***2010 Porsche Panamera S Crappy Pictures***

[cawimmer430]

I had a ride in a Porsche Panamera S today. My buddy Patrick was able to get one for a testdrive and he was kind enough to take me along for a ride. It?s always hard to take nice pictures of cars in the winter, especially here where the roads are salted and full of dirt. A nicely thought-out  photoshooting was therefore out of the question and I simply resorted to snapshot mode for these pictures.



First impressions. The Panamera is a pretty big car on the outside. It?s big but without coming across as massive. I?ve always liked the design from day one and I still do. The cabin is surprisingly spacious. I was able to sit in front and in the rear and in both positions the generous leg and headspace was pretty impressive. This is really the first Porsche I?ve experienced that?s very comfortable and suitable for long-distance driving as a passenger.



Upfront is a 400-horsepower 4.8-l V8 engine and it?s a beast. The acceleration is pure insanity and as a passenger you get shoved back pretty brutally. The engine sound is also awesome. It?s hard to imagine there?s still a Panamera Turbo out there and an extra horsepower package that will add even more performance! Crazy! This car had a start-stop function by the way.



Patrick did a couple of a drifts in the snow with the Panamera. We also got stuck in the snow on a muddy parking lot during our little drift photoshoot. Perhaps a Panamera 4S would have been more ideal! Anyway, to make a long story short, we got out of the snow using some twigs for the rear wheels to have some sort of surface to grip on.

Overall, a very nice car. I can?t say I?m the target market for this machine, but it?s nice to ride in as a passenger and probably even cooler to drive. Enjoy the pictures.

[Colin]

It is indeed hard to get decent pictures at this time of the year........... very short days, very long shadows, filthy roads etc. You don't seem to have done too badly, though, CW.

Still undecided on the Panamera. Deeply impressive car, technically, for sure, but I think I would still rather have the seductive Quattroporte if I wanted a car in this class and could not afford the Aston-Martin Rapide. (once you've heard a Rapide, you'd sell body parts for it, though!).

[cawimmer430]

It is indeed hard to get decent pictures at this time of the year........... very short days, very long shadows, filthy roads etc. You don't seem to have done too badly, though, CW.

I shot all photos in AUTO (no flash) mode except for the panning and snow drift photos where I used full manual control. I was really lazy - and the weather didn't help. 

Plus, there was never enough time anyway to carefully scout and select a location and take my time with the shooting...

[CALL_911]

I initially hated the styling of the Panamera, but it has definitely grown on me. It's a very, very impressive car. I'd buy it, if I were looking for a car in that class.

Problem is, I never would look for a car in that class. If I were looking for a performance sedan, I would look no further than the E90 M3. If I needed room, I'd look no further than the M5.