Diggermeister said:
Congratulations. FWIW were I buying a 991 GT3, I think I would actually be inclined to go PDK, as big a fan of manuals as I am, I think the whole platform and all the systems were honed to suit that transmission and, having used one, I like the way they work.
Interested to know what you think about the Panamera E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. It's on my company car list (as in I own the firm, so I can list what I like) and looks handy for lugging the dog and mountain bike about.
Panamera E-Hybrid Sport Turismo - could they make that name any longer?!!!
Panamera E-Hybrid Sport Satsuma 4x4 Turismo
It's an odd beast the Panamera. Today was the first chance I've had to stretch its legs. There are four modes, e power, hybrid, sport and sport plus. The batteries are forever being recharged when driving, including the use of regenerative braking. It's quite mesmerising watching the green block of pixels shoot up on the digital instrument panel when braking, as it charges the batteries. And similarly, it does the same in the opposite direction when you are using the electric motor.
The power delivery takes some getting used to, and I'm not there yet. Clearly their software delivers a mix of electric and ICE based on a very specific algorithm, but I've got no idea what's going on. At times, you are getting instant torque as the electric motor kicks in, and at others, it feels 'normal' and torque isn't delivered as quickly. Which makes the whole thing feel a bit inconsistent.
It's certainly got some grunt in Sport and Sport+, the 0-60 is the same as the Macan GTS, and it did feel just as quick. And 4.6 secs for a car this size is epic. On the outside I bet it sounds ok too. But inside the cabin it's a struggle to hear it properly. That's obviously by design, and it's a very nice place to be, especially on the motorway. The interior is burgundy leather, which wouldn't be my first choice. Its like sitting in a very expensive chesterfield armchair as you waft along effortlessly in the outside lane. I thought the Macan was comfortable, but this is very civilised.
It's a huge beast too, on my way back from Leeds yesterday I stopped at the Supermarket, and it's arse hung out of the space by about 3 foot. This is a fully specc'd model ( the price surprised me, well over £100k with the options), so comes with all kinds of bells and whistles. I spent about 30 minutes in said supermarket car park messing with the new infotainment system that's now appearing in newer models such as the facelifted Macan and 992. It certainly feels like a big improvement on the older PCM, and felt quite intuitive. The larger screen is impressive, along with the digital instrument panels behind the wheel.
I doubt I'd ever be interested in one, I just don't need that kind of space. But if I had kids at home and did lots of motorway miles, and wanted something more economical than a Cayenne, this would work.
