Friday, March 29

The Four-Door Answer to the Sports Car Desire

12.12.16 - Porsche Panamera

If you don’t want to drive a Porsche model there’s either something wrong with you or you simply have an affinity for larger vehicles. The Porsche 911 has been regarded as the best sports car in the world for many years and offers us the excitement and perfect drive that’s a lot of fun. The problem with this car is the fact that it only fits two people inside, which can be trouble if you need at least four seats in order to handle your driving duties. Don’t worry, you can still take the kids to school in sporty style, just take a look at the Porsche Panamera as the right choice for your driving.

The new 2017 Panamera is a completely redesigned four-door sports car that only brings the badge on the hood as the long carry over item from the previous generation. Other than that this car is one that you can get excited about and enjoy the drive in nearly as many derivatives as the 911 but with room for four people. As expected, you do have to start at a high price for the Panamera, but when you can show up at the PTA meeting in a car that looks this amazing, that price is well worth it.

For starters, getting your beak wet with the Panamera will bring you a 2.9-liter twin turbocharged V6 engine or a 4.0-liter twin turbocharged V8. The V6 produces 440 horsepower and 405 lb.-ft. of torque while the V8 ups the ante to 550 horsepower and 567 lb.-ft. of torque. Both are attached to an eight-speed automatic dual clutch transmission to give you the most impressive shifting you’ll find in any car on the market. With a starting price of $99,900, this is a car you need to make a serious commitment to, but it will do the same for you in return.

The original Panamera was a bit of a bubble shaped car that felt like it took too much inspiration from the Volkswagen Beetle. The team at Porsche didn’t want to make the same mistake twice and this new body is longer, lower and certainly much more akin to the 911 sibling in the lineup than that of a model from another brand name. To give you some stats, the wheelbase is 1.18 inches longer, with the car growing by a full 1.34 inches. Even though it seems like a long car when you take in the overall length of 198.8 inches, it feels more like the small sports car you want it to be.

Inside the Panamera you’ll notice much has changed. The car still feels great when you step inside, caressing you from every angle of the seat, but the look and design of the dashboard and center console have changes. The outgoing model was full of buttons and knobs you had to learn to use but this new version offers the sleek design of a touchscreen system that has a majority of these controls on the screen rather than having them encased in the knobs and tactile controls.

Once you place yourself inside the Panamera and get used to the less cluttered look it’s time to take off for a drive. As a longer car that’s meant to blend luxury with sport the Panamera does a masterful job of being comfortable and well suited for a drive, but the sport is going to come out in a big way. When you have a Porsche bade you expect to have a dynamic drive and an exciting ride, which this car delivers with ease. This is not a car for the faint of heart as it will tear up the curves you find and smile back at you wanting more.

Overall, the Porsche Panamera is the perfect sibling to the 911, giving us a sports car that can seat four comfortably, give them a great ride, and remind you that you aren’t too old or too responsible to drive a sports car that has all the power and performance you want. This new version of the Panamera is the perfect next step for this amazing car; hopefully I can find one in my driveway sometime soon.

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.

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