The Clark International Speedway has been the venue of more than a handful of recent car launches and manufacturer drives, but this one has been the most intriguing so far: take one Porsche Panamera, add the full length—not the abbreviated course—of the track, and watch the fireworks. Indeed, staring down the length of Clark’s main straight, with the classic Porsche fender flanks in front of us, and gripping a perfectly vertical steering wheel, it was easy to forget that we were not in a 911, but in a full-size, full-luxury four-door sedan.
Except that this was a full-size luxury sedan. It’s nowhere near the size or mass of a “four-door sports car” like say the Mazda RX-8. Rather, think of something the size of a Maserati Quattroporte. Skeptics of automotive category mash-ups and of brand-extending products—count us as one of them—were hesitant to accept the Panamera, but after a brief stint on the racetrack, those doubts are erased.
Porsche shocked the automotive world when it announced that it was branching out into SUVs with the Cayenne—a move that proved so successful that it cemented Porsche’s reputation as one of the most profitable car companies. It should have come as no surprise that its next move would be to branch out into luxury sedans—after all, Mercedes and BMW were introducing a slew of sports coupes and roadsters, so why not repay the compliment? The result is a seemingly heavy-handed combination of luxury sedan and
Porsche has gone of its way to provide a proper sports-car experience with the Panamera, beginning with the seating position. Despite the car’s height and girth, we sit low in the driver’s seat. We grip a very meaty, perfectly vertical steering wheel. We have the classic five-gauge instrument cluster in front of us, with a large tachometer dead center.
Mash the go pedal, and the Panamera obliges with a smooth surge forward. A 3.6-liter V6 mounted in the front provides 300 bhp and 400 Nm. Even though this is the base model, that’s enough to get to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds. The excellent seven-speed dual-clutch (Porsche Doppelkupplung, for the cunning linguists, or PDK for short) ticks through shifts with the clinical precision of a video game. There are shift paddles on the steering wheel spokes, but we didn’t bother with them as we concentrated on keeping the car on course.
Past the main straight of Clark Speedway, the track climbs, U-turns, then suddenly drops in a series of tight turns. Our instructor / co-driver Louie Ramirez mentioned the infamous Corkscrew turn of Laguna Seca—an inspiration for this part of the track, perhaps.
Though the Panamera accelerated fittingly, we only started believing in the car’s concept after the Clark “Corkscrew.” Any vehicle can accelerate well if fitted with a large enough engine, even a Ford E150, but to make it turn obediently on a tight track, almost as a sports car would, that takes some design and engineering effort.
The Panamera simply obeys steering wheel inputs with little hesitation. This is no lightweight car, mind you—it tips the scales at almost 1800 kg—but still felt entertaining throughout the track.
Then, with a maniacal laugh, Louie introduced us to “Level 2.” This meant switching the car’s electronics suspension system from Comfort mode, where it was throughout our earlier run, to Sport Plus. Takeoff now meant a split-second of wheelspin. The car also turned more sharply and handling tightened palpably, with the car’s dampers now set on the firmer mode.
As for the interior, every silly convenience is provided (like electric sunshades) and every surface is covered in expensive materials. The switches look like a handful at first, with a double row of buttons lined up along the center console, with more buttons on the ceiling—a helicopter pilot would probably feel right at home. An owner would no doubt find the exposed buttons easy to use, in contrast to the German wheel-and-menu switch system.
The Panamera proved roomy and comfortable in the back as well. You could ferry your great-grandfather in one and he won’t complain. The seats are supportive, the windows large, and the ceiling maintains its height all the way to the rear.
Is it a sacrilege that a heretofore producer of pure sports cars would produce such a large, heavy, luxurious four-seater GT? Perhaps before that Saturday, we thought so—but not after experiencing that the Panamera accelerates, corners, and brakes like one of the company’s famed sports cars. For a fortunate few, family drives will never be quite the same again.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.