cracked on my M5!! so we needed something faster than we initially planned.

 

No price increase from Gen1 to Gen2, figures are approximate:
*£280 for the box,
*£10 for transatlantic shipping.
*Then subtract 20% VAT from the total, because we don't have to pay the British tax on either.
*Then divide that figure by the current dollar/pound exchange rate. I think mine was in the neighborhood of $275 delivered. But the way Obama has devalued the dollar, it's quite likely gnat's figure of $350 is more current.

Gen2 has five pin jumper options that pretty much make a straight line between economy (pins 1) and performance (pins 5). They are designated as jumper positions A through E. Once a jumper position is selected, you then move on to the adjacent 10 stop rotary switch. Stop 0 represents bypass (or off), and is only used if/when you want to return to the OE ECU map. Stops 1-9 determine the amount of power delivered by jumper setting. With 50 some setting combinations, you are given great latitude to set the box to deliver what you want; economy, performance, or somewhere in between.

It's truly plug and play, delivered with the correct Porsche male and female multi-pin connectors; one set for the fuel pressure fitting on the common rail, the other for the turbo boost sensor fitting. Don't know fuel pressure figures, that's over my head. But I do know that jumper settings A and B use factory turbo boost untouched. Pins C/D/E add up to 3 psi additional turbo boost as determined by driver input (right foot).

The website site states that the 314/696 numbers are in the as-delivered (default) settings: C5 I believe, perhaps C7 - don't remember anymore. But I can tell you that I've set my box for E8, and it's a hoot. Terrific acceleration; 0-60 likely close to six seconds. As far as economy, the EPA says this car is rated to deliver a combined 23 mpg. I'm here to tellya that I'm averaging closer to 31. I've already seen as high as 37.8 after 100 or so miles of mixed driving; in town 35/rural 60/freeway 75.

But it's a big heavy vehicle, takes a lot of fuel to get it rolling - and to fight headwinds. Best economy is in 8th gear (obviously) with cruise control engaged. Too much unnecessary accelerating when the right foot is in charge, which is why the Bluespark box works best with CC engaged as frequently and as long as possible.

//greg//

 

It's our first Porsche as well. We're living parallel lives as our BMW 550xi is going to become a M5 when the lease is up at the end of the year.

 

Congrats !!! Glad you got the ventilated seats- they work. Had them in my SL500 and they didn't do anything. And the heated wheel is wonderful too

 

I hate to say this and the propeller gods are probably going to send me to a hell where people only drive Kia's someday but I'm considering a Quattroporte with a Tesla coming in as a close second... All over a new M5 or even over a B7...

Somewhat having a first midlife crisis. The kids are 10 & 11 so I look at this as my last chance to have nice things before they start to drive and the wife and I would be better off having vehicles a little more reasonable for a 16yo to borrow from time to time.

Is the Cayenne ownership experience anything like a real P-car ownership experience?

 

That depends on a lot of things, but generally yes the DNA is there if you choose to exercise it.

It's no 911, but it's not uncomfortable being thrown around a good back road or track. It doesn't have the raw and connected feel of the sports cars, but you are still well connected to what is going on.

 

congrats! you guys should love it.
as for the seat discussion, my wife and like the 18 way seats, but I can see where they are not for everyone, and I actually think the bolsters will be showing wear much faster than the lower bolstered seats.

 

is there a big difference in terms of bolsters between the 14 way and 18 way?

 

The 18-way bolsters are quite a bit higher which when you said and then you realize that they would certainly hold you in tighter during spirited driving. On the other hand, your leg certainly does slide over the top of the left-hand bolster and it is very pronounced as you enter and exit the vehicle. It certainly does seem as though it would be a future where item.

My wife and I are fairly small framed. I can see someone my size fitting into the 18 way seats easily but if I were a broad-shouldered, 6'3" and 250 pounds I doubt the 18 way seats would be as comfortable.

 

You made the right choice with the Diesel.

I had the GTS and it wasn't comfortable at all because of the lowered suspension and different rebound rate set up for maximum handling performance. Got rid of it for a Turbo. The ride difference is night and day especially anything over 40miles round trip.

That was the same decision that kept me from going Panamera GTS and got the 4S instead.

 

Interesting. I didn't drive a Turbo, only a GTS and the Diesel. I would have figured the Turbo to be more harsh than the GTS.

I don't exactly know what to do with myself right now. Over the last 72 hours this went from my vehicle to my wife making it clear I'm going to need permission to drive HER car

I'm a die-hard BMW guy with an e39 M5 (we bought new) as my daily driver but I was considering a Tesla or a Quattroporte (and an Alpina B7 as a third choice) but now I'm wondering about the Panamera...

I should have been a closed-minded jerk and told my wife to get an X5 or take the bus!