Porsche Panamera - and don't say love can't be bought!
What Panamera is, everyone can see. Some sigh over her a lot, others a little less, others believe that she looks like a huge hornet. No matter how it looks or what you like, the Porsche Panamera drives great!
It all began quietly with the production of military and armored vehicles for Adolf Hitler. But it was worth waiting 32 years and transferring the company to his son, and he created a real empire from the brand. It was in 1963 that "nine hundred and eleven" was born. A homemade six-cylinder engine was placed at the rear, and it was all dressed up in the bodywork we covet today. Thanks to this configuration, the 911 found its way into the boxes of many race tracks, the posters of many bedrooms, and into many hearts. Race results vary, bedroom posters change with fashion. But once a Porsche enters your heart, it will live there for a long time.
Some say you either love or hate Porsche. Although I'm afraid to say it out loud, Porsche has always been a little indifferent to me. Of course, the thought of meeting a legend caused excitement and I would not push a single model with a coat of arms on the hood from the bridge to the Vistula, but the magic of the brand was alien to me. When owners spoke about their cars with more delicacy than they did about their wife or children, one question arose in my head - how could a car evoke such emotions? Questions ceased to arise after the first few kilometers behind the wheel of the new Porsche Panamera.
The first feeling...
Sunday morning. Early morning. Very early. Rain and piercing cold, crawling under the tightest scarf. I'm heading to the Bristol Hotel in Warsaw to get to know the new Panamera. Few people want to go to work on Sunday before eight in the morning. Short conference, coffee and handover of keys. I learn that I will spend the next 200 kilometers alone in a dark blue Porsche Panamera 4S. I walk out cold, feeling the pleasant heaviness of the key in my hand. One look is enough to sound in my head: “you are mine!”.
The first moments behind the wheel and I already know how the stereotypical grandfather feels when he tries to cope with the computer. The interior of the Porsche limousine resembles an airplane cockpit, although still better than the previous generation. Currently, most of the functions have been taken over by a modern 12,3-inch display and touch buttons on the center console. However, that doesn't change the fact that basic activities like connecting your phone via Bluetooth were a problem. But let's blame him for the fact that it was an early hour, when almost no one regains consciousness without a solid dose of caffeine.
Second impression? It's terribly huge. Driving large vehicles is not a problem, sometimes it just needs a little more attention. However, the Panamera is a real cruiser that does not intend to hide its size. However, a few kilometers were enough for its size to cease to matter. Quietly examining the immediate environment, I notice that, unfortunately, there are no fewer buttons. There was also a drawback (which later turned out to be completely unimportant) - there is no way to switch radio stations or songs on external media from the steering wheel. This can only be done through the center display, temporarily getting rid of the view, such as navigation. This isn't a big deal as the dashboard of the Porsche Panamera offers many different viewing configurations. Including the display of navigation on the right screen.
In the cabin, from the first second, a sporty flavor is felt. Track lovers will love the presence of a small Sport Chrono stopwatch located at the top of the dashboard. A trifle, but a pleasure. In the center of the dashboard is a large, easy-to-read tachometer. On the sides are two 7-inch displays, the contents of which can be customized to your needs using the handles on the steering wheel. The seats are incredibly comfortable, although surprisingly they have no shoulder support at all. If in the ribs they fit perfectly, then in the shoulders the driver and passenger “fly” like leaves in the wind. Another problem is the very low seating position of the driver. Sure, you can easily adjust the chair to fit your needs, but when you're six feet tall, you can feel like a midget at first, barely sticking out over the door panels.
Why is song switching no longer relevant? It was enough to get off the expressway and let the Panamera out onto the winding Masurian roads to make it his private circuit without permission. It is difficult to elegantly define the sounds that a Porsche sedan makes when driving dynamically in Sport+ mode. She's just tears. The buzzing sound of the engine, backed up by bass murmurs and shots from the exhaust, is real music for the soul. It is true that the Panamera is equipped with the new 3D High-End Surround Sound system developed by Burmester, which makes us feel like we are in a concert hall. However, given the acoustic characteristics of the engine and exhaust system, the presence of a radio in this car can be considered unnecessary.
You are losing track of time...
The organization of the presentation on Sunday morning seemed to have a second bottom - surprisingly calm and empty roads, causing a "slight" deviation from the rules. It's hard to keep the Panamera in check if you can still hear her little voice in your head: “Come on! It will be fun!". And when you promise yourself that you will only accelerate for a moment, that you will only hold the Sport Response button for a few seconds, which will release all 440 horsepower, you will simply lose track of time. A moment turns into long minutes, and the distance left to go decreases too quickly. You just don't want to get out of that car.
