Yeah it's apples and oranges...
That said a Porsche is a Porsche.

I was born and raised in Europe and if you would give someone there this choice it will (almost) always be Porsche.
BMW is VERY common and something people get on their way up to the P. badge.

Don't get me wrong BMW has some very good looking rides and have slowly closed the gap with models such as the 6, 7 and M's.
However as a brand I'd say Porsche is still the one all others are compared to.

Let me surmise it like this, BMW drivers are individuals whom are definitely going places.
Porsche drivers... have already arrived
Porsche... there is no substitute

 

+1. The comparison is on two different types of vehicles just like others had mentioned b4. The comparison should be focus in one category, for instant, Cayenne and the X6. However, I doubt that you will find the desire response to your answer since different forums have their preference, so the answers will be more than likely to be one sided. Since the head turner element is important for you than I believe Porsche will be much more suitable for you. Panny with the options of sports design package and sports wheels are definitely a head turner, I am still wondering how can a BMW be more of a head turner than porsche

 

2 cars so different. OP you mentioned that the badges cancel each other out but IMHO having owned P and M cars; the prestige factor definitely goes to Porsche. X6 is cool but it's no Panamera

 

Appreciate the comments. I think I wasn't clear in expressing what I am exactly looking for here so allow me to try again:

-I want a car with decent torque for city driving. Handling is a plus but not paramount in the grand scheme of things.

-I stress on comfort and interior design as I will be looking out from inside the car most of the time.

-Both offroad and track performances do not mean much to me as I have stated its purely for daily driving. It can be either a SUV, a sports car or anything as long as it has four doors and fits four.

-Prestige should be a factor but I do not want too much unwarranted attention either. I am planning to get a Gallardo for that purpose. So for my daily commute vehicle, I want something a little unique and respected, not necessarily too flashy.

-And oh if this matters, I am 22. If I was older i'd have looked into neither of the two but rather a s550 or 750 active hybrid.

*Just want to comment on something that I have seen repeated in many of the replies. The general belief here is that Porsche > BMW and that Porsche vehicles are much more prestigious and appealing to the general masses. Both of which I do not agree with.

First of all, I do not necessarily believe Porsche is at a high tier compared to BMW. Rather, I believe BMW appeals to a more wide range of people (similar to Mercedes). I think there is a BMW competing with a Porsche in very category. For example: Boxster vs Z4, Cayman vs M3, Cayenne vs X6, 7 v Panamera, Carrera vs M6. True, cars like 328 and 128 cheapen the BMW brand but to me that just shows BMW caters to more people rather than that Porsche is more prestigious. That is why when I went to test drive the Panamera, i was greatly turned off by what the salesman said. He boasted "congratulations on moving up" when he asked me what car i am currently driving and i wanted to reply with "my m6 at 114K is more expensive than the 109K 4s i am testing here. i think i am moving down." of course i didn't end up saying that out loud.....

another thing i don't agree with is this "how can a BMW be more of a head turner than porsche" i actually think porsche are very understated vehicles with tremendous handling and a very rich sporting history. these things appeal to the true enthusiasts but most people on the streets do not have a clue about porsche. they might have heard of the brand but i don't think they understand the difference between a base model, a s and a turbo. To be honest, none of the porsche cars (besides the carrera gt) look like an exotic from the outside. i remember parking next to a r8 and a 997 s before in my m6.....no one cared for the porsche and barely anyone looked at my car. all of the attention were directed at the audi.....and no one said "how can an audi be more of a head turner than bmw and porsche"

 

Per your chart: note that if you get the Sport-Chrono Package, the 0-60 is slightly faster than the BMW, rather than slightly slower.

A very relevant item for a daily driver is comfort. I haven't sat in the X6M, but I find the elbow room on BMWs in general, including both our 3-series and oddly even more so the new 5-series, to be very limiting. That may be particularly an issue for me as I am 6'1", 195 lbs, and have a 42" chest, but I hate having my left elbow pressed in by the door when cruising down the freeway. The Panamera has a lot of elbow room -- you can even see it in the big gap between the door and seat -- and I really like that.

Chip

 

The point is not depicting the incomparable exterior of the Porsches toward other brands but rather in comparison with the BMWs. Of course we can name out various brands that tops the attention getter in the public, but the comparison you have stated is within these two brands. BMW manufactures their vehicles for the segment in the market who searches for the practicality of the vehicles, so they are much more common in the public; less flashy and sporty enough to satisfy people's requirement. However, Porsche has a racing heritage who destined to build vehicles that meet the requirement and the prices are much more exclusive. The purpose of these two brands are different. In other countries, the pricing difference between the two is much more drastic which makes the Porsches even more exclusive.The society's perspective toward Porsche is a sports car with extraordinary performance and BMW as a luxury car with good performance. This is the perceived mind of the society and will influence the people's reaction. I also previously owned BMWs before coming to Porsche and many here do so too; I still loving them. Through observation and experience from real life, I can definitely tell the difference in the amount of head turning.

