Porscher than your average

Porsche cars have been known for their signature offerings, particularly its light weight two-door rear-engine sports cars like the 911. However in April 2009, the car company unveiled the Panamera, a front-engine rear-wheel drive luxury four-door saloon at the 13th Auto Shanghai International Automobile Show in Shanghai, China.

The Panamera’s Edge

The Panamera was designed to be a more exciting and higher performing alternative to the long-established executive saloons such as the BMW 7 Series, the Audi A8, and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. As such, the car competes more directly with brand models like the Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class, BMW 5 Series G and Aston Martin Rapide.

Design

With its long bonnet and rear, the Panamera looks more like a stretched 911. But whereas the legendary 911 has a small interior as it was focused mainly on raw performance, the Panamera has a luxurious interior packed with modern technological gadgets and expensive leather upholstery.

Performance and Speed

The 2013 Porsche Panamera offers an array of engine choices. Apart from the base model, the luxury sport saloon can be purchased in seven trim levels including a hybrid model (hybrid cars are cars that utilize a combination of two energy sources to power them thereby reducing air pollution e.g. petrol and batteries). Also, in 2013 Porsche has introduced the GTS model, filling the gap between the 4S and the Turbo models, and adding to the remarkable Panamera range. No matter which model you sit in, it is indisputably luxurious and comfortable. Below are the available model options as at 2013

MODEL
ENGINE SIZE
ENGINE POWER
Base
3.6L
300hp
4
3.6L
300hp
Platinum Edition
3.6L
300hp
4 Platinum Edition
3.6L
300hp
S
4.8L
400hp
S Hybrid
3.0L
380hp
4S
4.8L
400hp
GTS
4.8L
430hp
Turbo
4.8L
500hp
Turbo S
4.8L
550hp

The Panamera is undoubtedly fast with the GTS model recording an acceleration of 0 to 60mph in 4.0 seconds and covering a quarter-mile distance in just 12.7 seconds. That is faster than your average Ferrari car such as the Maranello 550. The performance of the Panamera Turbo on the other hand exceeds that of the GTS with accelerations reaching 0 to 60mph in about 0.4secs less.

Porsche Panamera in Nigeria

Porsche recently opened a show room on Akin Adesola Street in Victoria Island area of Lagos, Nigeria and plans to open another one in Abuja soon. Among the luxury brand cars on display in the Lagos show room are the Panamera, 911, Boxter and the Cayeene SUV.

Nigerians are known for their sophistication and flamboyance and these drive the need to stand out from others. The Porsche Panamera can be spotted on roads within Victoria Island, Ikoyi and some parts of Ikeja in Lagos and always a sight to behold.The car can also be spotted in other cities in Nigeria such as Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Aba, Kano, etc

The driving experience in Nigeria

However, only a few owners of this machine which provides drivers with an exhilarating driving experience can enjoy its full potential on Nigerian roads. This is due to the fact that the deplorable state of most Nigerian roads offers super cars very limited opportunity to exhibit their full potential. Even where good roads exist in Lagos for example, the volume of traffic plying them still poses a limitation to the performance of the Panamera and other super cars alike.

Another reason is that most Nigerians show little interest in understanding the full capabilities of their vehicles (even vehicles as basic as the Toyota Corolla). Vehicle manuals lay fallow in the pigeon holes of most Nigerian cars and may never even be touched throughout the vehicle’s lifetime.

For an owner to experience the huge adrenaline rush a drive in the Panamera can deliver, the vehicle has to be taken once in a while to cities like Abuja where the highways are in large numbers and the roads are in excellent condition. Owners also have to get acquainted with all the controls of the Panamera including the buttons and switches on the dashboard and side (gear area) panel.

Choice car for Nigerian celebrities who can afford it

A few celebrities have been seen driving the Panamera. Amongst them are Ebube Nwagbo, a famous nollywood actress and Wizkid, one of the most popular pop artists right now. Wizkid had an accident in his Panamera which caused severe damage to the vehicle but surprisingly, he had it replaced with a new one less than two weeks from the day the incident occurred. Talk about love for a particular car.

The Porsche Panamera sells for a minimum price of about N15,000,000 to a price tag as high as N50,000,000 or more depending on the model option and degree of customization.

WORLDS BY: AWOBAJO JIDE

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