Test drive Porsche's million-dollar double car: choose 911 or the new Panamera,

tech | 2024-03-24

It's a rare opportunity to test drive both flagship models of Porsche at the same time:

One is the classic of Porsche classics—the 911;

The other is Porsche's latest flagship executive luxury D-segment car—the third-generation Panamera.

Although this experience was not long, the driving conditions were very rare, as it was on a slippery road surface in the rain to experience the handling performance that Porsche takes pride in.

01

911, Unbridled Passion

It's considered to have "used up the entire month's luck" to be assigned a 911 model among the Porsche lineup that costs over a million. The 911 tested this time is a Carrera T within the family, and it features a very distinctive Python Green body color. In addition, it has been equipped with a black interior, green dashboard, a Lizard Green Sport Chrono stopwatch, green seatbelts, and more, making the design of this 911 T very eye-catching due to the costly optional extras.Perhaps aside from the classic postman green of British cars, only the sports car stance of the 911 can handle such a vibrant green paint job. However, it's a pity that Porsche no longer offers the Python Green color.

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Of course, the classic design elements of the 911 are indeed captivating, including the round headlights, the low front face, and the large air intakes on both sides, showcasing a sporty yet elegant design. What I hadn't noticed before is that the daytime running lights of the Porsche 911, in addition to the rectangular light groups within the circular light clusters, also feature a linear arrangement of daytime running lights on both air intakes.

The entire body lines of the 911 are also quite smooth, having undergone decades of iteration and fine-tuning, almost becoming the most classic roofline for a two-door coupe, and the wide rear shoulders' curves are almost flawless, displaying an elegant sense of power. The Carrera T model tested this time uses mixed tires, with front 20-inch and rear 21-inch rims, which bring better stability.

The rear design of the new 911 has more of the modern car's fashion sense, including a retractable spoiler and a through-type taillight cluster, which are becoming increasingly common in new energy vehicles. However, the rear-engine layout also gives the 911 a classic rear air intake design, and when switching to sport mode, the air intakes open up earlier, making the engine's roar more impressive.

The interior of the all-new 911 features more technological characteristics, including paddle shifters, a combined LCD instrument cluster, and a central control screen, and the LCD instrument cluster also features a five-dial design, which is a classic Porsche design. The central control screen is obviously quite restrained, embedded in the dashboard, and not at all conspicuous.

The 911 still retains a large number of physical control buttons, which is also for the convenience of blind operation during driving, especially for sports exhaust and suspension, which can be directly adjusted — and the classic driving mode knob is still operable on the steering wheel. As for the voice control and navigation customized by Porsche for the Chinese market, to be honest, they are not very user-friendly, but this may not be a big concern for the wealthy.

This time, the 911 Carrera T is still equipped with a 3.0L displacement, twin-turbocharged flat engine, with an output power of 283kW and a torque of 450N·m. This parameter may not seem as impressive as the three to four hundred kilowatts that electric vehicles often boast, but for a Porsche sports car with a curb weight of only 1.53 tons, this power-to-weight ratio is quite remarkable. Additionally, the Porsche 911 T also uses mixed tires, with front wheels being 20-inch rims with a tire width of 245; the rear wheels are 21-inch rims with a tire width of 305. Therefore, the Porsche 911 T can achieve a 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4 seconds, which is 0.2 seconds faster than the base model.

Upon getting behind the wheel of the 911, the first impression is that, aside from a stiffer suspension and heavier throttle and steering, it doesn't feel much different from driving other sports cars. This is actually intentional on Porsche's part; the 911 is designed to be a sports car that ordinary people can drive in everyday situations. It doesn't require a high level of driving skill to handle, after all, not all wealthy individuals are expert drivers.The 8-speed PDK transmission equipped in the 911 ensures a very smooth gear shift even at mid to low speeds, with almost imperceptible gear changes in Normal mode, providing a very smooth experience. However, once on the highway, if you suddenly floor the throttle, the PDK can directly drop to second gear, and the car quickly unleashes a massive torque that pushes you forward, with the gear changes being incredibly swift. The entire coordination process between the engine and transmission truly gives you a sense of mechanical precision, which is very exciting.

If you don't want such rapid acceleration and just want to overtake by simply changing lanes, then by pressing the accelerator to about 50%, the gear might drop to third, which results in a less aggressive impact but still provides an exhilarating acceleration performance. Even after releasing the throttle, the entire drivetrain will maintain a certain level of "high sensitivity" for a while, with the engine speed remaining high and the gear in a lower position, only "relaxing" once it confirms that the driver is cruising.

These are just the performances in Normal mode. If you choose Sport mode, the exhaust note becomes more exhilarating, the throttle response is more sensitive, and the entire suspension system becomes stiffer, with the vehicle stability system allowing the driver to let loose even more. If you have more confidence in your driving skills, there is also the Sport Plus mode to satisfy you, where the car's electronic systems are more open, and there is less intervention for the driver.

