Porsche Panamera, our white moonlight
On a clear night, with the moon shining bright like a silver platter, I was contemplating in the restroom when the office lad suddenly rushed in, his excitement barely contained as he grabbed me and said:
Bro, I bought it!
Here's the story— it must have been one day last year when the lad came over with a "tap tap tap" and earnestly asked me, "Bro, what do you think of the Panamera? Is it worth getting?"
That day, I told him to get lost.
By the end of last year, he said, forget it, maybe I should just get a random car for commuting. He swiftly ordered a NIO EC6. For a while, I thought the Panamera obsession was over.People must always believe that unexpected things can happen anytime, anywhere. In the restroom, a young man pulled me aside and said he had bought it! I asked, "Bought what? What did you buy?"
"It's the Panamera I mentioned to you before," the young man continued, "The 2024 model, with a 12% discount, so I opted for some additional features, costing over 300,000, but the dealership insisted on a loan. When are you going to review it?"
"Review, review, review, tomorrow we'll review! I'll use my newly bought camera, a new machine to capture the new car!"
And here it is, the all-new 2024 Panamera 2.9T.Change of Thought
There are rumors circulating that Porsche designers have the easiest job, as they use the same design for decades. In fact, the more successful a design is, the harder it is to overturn; it can only be fine-tuned based on the technological level of the time in aspects such as aerodynamics and lighting groups.
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Of course, as someone on the fringe of high society, I haven't been paying attention to the updates on the Panamera for a long time. It wasn't until the new Panamera was parked in front of me that I keenly realized the extent of the changes.
The entire car has changed from Porsche's previous rounded silhouette, resembling a young man who has made up his mind to work out, with lines becoming more angular and sharp. The large area of cooling holes left under the front bumper has further enhanced the visual performance of the Panamera.Additionally, the front light clusters have also undergone a transformation. The shape of the headlights has become more square and substantial, with the four-dot daytime running lights inside seemingly becoming a new signature for Porsche, and they are not absent on the Panamera.
Furthermore, the turn signals have been changed from the previous generation's horizontal placement to a vertical orientation, which from a slightly greater distance resembles the Taycan. Perhaps this is the latest family design language that Porsche wants to showcase.
Regardless, from a distance of 50 meters, you can still accurately identify this as a Porsche!
Additionally, the vents on the fenders have been redesigned to be hidden, "paying homage" to the Xiaomi SU7. The side skirts and waistline of the previous model of the Panamera were straightforward, but the new model has been modified to be "contoured" on the basis of the overall "straight" design, perhaps the designer also believes that being too straight is not quite right.The taillights are the most significant change in this facelift: the full-width taillights are part of Porsche's latest design language, and have you noticed that most full-width taillights on the market are on a "plane," while Porsche's are "curved," three-dimensional. This may not increase the cost significantly, but it certainly boosts the recognition and premium feel! Combined with Porsche's proud "rear end," it's like a stretched 911!
If the "change" in appearance is not obvious enough, then the interior is a real "breakthrough," even to the point of "pandering"!
What do you see in this interior photo? It's all screens! Who does this remind you of? The new forces in car manufacturing! Even the densely packed functional buttons on my favorite armrest are gone! That's part of Porsche's "DNA"!Now, you can only find out what options this Porsche has selected through the options list. What's more, the gear lever has changed; now Porsche has installed it on the right side of the steering wheel, which is really unfamiliar at first and requires some time to get used to.
Fortunately, the air conditioning area retains physical buttons and has generously provided four-zone independent air conditioning. Despite, well, a strong "Audi" flavor~
The most exaggerated part is not even these; the "racing genes" that Porsche takes pride in and often uses to tell stories and make money—the design of "the key is on the left side of the steering wheel" has also been "revolutionarily" canceled.
Now? It's just a regular start button.
So, since we're talking about "genes," sigh, the "five-link dashboard," it has also changed, and it can display more information now. No comment, such is the trend.The transformation also stems from restrained color schemes. It's important to note that in the past, Porsches were all about bold reds and purples; let me show you a picture for comparison. The new model clearly reduces the red areas and lowers the saturation, no longer being so "garish."
I can't help but comment that, while Porsche's interior design is not exactly cheap, it's at best on par with the level of cars costing around 300,000 to 400,000 RMB in China, not to mention the overwhelming plastic feel of various buttons and levers.
The main event, of course, is the driving experience, which can be said to permeate the "Porsche" brand from beginning to end.
"Go on, go on!" the young man fanned the flames from the side.
Turning the knob to "Sport Plus," I floor the brake, step on the gas, around 5000 RPMs, the launch control automatically activates, release the brake, accompanied by the deep growl of the six-cylinder 2.9T EA839 beast, the thrust takes over the body, the Panamera hesitates for a moment and then shoots forward, hahaha, it's really fun!I absolutely adore this brand-new 8-speed PDK gearbox; compared to its predecessors, the changes are just too significant. There's no need to mention the launch control; no dual-clutch transmission can compete with PDK.
In "Normal" mode, it's so smooth that one might doubt whether it's a dual-clutch at all. Of course, at low speeds, there's still a slight jerkiness. Beyond that speed range, its performance is almost akin to that of an electric vehicle! In "Sport Plus" mode, it provides ample sensory stimulation; the clunking shifts remind you that this is a sports car in a sedan's clothing! And its jolts are truly much better than those of the 7-speed PDK.
In comfort mode, it can even compete with a similarly priced S 450 L, although it's a close call at best.
In keeping with the times, the steering feel of the Panamera has also become much lighter. It's no longer heavy-handed; how to put it? Everyone has driven an Audi, right? It's similar to that feeling! It's a bit vague at low speeds, but once it gets going, it remains precise.
02Undoubtedly, the constant foundation of Porsche's standing is driving. In the realm of ultra-luxury sports, there are hardly any competitors now. For me, give me a car, the brand that can give me enough confidence to take corners and push the limits is Porsche (the deeper reason is that I don't have access to Lamborghini, Ferrari, or McLaren owners).
The excellent chassis tuning, with front 275mm and rear 325mm tire width, gives me full confidence. As expected, on the big bend that I am familiar with, I didn't even push the Panamera to its limit on the first try, not even a squeal of the tires.
It even behaves like an all-wheel-drive car, with the front tires firmly gripping the ground, not giving me a hint of a heart-pounding loss of control, too boring, right? No, that's not it, I just haven't pushed it to its limit yet. With my courage, for this level of sharp bend, I dare not challenge it for now, after all, this is the office guy's car, and he is sitting right next to me!The unchanging aspect, as well as Porsche's ultimate pursuit of performance, is not just about a single figure of horsepower, but rather the entire power system in conjunction with the chassis's compatibility, which is crucial for whether you can drive with ease and satisfaction.
Of course, the unchanging also includes the classic sports car design inherited by Porsche, the iconic "big frog" design, which is smooth, full, and effortless, making it irresistible.
The unchanging, naturally, is the charm of the three words "Porsche," which attracts many ambitious people, garners the envious glances of passersby, and inspires many young people to strive for success!
What remains unchanged is still the curve of the mouth when driving this beauty, the adrenaline surge during moments of passion, or the quiet appreciation after getting out of the car.Let's all work hard together! Everyone!
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