lee_337

I have found that reading through this forum as been really helpful with spacing out previous cars. I was hoping from some feedback on my spec. As this is a new car for this year there is not a lot of ordering information.

I currently drive a 2016 BMW 328d wagon, this car will be replacing the wagon. I use the 3 Series as my daily driver / dog hauler / freeway cruiser. I have sportier cars and motorcycles to scratch the performance itch, although sometimes I do wish that the wagon was more performant.

I have ordered the car, but it is kind of a placeholder and I plan on tweaking things a bit prior to the order locking. As there have been plenty of delays and this is a new model, I am planning on picking up my car in Leipzig beginning of September 2018.

I know it is a ways off, but after driving the car, I am sold on the Panamera. My lease on the BMW is up December 2018, and I have been happy with the car, unfortunately if you want a wagon, the F31 which began production in 2012 is it, as BMW will not be importing wagons into North America when the 3 series refreshes in 2018. Besides that, I am not a fan with the way they are going with their styling, or driving dynamics. I am not interested in the V60 Polestar or AMG E Class wagon, Porsches have been the most reliable German cars I have owned, this will be my 4th Porsche.

Here is my build so far;

http://www.porsche-code.com/PJ96UUQ7 (I copied it below as it is a Canadian Build)
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Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Sport Turismo

Exterior Colour Rhodium Silver
Interior Colour Standard Interior in Black

Premium Package
- Comfort Access
- Power Seats (14-way) with Memory Package
- Lane Change Assist (LCA)
- BOSE® Surround Sound System

Assistance Package
- Night Vision
- Lane Keep Assist (LKA) incl. Speed Limit Indicator
- Adaptive Cruise Control incl. Traffic Jam Assist

Exterior

Deletion of Model Designation
LED-Matrix Headlights incl. Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS+)
ParkAssist (Front and Rear) incl. Surround View
Air Outlet Grilles Painted Exclusive
Side Window Trim in Aluminum

Performance

8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK)
Rear Axle Steering i.c.w. Power Steering Plus

Wheels

21" SportDesign Wheels

Interior

Ionizer
Massage Seat Function (Front) incl. Seat Ventilation (Front)
Storage Package
Cupholder covers (front)
Smoking Package
Rev Counter Dial Face in Bordeaux Red Exclusive
Seat Belts in Bordeaux Red Exclusive
Interior Carbon
Door-Sill Guards in Carbon Fiber, Illuminated Exclusive

E-Mobility

7.2 kW Onboard Charger
Porsche Charging Dock for the Porsche Universal Charger (AC)

European Delivery (Leipzig)
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Things that I am considering changing adding or deleting;

1 - Thermally & Noise Insulated Glass

Seems like a good choice for freeway driving, the downside to me is that hearing the exhaust during spirited driving is appreciated, if it were to dull this, I would have to weigh the pros and cons.

2 - Burmester® 3D High-End Surround Sound System

For almost $7K over the Bose system, this will have to be better than the Bose by at least a factor of 3. I do enjoy the music, I listen to 50% contemporary / classic rock & pop (Jamiroquai, Chainsmokers, RUSH, Pink Floyd, The Weeknd) 25% Classical 15% Electronic (Poliça, Daft Punk, Massive Attack) 10% Hip Hop / Rap (Drake, Fetty Was, Coolio, Dr. Dre).

From an ascetics standpoint, I am not a fan of the silver speaker grilles.

3 - Leather Interior in Black (Extended)

The leather on the dash console and doors with the stitching is really nice, leather tends to make in interior that much more special. I have full leather in my Boxster and GT4. Unfortunately, there is no red / black interior combo available as a standard option with the car I have chosen.

4 - Color, I like the silver, would prefer GT Silver, however I think the car looks awesome in White and I really want to see one in Chalk in real life.

5 - Ionizer, I have smelly passengers, figured it might make the car smell better. I am reasonably fastidious regarding keeping my car cleaned, and I have a custom ballistic nylon http://www.canvasback.com cargo cover I will also get for the Panamera. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has it, does it make a difference?

6 - LED-Matrix Headlights incl. Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS+)

I am only ordering this to get the black headlights, which in North America, is all it really is, the dynamic nature of the lights is disabled due to archaic regulations, and arduous review process of the DOT. I just don't like plastic chrome.

