Save a few more pennies and get the 4-door car Porsche should've made.

The Panamera is an ugly FAIL. Compare that bloated, overpriced cow to this upcoming beauty: The Aston Martin Rapide.

Now THAT's how you do a 4-door high performace luxury car.

 

You can afford one. Just sell your old Merrill Lynch car.

 

You're so sure it will fail? Where do you get your info from?

 

It would be interesting to get a Porsche dealer/salesperson perspective, don't you think?

 

For those who dont know me. After 20 years of being a professional options trader and having seats on several different exchanges I sold my business in 2008. I took about 6 months off and then on my wife's suggestion that I actually go out and go to work again rather than playing with my then 2 year old son all day, I decided to try some thing I had always wanted to do. Sell Porsches. I had owned, bought, sold, restored, tracked, a couple of dozen 911's and a handful of other car and so for the past 12 months I have been selling Porsches.

 

No, I didn't say it would fail. I said it's an ugly FAIL!

C'mon, you hafta admit that the Aston Martin Rapide is the Panamera done better....

 

I have not driven the Aston so I dont have an opinion. I will say that the Pana when not optioned with Air suspension and 20's does not look nearly as nice as it does with those options. The 20's really fill out the wheel wells better and when the air suspension is parked and the car is low it looks great. I am looking at an S with both those options now in Carbon Gray and its a stunning car. When I see and drive the Asotn I can comment further. Whats the Aston pricing like?

 

I saw a Panamera Turbo at a recent concours. Had a chance to sit in it, kick the tires, push the buttons, honk the horn...
Regardless of how much time one wants to waste questioning why it exists at all, I thought it was pretty damn stunning in the flesh.

 

About $30K more than a well optioned Panamera Turbo. But on looks alone, I'd spend the extra $30K over the Panamera Turbo.

 

Market studies. Probably true. But bear in mind that those hypothetical market studies were the stock in trade of Dr. W, who dreamed of controlling VW and who brought VW the Phaeton, no doubt after a multitude of similar market studies. Dr. W. is now history, but he didn't leave before investing so much money in the Panamera that VW had no choice but to put it into production - into an already crowded market for 75 year old wannabes.

 

Uh........am I misreading this? The Phateon was Piech's deal.

Anyway, isn't it funny that those who passionately dislike the car can't just sit on the sidelines and let the market dictate what's going to happen? I don't particularly like it; but I have no use for a large sedan, so what do I care? Just that maybe someone I know might be in that market, and I can give my thoughts.

You know, plenty of people don't get 911's of any vintage/flavor either. How many times has each of us gotten the "I could have (insert cheap *** car name), put on (a couple thou in mods) and go kill your overpriced Bug". Thankfully, over 30 years now it's less common.

In your eyes, if the criteria for a sedan is what that Aston is then go buy it. I don't see Aston sales being more than a fraction of Porsche's, let alone Toyota (Lexus). So maybe that's not the defining criteria. Dare I suggest that each of us isn't married to the hottest of the hottest of the hottest women......

Respect the individual for making their choice in (what's left of) a free market?

 

Actually, posting opinions on these cars on a car chat bulletin board is the definition of sitting on the sidelines! The market will dictate what it does, regardless. That's why there's no harm in exchanging differing points of view and opinions .

Everyone here is entitled to make what ever choice they want regarding these cars. And every one is also free to share their opinion about that choice.

Yup, the Rapide's sales will be a fraction of the Panamera's. Then again, I imagine Picasso sales are a fraction of the guy who paints oils and sells them on Venice Beach in July!

 

Feelings about the Panamera aside, that website is pretty slick....

 

Have you sat in the back seat of a Karma....? I did at Laguna Seca & it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Yes, it looks STUNNING, but....

 

Kudos to all for their vastly differnent views & insights.
I dig GoofballD's ability to keep it real with pix, quips, captions, & well-grounded words: "That's why there's no harm in exchanging differing points of view and opinions."

For those whose point of view is all about the view:
I'm secretly fuming that he & Louis J beat me to posting pix of Aston's Rapide & Fisker's Karma.

So, for a differing, yet somehow familiar view, how 'bout Bugatti's $900k Galibier 16C???