Latest Porsche Panamera Frequently Asked Questions:
500HP all wheel/four wheel Drive twin clutch 7 speed auto back seats for detaining non violent pot smokers and cop killers alike what do you think? all "buy american" aside
Answer:A huge waste of money. There are very very few places where a high speed pursuit vehicle is necessary, and the currently-used Cameros with the Z06 engines are more than sufficient. In the vast majority of situations, raw speed and all wheel drive are not even in the top 5 most important things in a police vehicle. Take a look at how the Impala is designed, and you'll get an idea of what a police-optimized vehicle from the ground up looks like.
The Porsche Panamera is a good idea for me i always wanted a 911 porshce but thought it was too small but the panamera is so convenient (well for me) more space in front and in the back what are your thoughts..And if you are one of the people who think its a bad car to add to the porsche line up please give me a reason looking forward for your comments
Answer:This is nothing new... some will cry that the Panamera is a sign that the company has lost it's way and proof that it's no longer producing the kind of car that made it what it is. The same cry that went up when the Cayenne was introduced... and the same cry that went up when the 928 was introduced... and really, the same cry that came from some when the 901 was first introduced (before it was relabelled the 911). Logically thinking, a Porsche is a car made by Porsche.. thus the Panamera is as much a Porsche as a 1973 911 RS. They come from the same source, although there are many many differences between them. However, if you look around, you'll find some that will say a Porsche is a car that is a two door sports car, the Panamera isn't a Porsche. Or that a Porsche is a two door sports car with an engine behind the driver, thus the Panamera, 924/944/968, 928, Cayenne, etc are not real Porsches. Then the set of people that think it also has to be air cooled, and rear engined (not just behind the driver, but behind the rear axel), and thus all the current cars and... well, everything other than the 356, 911, and 912 are pretty much not real Porsches. For any of these people, the introduction of a new car that will define Porsche for many people is seen as a terrible thing. The Panamera iteself sounds great on paper, and makes sense as a market segment that Porsche should be involved in. The pictures are not the most flattering so far, but it may look better in person as that often happens. The biggest negitive around the Panamera right now is that it's coming out in the midst of such poor economic times, which is less than ideal for the company given the amount it's invested in development and that it will now likely not be able to recoup that for a much longer period than had originally been planned.
I need somebody who knows what they're talking about! which one is more comfy? which one is safer? which one is more sporty? why? everything u can possibly think of!!! thanks a lot!!!!!! DETAIL!!!!
Answer:It depends on what trim levels of either car. The S550 doesn't do Mercedes justice compared to the Panamera, you have to look at the big, bad@$$ AMG models to get a decent comparison. In a recent road-and-track comparo, MOTOR Magazine Australia compared the top-spec S63 AMG, with the 6.2L naturally aspirated V8, to the similarly top-spec Porsche Panamera Turbo, with a twin-turbocharged 4.8L V8. The Panamera is more sophisticated, and safer, but the S63 is more fun to drive, more powerful, more comfortable in its ride, and delimited it would leave the Panamera for dust, and a better sound to match. Interior quality goes to the Panamera, whereas exterior looks certainly favour the S63, especially compared to the 'Mera's hideous rear-end. It's the fun-factor where the S63 also starts to leave the Panamera for dead. The Panamera behaves, well, like a 4-door 911 as that's essentially what it is, which means it's the more nimble of the two, but the Big Merc combines more horsepower-per-tonne with a tail-happy sports suspension setup (and rear-wheel-drive, which may be a deal-breaker if you live in snowy conditions; the Panamera Turbo is all-wheel-drive) to produce a fun drive with, if you choose, lots of slidey-slidey rubber-burning fun. Despite weighing in at just under 4500 pounds (the S63 weighs 4400 pounds, the Panamera 4343 pounds), the 63 really shifts something spectacular. The conclusion to the MOTOR review was that the S63 won by "the smallest of margins" for its plush ride, brilliant sound from the massive 6.2L powerhouse, and its looks.
Anyone ordered their Panameras? I ordered 5 with turbos and I will personally pick them up in Stuttgart,Germany It's not for me! I have"clients" that don't want to personally handle these types of transactions!
Answer:No, but I sat in one the other day. What a lucky man you are, Kris!
And when will it come out? -Thanks!
Answer: When it goes on sale in the fall of 2009, the rear-wheel-drive Panamera will offer a choice of two V-8 engines. Four-wheel drive won't come before 2010. The powerplants, loosely based on the V-8 in the Cayenne, switch to direct injection and grow to 4.8 liters. The normally aspirated engine will make about 400 hp, and the turbocharged version should be good for 500 hp. The base model tips the scales at nearly 4000 pounds. With bigger tires and brakes plus other modifications, the Panamera turbo will weigh a substantial 4300 pounds--no featherweight, but three quarters of a ton less than a Cayenne Turbo. The turbo is said to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds and have a top speed of 188 mph. In 2010, an entry-level V-6 model likely will be added. Equipped with a 300-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 supplied by Volkswagen, this variant is said to be capable of 155 mph. A year later, Porsche will launch a hybrid, powered by a combination of the V-6 and a 100-hp electric motor. The 175-mph hybrid is supposed to blend the performance of a standard 911 with the fuel economy of a base Boxster. Also on its way is a dual-clutch automatic transmission. The seven-speed paddle-shift gearbox will be an alternative to the six-speed manual. Ceramic-composite brakes and active dampers also will appear on the options list. According to chairman Wendelin Wiedeking, the annual sales target for the Panamera is 20,000 units, but as is typical of Porsche, that number is a major understatement. According to an internal document, the goal for the first full year of production exceeds 27,000 cars, and a year later demand is expected to peak at more than 30,000. In America, prices for the Panamera should range from about $75,000 to $115,000.
