NMM991

As a long time Porsche owner and a first time Panamera owner, I have to state that I am very disappointed in my new Porsche GTS. I bought it because it was a GTS and I expected much better handling performance from the car -- I think Porsche has made a big mistake not equipping every GTS with PDCC. My Cayenne TT handles significantly better than the GTS -- just too much body roll even with the air suspension and all settings set to best performance. It is very disappointing, this car may be traded in before its time.

I would also add that unless you don't fit in the 18-way adaptive sport seats, buy them with the GTS. The 14-ways as my car is equipped feel like you are sitting on a hard bench seat; very different than the 18-ways - was not expecting them to be so different.

DO NOT BUY A PANAMERA GTS WITHOUT PDCC if you are interested in handling performance. Don't get seduced by the sport exhaust or the carbon fiber, it is not a 4 door sports car ...

LexVan

And you should test drive a car before you buy it.

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NMM991

Sounds good and I should have caught the seats, but there is no way I could have driven the car hard enough to evaluate body roll. I assumed that would be acceptable given it was a Porsche GTS. I was not looking for on track performance, I have a GT3 for that. Just a cautionary word for prospective buyers who expect a level of performance from their GTS models and not just glitz.

Goonie

Agreed PDCC is amazing. My PTT stays perfectly flat on hard turns.

Panaseeya

As does mine. I don't know what the ride would be like without PDCC but this is the first time I've read a complaint about it.

Gus_Smedstad

This thread needs a big fat "Your Mileage May Vary." My Panamera does not have PDCC, and I've never experienced anything I'd describe as body roll. Given that I've taken a few corners at 0.8 G according the the Sport Chrono meter, I'd say that you have to either be tracking your car, or driving in a manner that's probably not street safe if you think the car has cornering problems without PDCC.

Similarly, I have the basic 8-way seats, and they don't feel like a "hard bench seat." They're a little more sedan-like than I'd prefer, but they're hardly uncomfortable.

NMM991

Everyone has their own opinion and that's fine. I was expressing my own opinion in case someone else might not make the same "mistake" that I made. I should have ordered a car to my specifications, I know better. That said, it is a beautiful car but it is more "sedan-like" than I would prefer.

Gus_Smedstad

I agree about the car being too sedan-like for my tastes. I flat-out prefer everything about my wife's Cayman S to my Panamera S e Hybrid except cargo space and the fuel efficiency.

It's not, however, a sedan as we normally think of sedans. I was thinking of it as a sedan, or even a station wagon, and feeling a bit foolish about my purchase. Then I took it in to get the traction battery controller replaced, and got an actual sedan (an Audi A3 2.0T Quattro) as a loaner for a few days. That clarified for me that there's a definite difference between the Panamera and a regular sedan. I was riding too high, performance was inadequate, and everything felt a bit toylike. The A3 isn't a cheap or underpowered car, it just felt that way by comparison.

It helped me realize the Panamera isn't a Cayman or a 911, but it's closer to being a four-door sports car than just about anything else. It's not my first choice of cars, but it may well be my first choice of cars that can handle 45 cubic feet of cargo.

GVA-SFO

Well, I had/have 3 cars with PASM, but none of these 3 have/had PDCC.
My Panamera (4S) has air suspension, and I'm still VERY happy with the road handling, and never got the feeling that it was moving out of a flat mode.
It is true that we use this Panamera as a GT, miles eater, not as a track car.

In my car experiences, in the past, before our 2 Cayenne (both with air suspension) I had 5 Range rover, and it is true that the earlier ones were "crazy", or, ..close to the worse of "going to the side" i.e.: a french cars that hopefully was never imported here, I name it the Citroën 2CV, the "Deuche". The early Range Rover had a crazy behavior, so “goes on the side” (like any Deuche !), or yes, would have a desesperate need of PDCC !



By the way, what's about this wagon "Deuche", modified in Italy some years ago, this one should have PDCC :



This been said, I'm like Gus, having the feeling that the need of PDCC on a Panamera with PASM, on open roads, ..looks strange to me too ! (??)

