Gus_Smedstad

Interesting stuff, even if it's impossible to tell much about them.

FlatSix911

Fugly ... still looks like a pod of humpback whales

Gus_Smedstad

They're test mules. They're not production cars, so we have no idea what visual changes, if any, we'll see in the next generation.

At this point, all you've done is come into this thread and tell us how ugly our cars are. Even to the point where you've writing posts talking about how much you agree with your previous post. Why bother? You're not interested in the Panamera, so why troll?

FlatSix911

Hey Gus, newsflash ... the automotive press writers are in agreement with the poor design of the current Panamera.

PS. Pony up for a Rennlist membership

P. Viby

Erhhh - and that makes your comments more true or interesting ?

I am sure there is a 993 forum here on rennlist where people which are more into older cars whit old designs can write.

GVA-SFO

@ Gus_Smedstad : only smiles, such kind of postings are just joke.
And, so funny : for info, in two years of Panamera, I got at least 20x more thumbs up, ..than in 30 years of 911 as daily !!!
(And frankly, if I would have had no thumbs up, ..this would not change my life at all !)

Commenting about the rear shape of the Panamera is a great B.S. Just buy one and drive it for some thousand of miles. And then, talk.

In my side, 25'000 miles later, I can write : This is the best car I ever had, and by very far.

About the lines of a 4 doors today : What could looks "better" ? (form has to follow functions)
This is very personal. But, for me, the only two other design that I would consider (as a 4 doors) would be a Tesla (the best 4 doors looking car to my eyes), and an Aston Martin Rapid.
Still, if tomorrow morning I would have to drive from SFO to N.Y City, (i.e.: doing *real* Grand Tourism, with performance, comfort and reliability), I would still pick a Panamera (with air suspension) as my first choice.

Back to the topic, Kudos big time @T-Mac for the great photos and vid.
This is a real super first class report/posting.
Chapeau très bas.

AndrewP

Thanks T-Mac. Is it my imagination or is the roof line angle softer than the current model? There is ample headroom in the back now. so lowering the roof a bit, possibly with a slightly lower back seat height would allow for a smoother roof line. Otherwise, I did not notice big differences. I have read that the new model will be longer, a bit wider and will weigh less than the current model.

Gus_Smedstad

This isn't about whether you're "right" or not. It's about you trolling a forum for a car that you don't own and don't want. We understood your opinion the first time you posted. The other three times, you weren't doing anything but repeating yourself for no apparent reason.

Gus_Smedstad

Looking carefully at still #3, it's clear the rear hatch is different. The foreground has the current roofline, and the car in the background is pretty much a straight line all the way to the back - no rounded bump just above the tail lights. The foreground car has a roof that's almost, but not quite, level all the way to the start of the rear glass, and the background car has a slope that starts earlier, roughly above the end of the rear side window.

I wouldn't read too much into that, though. There's no telling if the production cars will look like that.

That the differences in slope are subtle is something I alluded to on page 1 of this thread. The rooflines of competing sports sedans like the Quattroporte aren't that different from either one. Enough to make a difference in headroom, but it's not dramatic. You have to go to a really severe slope like the rear of the Fisker Karma to regain the "sports coupe" look.

Gus_Smedstad

I enlarged the background car so you can more easily compare the two. There's some minor differences in the rear bumper as well.

FlatSix911

Polishing a turd ...

AndrewP

My experience, perspective and preference precisely. I have gotten many more thumbs up on my PGTS than on my 991 TTS. The Panamera is the best touring car for four adults I know of. I could care less what the automotive press thinks about the design, which apparently will have no hump at all and will still be true to Porsche DNA of form following function. After about 6000 miles in my PGTS, I enjoy it immensely. It is truly a four door sports car. It is an imposing presence on the road and the sports exhaust note is fabulous.

Gus_Smedstad

I wish I could say the same. Oh, sure, logically I shouldn't let the opinions of others affect the way I feel about my car, but the relentless, irrational sneering from some quarters still bugs me. For 17 years I drove a Supra Turbo, and just about every time I took it out I'd get some sort of ego-boosting approval from strangers. For the last 10 at least I'd get at least one offer to buy it a month.

I always said I was driving a sports car for the driving experience, not the status, but going from one to the other has never the less had an impact. Even if the Panamera SeH delivers more if I have it in Sport mode.

As I said upthread, I don't find my car ugly, but it doesn't push the "this is a sports car" button in my head when I look at it the way my Supra did, or the way my wife's Cayman S does.

Yeah, it's superficial, but I can't pretend it doesn't matter. There are times I wish I'd held out for an i8. On the other hand, it's really amazing for hauling cargo for a car with its performance; I had 4 tires and 2 bare wheels in the car recently, and could almost certainly have fit at least one more tire or wheel. That's not something an i8 is ever going to do.

T-Mac

I own a 2011 Panamera 4s, 2013 Cayenne Turbo and a 2015 GT3. I can say HANDS DOWN...my Panamera is my FAVORITE car I own. I love it. My wife named it "The Pig" and I think that is a perfect name for it. It is big, strong and one of a kind.

I think the Panamera test mules look very nice it person....since I am the one that actually saw them. The picture don't do it justice. Bottom line...the Panamera is a Porsche...and a DAMN GOOD one at that!

needmoregarage

Thanks for this post. We pick up our '15 P-GTS tomorrow. The re-design of the rear glass clinched it. We chose it for the versatility, awesome sound, sporty handling, ability to comfortably hold four adults and lots of cargo. Impressions will be forthcoming once we get some time behind the wheel. We'll leave for a long road trip (10 hours +/-) the afternoon we take delivery.