is for people who cant afford a real porsche.

 

I'm facinated that the only poeple I hear that like the looks even somewhat are people that are on this site. I am a die hard fan of many porsche products and have always had one or two in my garage. I feel that if porsche is looking to reach out into new territory they need to appeal to a broader market. They need to capture the BMW, S class buyers as well. BMW already had a strong luxury sedan market and they suffered from that design. BMWs biggest 7 series market became China. I think Porsche is going in that direction with this car as well with the intro of the 6 cylinder. The new Ceyenne being introduced this week is so much nicer looking. I'd skip the PanAm and buy the new Ceyenne. Better looking, more room. Plus when I show up with it at the country club I won't feel like the ugly duckling when the guy in the Rapide drives up. Now theres eye candy. No "getting used to" that one. In person its absolutely breathtaking. The interior is awsome. And the sound. OMG

 

You couldn't be more wrong. It's only the people on internet forums that criticize it. More precisely, people who have bought something else that might be considered a competitor. No car I have ever owned (all models of Porsche, 5 different Ferraris, 3 AMG Mercedes, Lotus, classics and moderns) has been complimented as much, admired as much, or envied openly as much as my Panamera. And it's not one of those "if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all" type of situations. People in parking lots, at stores, at redlights all want to talk or give a thumbs up. I thought from reading automotive sites that I would have an ugly duckling that only I would like. Several people have told me it was the best looking car they have ever seen. One friend told me he heard from someone else about a 4-door Porsche and he had to brag that he knew the owner. A person whose lease is soon expiring on her BMW said she now knows what she is going to get. Complete strangers have asked for a ride. Another person, unaware that I had gotten rid of the 911, asked if I had seen the Panamera and didn't I wish I had waited instead of buying the 911. The internet persona and the real world persona are miles apart. The ugly is still there for some people, but not many. One person, an aquaintance rather than a friend, told me my status had just gone up with him. I'm sure everyone doesn't like it, but many, many do. And I do. That's what matters.

 

Your wrong. I think you should read the story "The Emperors new clothes".......and BTW: your naked.

 

How true - I bought my first Porsche, a 911 SC in 1978, at a VW/Porsche dealership that had about eight VWs and one lonely Porsche tucked in the corner of the showroom. In the lot were about a 100 VWs and 2 other Porsches -way in the back. I left with a silver on black 911 SC Targa. And then there were two. This was not only before the Boxster, but before the 924 but just after the 914 was introduced.

 

Unsure why were going in this direction. Hell I don't care what porsche makes. They could make a minivan for all I care. Hell Aston is building a four door! [and soon a city car] Why couldn't they make the Panam as attractive as the Rapide? [money has nothing to do with it- Porsches pockets are deeper] Actually I heard someone recently stating that the Panam is not so much a Porsche as it is another German car. And not a good looking one.

 

The Cayenne is a completely different car, it is an SUV for gods sake, and it does not have as much room as the Panamera. Ever sit in the back of each car or look at the floor space behind the rear seats? And the Rapide is a PIG (heavier DB9) and is way too small to be a true four door sedan (take a look at the head room in the back seat and the door opening). If you want a high performance four door sedan than the Panamera is the only real option. I can tell you that the Panamera gets a lot of positive attention and will not make you look like an ugly duckling, especially when you smoke that Rapide.

Look at the guys in the back seat....they look squeezed in like sardines and i can only imagine what kind of contortions that big guy had to make to get in the rear door.

The Rapide is beautiful, but it doesnt function like a four door.

Watch this video and note the guys in the back seat.
http://www.youtube.com/v/TZ8pyZCBMKU

http://www.youtube.com/v/TZ8pyZCBMKU

 

in terms of a business, it makes sense for Porsche to release a V6 model, but for me, I don't like the idea as there will be way too many V6 around making my V8 less exclusive.

 

This is an even better perspective on the rear seat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhZyqrrO-oM&NR=1

Notice this comment from a BMW guy on the video page.

beemer345 (3 days ago) 0 Reply
I agree with you. I like the Porsche Panamera better. It looks nicer and more luxurious. It's also hellishly fast!!!

 

My significant other said the Panam is a Porsche for people that can't fit into a Rapide. More the reason to hit the Gym. Lets see, 30 inch waist and a Rapide. Who cares whos faster. I'll look better. [And I still fit comfy in the GT3.] This is like the "Biggest Looser" America is getting older and fatter. So is Porsche. They know their market. I'm heading to the gym in the Rapide.

