Kickin' Tires: Porsche Panamera

I must not be a true Porsche fan. First, I'm not wealthy enough to even consider renting one. Second, I welcome cars like the Boxter, Cayenne, Cayman, and the latest Panamera. Many Porsche fanatics would have me beheaded and quartered, drug through the streets of Stuttgart, Germany for blasphemy. Sure, they're not the 911, 928, or a 959, but in my eyes, they all wear the Porsche badge.

The Boxter came into play when Porsche was somewhat struggling financially, and played a key role in stabilizing the company. Though not much to hoot and hollar about, the Boxter has been a success for Porsche, and you see them everywhere.

The Cayenne was more controversal, it being an SUV made by a sports car brand. Though odd and out of place, the Cayenne is one of the fastest (if not the fastest) SUV's on the road today, proving it can hold true to Porsche's performance standards.

Recently introduced into the lineup is the Cayman. At first glance, it's a boxter with a hard top. But don't be fooled, the Cayman has been labled by many to be (*whisper it*) better than the 911. It's balance is better than the 911, and with a bit more power (and a more attractive behind) we might find the 911 obsolete.

Now, Porsche has gone to another level entirely. Say good-bye to BMW's 7-series and the Benz S-Class: the Panamera is here. Nowhere else can you find gravity bending performance combined with pure luxury. I guess you could call it a Hybrid, so to speak. The Panamera seats four adults in a four door, first class setting which makes aircraft takeoff feel lethargic. It's standard V8 produces 400 hp, while a turbo version will pump out 500 plus, launching you and three friends to 60 mph in, oh, about 4 seconds. The supercars welcome you, the first four-door, with open arms and tears in their eyes. They never thought it would be possible, and neither did we.

The Panamera is pure Porsche, in styling, comfort, handling and

performance. It's curves, modeled after the Porsches of old, are as timeless and smooth as the 911 Turbo of 1975. The only downside with this four-door beauty, like nearly every Porsche before it, is the pricetag. True Porsche indeed. At a six-figure pricetag, the Panamera is for the rich and famous. Maybe in a few decades I can afford to buy a used one.
-Biggs