 

OK the cats out of the bag... we've got ourselves another 22 year old BMW owner coming onto a Porsche forum putting us in our place.
Because you sure aren't asking for opinions, I'm happy you clarified that.

"Most people don't have a clue about Porsche and don't care because it's not an exotic"... you have no idea how infantile that sounds do you.

I'm willing to bet you've never actually owned a Porsche...
Yup stick with BMW or better yet get a VW, you and "most people" (according to you) probably think that's an understated Porsche

Oooh there goes a a Ferrari, if ya hurry you can cut off a whole lot of cars and show him your tail pipes... yes, yes it's an M!

 

Ditto.

I am also fascinated by the amount of focus which some people put on their car as an attention getter or head turner over its virtues as a driving machine... We all like driving a nice car, but at times this "look at me" stuff seems a bit silly to me.

 

Pun, get the BMW - I think it will fit you perfectly.

 

You need to get off your high horse, bro. I am not your entry level BMW guy jealous of you driving a Porsche and I am not here to put anyone at any place. I wanted genuine opinion from Porsche owners on why I should go with a particular Porsche vehicle.

I appreciate suggestions from fellow board members such as calexand or intellectual discussions with andylh335 but i am not here to get into a flame war with someone who got butthurt because i don't think porsche is the almighty car maker.

go back and read what i have said again because you are twisting my words here. i truly do believe the vast majority of the public are not very familiar with specific trims and models of the porsche brand. and no, sorry but porsche is not an exotic in my eyes and neither do the people i am acquainted with think they are exotics.

so i assume u don't agree with this statement then: porsche's target audience is successful men who want a true sports car that is also somewhat lowkey.

what are you doing in a porsche then? spend ur 100k on a 02 murcielago or something....

 

This should not be a flame war, but your comments and reasoning do seem a bit suspicious....

So you are going to get a Gallardo to impress others, but the Porsche and BMWs are just the daily drivers, even though you have discussed their prestige and appearance to a great extent in this thread?

Sure, some people do take this approach, and own multiple fine cars, but I am betting that you are just dreaming...

 

Your second point seems to be the most salient ... you don't car so much about driving characteristics because it's just a daily commuter, but you do care about the interior and technical features. You can compare looks, prestige, flashiness or the other criteria all you want and there will be multiple opinions, but to me there is no argument over which is the better interior. The Porsche blows away the bland BMW. Blows away ALL BMWs. Great cars, bland interiors. The features and functionality of the Porsche are light years ahead of the BMW, in every aspect, from the touch points, button quality, interior material quality and electronics.

But, having said that, if you don't care about turning heads and driving hard, why not just get an S-Class? Or a new A8? Both are light years ahead of the BMW in creature comforts and technology and both will get you where you want to go without turning a single head (and I don't mean that in a bad way ... I like both cars and they both serve their intended purpose extremely well). BMW makes some great driving cars, but none are as exciting to SIT IN than an Audi or P-car.

You asked for opinions. None of this is a personal attack.

 

Are you sure Porsche's electronics is light years ahead of BMW's? Last time I checked, the Porsche PCM is unable to display album art from an iPod, but BMW has been able to do this for several years.

 

just because its a daily driver doesn't mean i have to settle for a kia. however i believe much of my discussion revolving around prestige is instigated by the notion that porsche > all mentality I seem to be getting from several members here. please do understand that i respect porsche. in fact, i am considering getting one myself. but its this egoism that i can't take.....

i don't have the gallardo yet so you can call bs on me if you want. but here is a pic of my m6 which i have owned since 19:



i agree with this if you are comparing BMW to porsche as a whole. porsche does indeed have the better overall interior. however this is not the case here. i think its a rather unfair comparison but the first panamera i test drove did not come with full leather. as a result, the material seemed a little cheap compared to the full merino, alcantara headliner and real carbon fiber trim of the m6 (the x6 m comes with the same leather, headliner and piano black wood) while i am aware you can get the same if not better interior on the porsche, its going to cost me an arm and a leg. the 4s i optioned came out to be 109k and i am comfortable with that. i am not sure if i want to spend 120k on a daily driver though....

i think u didn't catch what i have mentioned earlier. but anyways the reason is that the s550 is a little too old for me. while i love the car for what it is, i am still in my early twenties afterall. the car i really wanted to get was a quattroporte because it had everything i wanted....comfortable ride, italian tailored interior, prestige and decent speed and handling for daily driving. however its an outgoing model this year and i don't want to lose 30k the moment i drive out of the dealership. i think i am caught at a rather awkward position as i don't have many options here when it comes to 100K+ four door cars. if i wait a year i can choose from the bmw gran coupe, the m5, the new maserati, etc.....but the problem is that i need a car now...

 

Pun, you are in your early 20's, drive an m6, and you are shopping for a X6M or Panamera, and waiting to get the Gallardo next....?


Hmmm.