Not sure how everybody missed this but there is only one place to go after a PTT. Aston Rapide. Its not as fast but its much more beautiful and is more fun to drive to me.

The steering will absolutely blow you away. It is isolated yet very sporty. When you hit bumps the wheel is unaffected with bumpsteer etc. Perfectly weighted. And the suspension! It glides like an S class in lux and then you hit sport and it firms up like a DB9. It actually drives like a DB9. They have deeply depreciated so not much more to loose. V12, backseat for double dating or parent duty - what more can you ask?

Best of all, its absolutely timeless and rare to boot. That car will look good forever. I almost got one before I picked up a Huracan. Will prob trade my Bluetec for one.

 

There is no debate that aston is beautiful car and drives well. However, from a practically point of view it lacks traction, utility and dealer network.

 

The title mentioned "move up" from Panamera. Move up and "practical" doesn't co-exist. Ferrari FF - less space and way more $ - even used. Bentley too much $ etc. All the other options listed are moving DOWN.

Now if the OP just said "move" then the options listed are relevant. To be specific the move up from PTT is a list like 3 long. FF, Rapide, Bentley. Lateral is only 1- S63. Move DOWN would introduce several including 7 series, M5 & M6 Grancoupe, E/CLS63 etc. At $100k Rapide represents the closest to PTT in terms of sophistication, original MSRP, beauty, fun etc. If there is a dealer anywhere near OP that makes it even sweeter.

Btw, lets not forget we are discussing 500hp sedans that we all drive just cause we wanna - but there are much more practical methods than all the above ;-)

 

A Bentley flying spur can be leased in 1500/month with some negotiation. a pan turbo lease will be in in the 1800-2k range.

 

I am in the same boat. 2010 PTT that when it Not in the shop i absolutely love. But the warranty is up in 3 months, and i am tired of driving the audi loaners every 3 months.
Drove the RS7, e63 etc - i just don't get the same feel as the Panny. Not sure about the Aston - it is a pretty car but i don't have any dealers near me.

 

According to OP's priorities Flying Spur is not sporty/fun enough. If he can spring for a large coupe maybe the Continental could get closer to PTT type engagement.

 

That's what I am looking at myself as a step up, but I'm perfectly happy with the Panamera for now. I'd also want to check out the Aston Martins, but that's about all I can think of that would be a luxury/sport step up.

 

Another suggesting is invest in a tasteful bodykit, color wrap, set of new wheels and some performance mods, that will spice up your relationship with her again.

 

I have both a 2013 Panamera GTS and a Renntech tuned 2015 E63 S. I test drove the Panny Turbo and preferred the GTS. Much Better sound and more fun to drive with instantaneous throttle response.

The E63 S crushes the Panny in terms of both sound and power. That includes the Turbo and Turbo S which I have driven. When tuned it is an F12 killing freight train with approx 700 bhp. And unlike the Panny which has horrid rear visibility that E63 S has awesome read visibility and is a joy to parking. I find backing up in the Panny to be a stressful experience as the visibility is so bad.

But in every other area the E63 S is a major step down from the Panny. The handling is way loose compared to the Panny. The E63 S has much more body roll in turns and definitely feels loose over 100 mph. The E63 S's steering feels quite vague at high speed. By contrast the Panny feels absolutely planted at speed with tight steering. Itnisna as very little body roll on turns.

Also the fit and finish of a Panny and luxury feeling of the interior is world's above the E63 S. The E63 S has excellent leather and wood if you get the designo stuff but the rest of the interior feels cheap and straight out of the E350. Buttons and switches are cheap plastic. The Panny's interior is well, just like a bigger 911. It is a wonderful place to be. Looks and feels expensive and very sporty.

Also the Panny's driver seat and seating positions is super comfortable. I find the E63 S's seat go bs just ok and be seating position does not hold a candle to the Panny.

Exterior looks wise I love the Panny's front end which evokes a bigger 911 but hat the rear end which looks like a big bubble. I am hoping Porsche improves the look. Of course the bubble like rear end has tons of cargo room. The E63 looks like a slightly nicer E63 S. Nice but fairly plain jane. The CLS63 is much better looking but those looks slice rear seat room a lot. The Panny's rear seats are a very nice place in which to spend time

 

I recently went through something similar and ended up in a 2015 911 GTS. Love it. It is less practical than the PTT I had, but its even more fun and even more polished. I still do the school run with my 2 kids. Just with a bit less space but we're all happy.

Good luck!

 

I had the S63 and you want to see a car depreciate get a MB.
I have the PTT now and it's a blast, the most reliable car you can drive everyday. Like they say, a 911 in the front, limo in the back. YouTube video and you'll see the PTT is everyone's choice when going up against other cars.
I do have to mention that I did drive the Tesla P85DX, and that was amazing. The car is loaded w/ technology and OTA updates that you get. The 0-60 will blow you away but top speed isn't there.
It was out of my price range at $130k, but something I may consider down the road. What are you going to price your PTT at if you decide to sell it.
Good luck

 

I agree that there are very few, if any, real upgrades from PTT if you want luxury and space without sacrificing performance. I would modify the Panamera and keep it until the pannys come out. Bentley or Aston are your only two options, anything else wouldn't really be an upgrade. Tesla I would see as lateral, but different. Not as luxurious, and not as refined, but lots of low end torque and tons of tech.

 

I'd price it at 74K. It has 29K miles, over a year of cpo left, and 5 year extended platinum warranty left. Also brand new pirelli winter tires.

 

This is very good advise. Over the last 40+ years I have gone through a lot of cars (over 400) and it took me a long time to realize that instead of getting the car and doing all the changes all at once (which then meant I had to park it buy something else as the next project), I began to do the changes slowly, making the car feel and look different. I would make changes to the summer cars in winter and the winter cars in summer so when it was time to put them back on the road they felt different. Obviously this might not work for everyone, but you might be surprised how much of a difference these changes can make. I rarely put more than a couple thousand miles a year on any of my cars (some even less), and when I go from driving my modified Abarth to the Panamera, or my 650 coupe (it has Dinan upgrades) I realize what I like about them. Sometimes a trip to a few dealers for some test drives can make you appreciate what you have. I have driven (or owned) every car (but the Tesla) mentioned in this thread, and the Panamera is still in my garage after 2 1/2 years. If OP has the need for something new, well that is a feeling I know all too well, but better than what you have is going to be a matter of opinion, and yours is the only one that counts on that one.

 

Can you point me towards some options for bodykits and/or color wraps that you like? Thanks!