However, during this test drive of the 911 T, we unexpectedly encountered rain, so the entire high-speed driving process was conducted on slippery, even puddle-filled roads. At this time, we rarely experienced the WET mode provided by the 911 T, which is the slippery road mode. Simply put, the WET mode is more like the "comfort mode" offered by ordinary cars, with throttle response being a bit slower, power output being more gentle, and the steering and entire chassis not being as tense, making for a more relaxed drive, all to avoid accidents on slippery roads due to too rapid responses.

Of course, the true stage for the Porsche 911 T is on the high-speed sections of the highway, where not only is the speed impressive, but most importantly, the entire chassis is stable enough. Even when driving at speeds exceeding 120 kilometers per hour on slippery roads, it remains extremely stable. A slight movement of your hands results in a slight movement of the front of the car; it won't suddenly start acting out. The chassis' response to road surface joints and its subsequent settling are quite quick, with almost no bouncing sensation. What's more exaggerated is that when we encountered two consecutive puddles on the road, the 911 drove over them with the entire body remaining very stable, as smooth as the surface of the water.

02

The Panamera, More Than Just PassionAfter a brief test drive of the Porsche 911 T, I switched to the all-new Panamera, which offered a more diverse range of driving conditions, including mountain road curves and some high-speed sections.

The first impression upon transitioning from the 911 T to the brand-new Panamera was that the latter indeed felt more like an executive-level luxury sedan. The steering feel, throttle pedal, and chassis feedback were all more comfortable, and one might even consider the steering to be slightly on the lighter side.

The Panamera I tested was also a base model, without the featured plug-in hybrid powertrain or the PAR active suspension. Its main selling point was the standard inclusion of the dual-chamber, dual-valve air suspension system known as PASM.

During the entire driving process, it was evident that the tuning of the 2.9T V6 engine was not as direct and aggressive as that of the 911. Instead, it offered a more gentle and steady output, which becomes apparent at speeds above 120 km/h—I cannot specify the exact speed I reached, but I can assure you that Porsche's high-speed performance will never disappoint.

The dual-chamber, dual-valve air suspension that comes standard on this model has already been utilized in the all-new Cayenne, and its advantage lies in the ability to create a more distinct difference in damping between comfort and sport modes, thus providing a greater range of driving experiences. In practical experience, the difference in the chassis between Normal and Sport modes was indeed more significant than expected. However, Porsche is, after all, a sports brand. Even though the Panamera is positioned as an executive luxury sedan, it retains some road feel in comfort mode. It's not the soft and cushioned up-and-down movement you might imagine, but rather a more textured shock absorption treatment.In fact, driving a Panamera on mountain roads still gives a sense of driving a large vehicle, as the 5-meter body size does have a noticeable impact on the overall handling feel, especially when I've just switched from a 911. However, once on the highway, the new generation Panamera can clearly demonstrate its million-dollar worth, with the chassis stability remaining uniquely Porsche, even when rolling over road seams or large undulations, there is no sense of being thrown around at high speeds.

At the same time, when navigating the bends on the highway, you will find that the Panamera's stability is quite impressive. Unlike other models where you might need to make steering adjustments mid-corner, the Panamera can maintain a stable course through the bend after you've set the steering angle, showing considerable robustness.

Moreover, at high speeds, when performing consecutive quick lane changes, the entire vehicle's rear axle follows without any of the sluggishness you might expect from a 5-meter vehicle. There is no unnecessary side-to-side sway, allowing for smooth and rapid consecutive lane changes without the need for the driver to wait for the vehicle to stabilize, which keeps the driving pace quick.

Regarding the changes in the interior and exterior design of the new Panamera, I personally believe that the most significant change in the latest generation model is the more angular details, which align with the aesthetics of the digital age. The interior still maintains the classic Porsche style, but the new Panamera is clearly more orderly and stable. You can't really find any major issues, and the craftsmanship and materials are definitely at the million-dollar level.

The only question is, I don't quite understand why Porsche designed such a plain start button for the new Panamera?03

Porsche Experience Summary

In a single day, I had the privilege to test drive two Porsche models that are worth a million, and as a veteran automotive media person who has driven hundreds of cars over the past decade, I have some profound feelings. It feels as if Porsche plants a seed in a person, giving you the opportunity to experience what the best two cars in the world look like and how they feel to drive, and then it gives you a dream, a hope to one day own one of them.

After the test drive, I chatted with Porsche personnel, and when some media members shared which Porsche model they would choose, most still said they liked the Cayenne. However, for me, if given a million dollars, I would unhesitatingly choose the 911. This is the most dazzling jewel in the crown of the Porsche brand, the pinnacle of industrial products on this blue planet that allows ordinary people to experience the best.

This is the charm of the Porsche million-dollar selection. You might be able to own a Macan or a 718 for a few hundred thousand, but you will always imagine the moment of owning a 911, and what you would look like driving the best Porsche. As I said, if I start saving 100,000 dollars a year from now, perhaps by the time I retire, I could own a 911, which would be a sufficiently blissful thing.