Just test drove the Panamera S. I am looking for a replacement for my E60 M5 (going out of warranty in Dec).

In terms of price point, the M5 is closest to the Pan S. I assumed I would need to get the Pan Turbo to avoid a feeling of "downgrading," but thought I would drive the Pan S first, just in case.

Some quick thoughts:

Looks: Better in person. Not bad, IMHO. My wife said it is was uglier than the M5 (which is no beauty).

Power: some low-end grunt, but not peppy at all at speed. Def need to go for the turbo.

Steering: numb. More like SUV than a sport sedan

Fun factor: handles well in the bends, but the throttle response is SUPER mushy, even in sport plus mode. With engine revving around 5K, it is still sluggish to respond to throttle input. Sales person said Sports Chrono option would fix. Maybe.

PDK: much smoother than SMG in M5, but not nearly as crisp as dual clutch in Nissan GTR. I have not driven other PDK Porsches, so I hope this is not representative of the technology in general.

Conclusion: for E60 V10 M5 drivers, stay away from Pan S-- you'll feel like you stepped down to 550i. Maybe the Turbo will solve some of the above, but we'll pay dearly for it. I assume after the turbos gather some dust on the lot, they will allow test drives. I'll reserve final judgment until then.

-Chris

 

M5: 507 BHP
PanaS: 400 BHP

that comparison makes much more sense with the Panamera TT, like the test here:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60...aguar-xfr.html

results:

1. Panamera Turbo
2. RS6
3. new E63 AMG
4. XFR
5. M5


-> TT = different gravy