Love to hear some real-life impressions after some time of ownership.

Thanks.

 

Ask me at the end of February.

 

Really? Nobody? I guess the turbo's are not selling that well. First week of a new 911 turbo launch and we would already see forum members posting their pics.

 

New 911 Turbos sell to a different market profile than do Panameras. Two door hot rods generally sell to a different demographic than high end four doors. The two Panamera launch Turbos that my dealer received sold immediately to some folks that just don't post on internet sites. But, the Turbos are definitely sold, nonetheless.

Check around the web and you can find the October sales results for Porsche Cars NA and see that Panamera Turbos are selling quite well.

I decided to order a Panamera Turbo to exactly my own specifications and not settle for one of the two PCNA launch configurations. So, I have to wait for a January build slot.

Maybe 911 Turbo customers aren't as picky when it comes to color and equipment decisions.

 

You may be right. Maybe the typical PT buyers are not the typical "enthusiast" forum type. So does that mean there is a smaller percentage of them being enthusiast compared to the those that buy 911 turbos? They are around the same price. If I bought one, I would certainly post it. I guess its the same with the S63/S65 forum. Very few people post there compared to other AMG cars.

 

I would like to hear some reviews from an owner of this car. looks like it blows any other 4door away.

 

I would also only a custom built one, the ones I'm seeing at dealers do not have the options I would want. Custom built the total comes near to $200K though.

 

$200K? I got to $160K fairly easily, but I'm not sure I could find another $40K to throw in there. Did you check the chauffeur option?

A

 

That's prue speculation, and I think, untrue. As I write this, there are 18 viewers in the Cayenne and 6 here. I don't see the cars owners as any different from Pan owners. Neither are track boys.

I still think the outstanding question of Turbo purchases is valid. I still don't see a single person posting their experiences of the Turbo, and I refuse to believe that owners of a brand loyal car, many of whom posted here with other Porsche cars, all of a sudden stop posting.

Your alternative that these dumb, non car enthusiasts, not posting, doesn't hold water. I believe people spending $160 + large have to be excited, and want to share that excitement.

Want to bet all these people who supposedly have cars on order start posting in the future?

 

A friend of mine bought a launch PT in West Palm after he and his wife took a test drive two weeks ago. He is retired and really not a gear head, but they both love the car.

 

I purely speculate that you are absolutely correct.

The interesting question is: "Share that excitement with whom?"

Only this board? Some other board? Their friends at the club? Call-in talk shows?

 

I detect some pure speculation. Who said that the two Panamera Turbo customers my dealer sold to are dumb or not car enthusiasts? I know them both, and they're far from dumb and both have extensive, very nice car collections.

I said they don't post on internet chat boards. Not even this one. I guess (speculate?) that they don't feel like it.

 

I have one. Flew from Vegas to San Jose to get it and then drove it home yesterday. After the first 36 hours I have several impressions of the car. In short--it is awesome.

I had a modded M5 for the past 3 years and decided to move over to the Panamera. I will do a write up and some vids for you all when time allows.

A few points
-the car has serious road presence and commands attention - most have never heard of the car and the rest havent seen it in person. I got a lot of looks and several people taking pics. Not one person i talked to had anything negative to say about the looks. They all loved and thought it was the best car on the road. It would be nice to start to read something other than it is ugly on the chat boards.

-The nav-entertainment system is steps above anything i have seen. yes there are a lot of buttons but i can tell you that is better than hunting through an I-Drive menu. The features can be accessed though the buttons, touch screen or if you are focused on the road there is a color screen in the guage pod. That screen is controlled by a thumb wheel on the steering wheel and is very cool.

-Drive train- it is a torque monster and launches through the first three gears with no tire slippage. It is fun to blast around in sport plus and hear the turbos and blow off valves (albeit quietly). The car feels much quicker off the line than my M5 but not quiet as bold over 130. I took the car to 1.5 mph and she felt steady as a rock, much more so than any other car i have driven, the aeros work. I ran the car through a few familiar roads and it felt very agile and the sport plus allows for some slippage without being intrusive. the car is larger and heavier than what I am used to and the air suspension was not something i was excited about but it handles very well and rips out of turns.

-Brakes-hummm...well my car is equipped with the carbon ceramics so lets just say they work very very well. Whether they are needed in the car may be another question.

Happy to try and answer specific questions.

My car is a turbo with PCCB PDCC chrono and a few other options.

 

This is the car

http://www.stevenscreekporsche.com/s...?src=eBizAutos

and here is the thread on M5board

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60...a-turbo-4.html

 

Drove it at the track event. No doubt it is the highest performing 4-door in the world, but at $150K+ for a properly configured one, I don't see many people buying it. You can find a lot more people willing to put that money down on a 911 turbo, GT3RS, etc. They would even do it on a SL63, SL65, etc. But to put that on a 4 door that does not offer the full useability of a full size sedan like an S-class or a 7 series is a harder sell to most people. I for one bought a 2009 750Li sport because I wanted a full size luxury sedan that can hold five in comfort, yet be fun to drive around town. The priority in this purchase for me was luxury and comfort, with performance a nice addition. I would never take it to the track or carve canyons with it. Same would apply to the PT target buyers who probably have a few sports car to do the canyon and track stuff anyway if they can afford a PT. To a small segment of the buyers, money is no object and they can have 10 cars or more, so why not a PT? But for most people where space and funds are finite, they have to think about how to fill up their $300K to $500K garage, and the PT may not be a good fit in that equation for most of them.

Great car, just a very narrow audience in my opinion.