Things I am unable to figure out;

1 - Power delivery

On my test drive, I was slightly disappointed with the off the line performance of the 4S. Thinking that one of the advantages of electric motors is the instant torque. What I am thinking is that the system output of 456 HP + 516 ft-lbs for the 4 E-Hybrid VS 434 HP + 406 ft-lbs of the 4S and having driven the Tesla P100D, I am hoping that the almost 300 ft-lbs of the electric motor will make things a little snappier off the line.

2 - Cup holders

I think I missed that there was a button on the back side of the cup holders. This button activates the Phaeton like cup holders. Does selecting the 'no cost' cup holder covers option negate that functionality, or is that what that is? I like the Phaeton style cup holders.

3 - Unlisted options / ordering tricks

I have noticed that with some other cars, people have pointed out that there are unlisted options that some sales associates have made them aware of. My sales guy is a nice guy an I like him well enough, although I sometimes am aware of things he is not, and I sometimes have to chase him around for answers, and he is not as attentive as I would expect someone to be when purchasing a $150,000k + car.

On the other side of things, the other car I bought from him worked out well, and it would be awkward to change sales dudes and there are only 2 Porsche dealers in my area, and the other one is not the best. I am not a tie guy, I would imagine if I wore a suit, things would be different. LOL I am buying the car for the engineering.

4 - I would also be really interested in knowing what you can and can't do with the PCM while the car is in motion.

5 - With my BMW, I was able to order a ODB-II to RJ-45 cable, install the shop software on my laptop and disable things like seatbelt chimes, nag screens, warnings on backup / parking cameras. I was also able to enable things like active headlights, fold mirrors on lock. Does anyone know if there is anything like that available for the Panamera? I have a Ford Performance car, and my Ford dealer is awesome and will program features into the ECU if I can explain how to do it, has anyone ad that experience with a Porsche dealer?

6 - The infotainment system uses an data connection for some features. I did some research and found that it looks like you can either use an LTE sim card in the glove box OR the WiFi hotspot on your phone OR by via the PCM App on your phone if it is connected vis USB. Is this correct?

Funny things I noticed

The Air Outlet Grilles on the Turbo come painted body color, and if you would like them painted gloss black, the boys in Leipzig would be happy to do that for you for $650. Conversely, anything lower than a Turbo, the grilles come gloss black, and if you want them body colored -- $650, bitte. For some reason the Turbo S E-Hybrid comes with silver grilles, but does not seem to be available as a Sport Turismo which is probably a good thing as 671 HP and 627 ft-lbs would be hard to pass up! The turbo and above also comes with the aluminum trim around the window, anything less you get window trim similar to a bottom of the line Golf.

Thanks for reading this far, and I appreciate any feedback or suggestions people are kind enough to pass on.

Lee

ajriches01

I may have missed it or it may be in one of the packs - but definitely the 4 zone climate control - transforms the back.

The rear seat entertainment system is supposed to be the best in the business but only relevant if you have anyone sat in the back.

Get the full leather - simply madness to think otherwise. I really like the Alcantara headlining (may be included in a Turbo?) - think it tips the scales over to luxurious.

Panoramic roof also a must for me - especially with a black interior.

For wheels - anything other than the Turbos and you've lost me. Test drove a Turbo that had the Sport Design and they are not to my taste - they did not look like 21s.

The Burmester is without a doubt, the best car stereo I have listened to - really is stellar and looks great. But this car is a bottomless pit of money so could not justify an extra £5k.

In terms of power - have driven Turbo, 4S and Diesel, with an e-Hybrid on order (not driven). The most impressive in terms of speed "feel" was the Diesel - really punches you in the back. But diesel is a bad word these days...Stay tuned to the forum for e-Hybrid reviews in the next month...

Random thoughts over.

Frank 993 C4S

For spending $170k on a car I would switch to a sales guy that knows what he's doing because you have so many options to spend that money in various ways. It is an iterative process as some options could delay your delivery. We actually spent hours in our dealer's configuration room and looked at each option, color and leather samples. These cars are getting delivered now so they should be relatively educated about them by now.

If you are doing Euro delivery,I strongly suggest you deal with somebody who has done it before and knows how to deal with the financial side of it.