 

I think the 6 is going to sell well. It may hurt value as the whole thing about the Panam in the performance. Porsche has always offered smaller engined versions of their cars. The new Ceyenne will also be offered as a hybrid.

 

You have a beautiful car. There is no doubt about it. And, I'm sure it suits your taste and criteria perfectly. However, criticism of another's car is meaningless unless you know what factors they weighed in their selection.

I have no interest in belittling someone else's car to make mine look better. My only point is that, regardless of your experience or opinion, not everyone thinks the Panamera is ugly. A lot has been written that criticizes some of the design choices that were made to eliminate compromises in other areas. All cars are compromises in one way or another. Even in one line of cars, such as the Panamera, there are compromises. A person that doesn't want to invest a lot of money in one might choose the V6 without some of the options that are standard in the turbo and they might not choose some of the more exotic options that can run the price way up. In an Aston Martin there is a choice of a V8 or a V12. Price, both purchase and operating costs are weighed before the decision is made on which to buy.

The compromises that caused me to choose a Panamera over an Aston Martin were obviously different than the choices you considered. That's why they make so many different models. There is no right or wrong and it's silly to think there is.

Naked, huh?

 

Interestingly I agree. Its totally subjective. We all buy for different reasons. Thing about porsche is they have always provided a product that was so unique that we all purchased for a common reason. Because we had no other choice. There really was no substitute. That is the difference with these products coming from porsche at this time. I like the bases of the Panam and Ceyenne. [I find the Ceyenne is more unique porsche only product] I feel that the 6 will do well but is not consistent as to why most are buying the Panam which is about its performance. I'm not a fan of the looks. To bad. I was hoping for a beautiful car. I've owned many cars. One thing I do know is that there is always someone faster around the next bend. When that happens, at least you know you have a beautiful piece as well. The six will sell. Unsure as to what it provides over any other german auto. Seems the favorite bit about the Panam is the performance. Why would someone choose a 6 panam over a say Audi 8. I think I was expecting porsches offering as a smaller four door in the popular bmw 3 series mode. That would be a killer car. Wonder why they didn't go there instead. Seems that would have been a larger market and be a much bigger money maker [if that was indeed the reason]. Am I the only one?

 

Ok, now I'm thinking and putting this porsche sedan together. They have this killer boxer 6. Four wheel drive. Move that 350 hp 6 to the front. [a la subaru] Put it on the same wheelbase as the new 928. Give us a coupe and wagon. Interior quality of the Panam. Give it looks with no excusses. A five series price. Rally it. Endurance it. Race days. Even an RS version. They'd sell more of those than all the other models combined I'm sure. Theres the real money maker for porsche. Why not?

 

Maybe Porsche will bring out a 3-Series competitor. The expansion of Porsche may be slowed down, however, with new management. The rapid expansion from a small company required new factories for the new models since all the existing factories were running full-time. Some Boxster production even went to factories outside Germany when the popularity exceeded expectations. The Cayenne and Panamera share an all new factory.

"There is no substitute," a marketing slogan, carries with it some unusual baggage. The 911 has back seats that are virtually unusable (at least for anyone with legs). The original 911 was much smaller than the current model. The Boxster had to be enlarged for people over 5'10" after the first revision. Why do most models in the 911 series still have a back seat? Because that's the way it has always been and they would never admit they were ever wrong. Why do 911's and Panameras have attachments on the roof for roof mounted accessories when 95% of the people never use them? Because they "could" use them. Why can't you get roof racks on Cayennes with the Panoramic Roof (the attachment points are there)? Because someone might open the roof into the cargo. (This is corrected with a new style of Panoramic Roof on the 2011 models). The entire Porsche line is very conservative and hangs on to tradition in a way that other manufacturers don't seem to do. The Boxster and Cayman could replace the 911 if the engine choices were as powerful but they are afraid to abandon the traditional model. It's almost as if (dare I say this) they think they know better than we do what we want or need.

Check out other Porsche Design products that show the same mindset: their pocket knives are complete tool sets, always with a corkscrew in case you run into a stray bottle of wine; their watches have compasses and extra dials, bells and whistles; their belts are reversible, their sunglasses have removable lenses or they fold into tiny shapes, etc. Single use items are rare and "all in one" is the theme you usually see.