Note, that I'm also having a track car, it is a Boxster S,
I.e.: see here out of turn 11, at Laguna Seca,



..quite "flat" for a “static” suspension.. but thanks to Bilstein PSS9 on each corners, so, I think I can understand in what kind of situations you have to go to "deflat" a Panamera with air suspension on open road !

NMM991

Thanks for the feedback. You now have me thinking that something is wrong with my new car because it is quite noticeable to me; I will need do a little more testing. The car is still in break-in mode so admittedly I have not pushed it - just little quick back and forth with the steering wheel on an open two lane road. More to come -- I don't there is anything wrong with the car!

The Boxster looks good, very settled during the track out. I have used PSS9 Bilstein's on a 964 and was very happy with them. If you get them too stiff, I noticed forth/aft pitching on certain roads.

Gus_Smedstad

Deux Chevaux, "two horses." Yes, they've been imported into the US, it happens I learned to drive on a mid-60's blue 2CV. The stick shift was a bit odd since it's a push-pull lever that goes into the dash, even if it follows the classic H shifting pattern, but it was much more forgiving than you might expect - starting in 3rd didn't stall the car like it would a lot of manuals.

It's a terrible, terrible car, one that makes the original Beetle look like a luxury sedan, but my father had a thing for it, which is why we owned one. Before it was a similar Citroen putt-putt, an Ami 8 wagon.

AndrewP

I don't have PDCC in my PGTS and will order it next time. Cornering on public roads is fine on summer PSS, but would be much firmer with PDCC. PDCC in my TTS on stock P Zeros and it delivers serious control. Have Alcantera 18 way seats in PGTS and they are very supportive, which makes long drives easy.

LexVan

Maybe the dealership forgot to remove the shipping blocks from the suspension during delivery prep.

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GVA-SFO

Prio on my messages @NMM991 :

Let's be very clear : I do fully admit, as I wrote earlier, that I love PASM big time, ...but I have NO knowledge at all about PDCC. But, the way I drive our Panamera, (now about 30'000 miles) is "easy, but includes Sport Plus usage", and long rides.
(I.e.: about 2 weeks ago, we did more than 2'000 miles, SFO to Portland, and return via US 1), but, with no ways to put the car in a kind of "flat default" !)
So, may be I should shut !

Still, I would like to add : I think that you own one the BEST Panamera, this, should let you know, that I have hard time to hear that you "deny" its handling, which, for me, the P4S with air suspension, and no PDCC is still the BEST car that I ever own (as a GT, for Grand Tourer, ..or Tourism) !
And, I had many 911's as daily, for 30 years non stop !

Also : about Air suspension and VERY BAD comfort : I'm currently "fighting" as our latest Cayenne Turbo (air suspension but no PDCC) is VERY unComfy.
Nothing to be like out previous Cayenne S, that had also air suspension. Something looks to me very wrong with our CTT, as is is as stiff, as my Boxster with PSS) ! But this is another story !

GVA-SFO

@Gus_Smedstad : This is incredible that you know the "Deuche", ..and the Ami 6 and Ami 8 !!!
I felt that this these were never been imported here.
Once, I saw one here on El Camino, in the San Francisco Bay area. I remember well, it was a Deuche "Wagon", original (not the one like photographed down there !!). on the back was a bumper sticker saying "This is not a car, ..but an Art de Vivre !"
I would remember that for long time.
Well, if you know the "curves behavior" of the "Deuche", then, if I tell you that the first Range's ..were basically having the same behavior, this was very tough !
We had 3 of these Range's first generation, the two last ones had air suspension and were just fine, but the first one, (springs) was a real "boat". And beside having this "boat feeling", the engine was an aluminum Buick 3.5 liter V8, that gave 135hp. I can tell you that going into the mountains over the week end was an adventure ! With the car loaded with the 4 of us, it was all but very slow !
This is exactly when I was dreaming of having the engine of the 928 in our Range, instead of this peanut power V8. ..Or, thinking about the Cayenne, at a time when nobody was pronouncing the letters "SUV".
Only one car was offering such "services", but it was really an "UV" !!!