The perfect compromise
Taking turns riding the Panamera is literally a dance. I don't know a machine that does it better than her. You think you want to turn and she turns. Just! At the same time, she almost crashes into the asphalt and rides around the bend as if stuck. I don't know how fast a turn has to be, and how frustrating that turn has to be to feel understeer or oversteer. At the same time, he is completely rigid. Because this Panamera can not be denied - the ideal compromise between the rigidity of reinforced concrete and amazing comfort would not be ashamed. Even when driving at high speed on a pavement that has already passed its heyday, the Porsche limousine behaves perfectly. It is audible that the wheels and shock absorbers are not idle, but this is by no means a knock, and the cabin is completely calm. Nothing shakes or creaks, and the fillings in the dentition remain in place. The same delight causes and riding on short slopes. Most cars stretch their legs during this trip, giving the impression that the body wants to lift off the ground and sing "I believe I can fly!". Nothing of the kind happens here. She is always stuck to the ground with her belly and there is neither that hill, nor that bend, nor anything like that. Passing through the winch, from which you are supposed to fly out, the Panamera will not let you feel insecure for a moment. All these awards in honor of the new Porsche Limousine are related, among other things, to the 3-chamber active air suspension with 60% more air volume.
Lightweight construction
It is difficult to contain emotions when I write about the Porsche Panamera, but it is impossible not to mention the technical aspects. The new limousine shares a common name with its predecessor. This is a brand new vehicle designed from the ground up to create the perfect vehicle. The new generation has a 3 cm longer wheelbase, making the Porsche Limousine 34 mm longer. In addition, the external dimensions have not changed much - it has become only 6 mm wider and 5 mm higher. The height is almost imperceptible, optically the car seems even lower due to the lowered roofline in the rear.
Its "legs wide apart" is especially felt on the road or when cornering quickly. It also boasts a lighter construction. However, the systems installed on board weigh more than 70 kilograms, which makes the Panamera zero in weight, weighing 1870 kg.
A few words about the engine
Under the hood of the tested Panamera 4S was a 2.9-liter engine in the V6 system. It boasts 440 horsepower and 550 Nm of maximum torque sent to all four wheels. How do these horses move their legs? Quick. We will see the first hundred on the counter in 4,4 seconds (4,2 with the Sport Chrono package). The unit is paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox that practically does not fit in the car. Sitting behind the wheel in the usual position, with your feet on the pedals, you just need to bend your right knee literally 2 centimeters to the right in order to rest your foot on the central tunnel. However, such pushing out of the box can be forgiven, given its operation. When you expect everything from the Panamera 4S, you cannot be disappointed. The PDK gearbox does not hesitate even for a moment, it knows exactly what the driver needs from it from the very beginning. He kind of says, “Do you want shoes? Please! You have a shoe!" No blind shifting, even if a minute ago we introduced a driving style worthy of an elderly pensioner.
The 4S version is also accompanied by the more desirable Turbo version, which boasts a 550-litre, 770-hp twin-turbo V-twin engine. and a maximum torque of 2 Nm. With these parameters, the sedan, weighing almost 100 tons, accelerates to 3,8 km / h in 3,6 seconds (160 seconds with the Sport Chrono package). With starting off, the indicators will show 8,4 km / h in 8,1 seconds (30 with the Sport Chrono package). The Turbo model also features an innovative cylinder deactivation system that castrates the testosterone-laden V-2 engine without the rider's knowledge, turning it into a docile four-cylinder motorcycle. As a result (depending on the required power), fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 3%. The two-stage sliding cam system enables or disables the intake and exhaust shaft adjusters for the 5nd, 8rd, 950th and 3500th cylinders. The system operates in the engine speed range of 250-XNUMX rpm, or until the maximum torque of about a third, or XNUMX Nm, is reached.
The Panamera 4S Diesel rounds out the top three siblings, being the world's fastest mass-produced diesel car and the fastest limousine on the Nürburgring. The V8 diesel engine develops 422 horsepower and a maximum torque of 850 Nm.
The ideal exists
It always seemed to me that the ideal car does not exist. There is always something that can be changed, improved or taken from another model. If you wanted to build the perfect car, you would have to select individual components from different makes and models and see what happens. Is the Panamera perfect? It seemed to me that there are no ideals, but it is tempting to say: yes, there are - and this despite the initial skepticism, the belief that all this frenzy and love for the brand is artificially introduced, that this is the merit of thoughtful marketing. We all know that there are no ideals. But if everyone drove a Panamera-style car, there would be no unhappy people in the world. The Porsche Panamera is love you can buy yourself.