Jonathan Lord

A few things Lee:
1) Definite yes on both thermal glass and Burmester. You definitely hear the exhaust with the thermal glass and you will enjoy the sound out of the stereo as well
2) Cupholders are a European option - haven't see that in the US
3) Unlisted options - generally these are related to stitching options; be sure to activate voice control
Cheers

lee_337

ajriches01, Frank 993 C4S, Jonathan Lord;

Thanks for your replies!

I don't get a lot of rear seat traffic these days, and the Sport Turismo does not have the center console, so it should make less difference. I agree with you, it looks fantastic in the regular Panamera.

I am leaning to the full leather, Alcantara might be a mistake with 2 Huskies as it works like a lint brush and I already have to vacuum it out of cars they never go in, 1M, GT4, and Focus RS.

The Sport Turismo comes with the Panno roof, and I agree, great option.

I have a soft spot for the SportDesign wheels as they are a nod to the 918 Spyder Weissach, the Turbo wheels look the business, I am just going in a sportier direction.

I am hoping to hear the Burmester before my order locks, it is just that I am already at 30K in options. But then there is the Sunk Cost Fallacy to fall back on. I get sucked into it when renovating property, ...might as well while we have it apart and bam, there goes my budget.

Diesel is a tough one, there is nothing better on the freeway, but having traded out of my TDI Touareg to the F31 BMW diesel when the VW scandal broke, I am a little cautious on diesel.
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I agree Frank, however, I have found with cars, I have yet to meet a car sales person I have learned much from. I did European Delivery with my 1M and more recently with my GT4 and while the BMW experience I found more enjoyable, the Porsche program was fine other than the VAT deposit which was a pain in the ***, I had to chase the dealer around to get it back months after I dropped the car off in Leipzig.

To me Porsche is not really a customer service focused brand, for me, it is about their engineering, which is why I am buying the car. I also live in Canada, I have lived in the US for 15 years and spend a reasonable amount of time in the US -- There is a different take on customer service in Canada, and especially in large cities like Toronto, there are plenty of people buying expensive stuff and they really do not have to try as hard.

My experience in Scottsdale getting my Boxster serviced VS Toronto having my GT4 serviced is very different experience. In Toronto, they are doing you a favor (sorry favour) and you should thank them for squeezing you in. In Scottsdale I don't feel like I am inconveniencing them, last time I even had the choice between a Cayanne or a Macan for a loaner. I do miss Andial in SoCal!
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On the configurator, there is not a really in depth description of the thermal glass.
"Thermally and noise insulated laminated glass for more efficient reflection of infrared radiation and exterior sound."
Is it a like a double glazed window? I think I have seen double glazed panels in Mercedes. Are the windows tinted, or just reflective? I understand the windshield is probably the same, are the rest of the windows consistent? I have seen tinting options on European cars, but the driver and passenger windows are never tinted. I am planning on getting the windows tinted anyway, I usually don't go that nuts, I usually do 50% - 30% on the sides (drivers, passenger, quarter) and 20% on the back window.

Bummer about the cup holders, maybe I can get new ones when I am in Germany. I will definitely get the voice control!

I would not mind red stitching, but at this point I could buy 11.4 Hyundai Accents for the price of this car, I think I might skip the stitching.

Thanks again for your input, it is appreciated!

Lee

crack3rd

Lee, you might want to check your build again. The Rev Counter Dial Face you mentioned above is in Bordeaux Red but inside your built is Luxor Beige. For me, I would add carbon heated steering Wheel to match the carbon interior. As recommended by the members, I also added thermal glass and Burmester on my 4s. Good luck!

lee_337

Thanks man, all fixed up now;

http://www.porsche-code.com/PJH4ZCN5

Another 10K, Y.O.L.O.

XT6Wagon

4 wheel steering is on my must have list. Its not a small car and so anything that can reduce turning radius is a bonus. I believe it will make a real difference in feel on the open road if the rear wheels are working with the car instead of against it like most.

Also for my personal taste I'd stick to the all leather wheel, not a fan of anything slick on a steering wheel.

As for color, I wish the US got Palladium like this car

but it looks good in most every color. Hard time choosing between the clean base white, Volcano Gray, or sapphire blue.

I believe you get the cup holder covers in everything but the base models. Its my understanding that if you don't like the covers you can leave them lowered all the time.

Here is my choice I think, seems to change all the time..
http://www.porsche.com/microsite/por...px?c=/PJC9G6U9

Really need to hit the dealer to check out cars and see when it might show up if I ordered one.