Lebowski said"I couldn’t disagree more. The Panamera’s incredible handling (I’m assuming it’s incredible, anyway) would likely be used and appreciated every day: On highway on-ramps, passing maneuvers, ducking in and out of traffic, powering up icy hills, the list goes on…forget the pleasure you’d get from driving it, it’s probably one of the safest cars out there because of its size, weight, and superior ability to get out of its own way. "
I never said it would not be fun to drive, but day to day, in traffic, I have never exceeded the limits of my Mazdaspeed 3, whose limits are much lower than the Porsche. All that extra power is great too, but how many people will open the taps on the way to work?
As far as 4 foot snow drifts, your comments prove my point, no vehicle would be any better, but nor would it be any worse. Why not a used Ford Focus with a good set of snow tires, how much would that 400 HP help?
Again, my point is not that this is not a great car in many ways, and that the driver won't enjoy wheel time, but trying to rationalize it as a sensible choice doesn't make sense to me. It is an emotional choice, or a fashion choice. The idea that 400+ horsepower helps on the trip to get groceries makes little sense.
@SJP, fair point, but the Panamera is a sensible choice exactly because it *can* get groceries but it also *can* rip to 60mph quicker than most sports cars, when you want it to. It's a great all-in-one car for the enthusiast. The fact that you can get supercar performance in a practical, luxurious package, negates the need for a second, dedicated sports car, and proves this car’s practicality, from the enthusiast’s perspective.
Your needs for a commuter car are not the same as everyone’s. Yes, Mazda3 is a great car, but when you do want to drive spiritedly, rather than drive the Mazda home and slip into the weekender sports car you might have waiting in your garage, the Panamera offers something approaching an all-in-one proposition; some people, even if they could afford a 2nd car, only want one, i.e. many city dwellers.
I still am not getting your point re: 4 foot snow drift. Agreed, yes, you aren’t going anywhere in either car, sure, understood. Where I live, I never encounter a 4-foot drift, or at least not one that I absolutely need to get through. And if I did, I’d probably be staying home anyway.
As for commutes, personally, I look forward to driving my turbo Subaru after a long work day, and I definitely enjoy the rush of the turbo boost and AWD handling, even if I only get to use it for a combined 30 seconds of my 20 minute drive home, traffic being what it is. And I’m sure those 30 seconds would be that much more fun with another 150hp and proper 50-50 weight distribution. But I digress.
Objectively, of course, I’ll concede there is little practical about a $100k, 400hp, hatchback that only seats 4. But where is the cutoff here? At what price and what HP rating does a car go from being a highly capable all-rounder, to a purely emotional choice? If on-road performance and driving fun is paramount on one’s list of criteria, and one can afford it, then the Panamera can be immensely practical, based on one’s own, subjective needs.