Vs Panamera GTS vs F10 M5

[umwolverine]

I'm one of three or four people on the Panamera Board that decided on the GTS instead of the new M5. AND, we're all former E60 M5 owners. This tells me that a number of well informed BMW people have made the decision to purchase the GTS instead of the F10 M5. I gave up my 'first in line' spot at the dealer.

I do think these cars are real competitors because:

1. Their pricing is similar. Yes, the GTS is some $15K more, but it's in the 'buyers range' for a car like this.
2. Yes, the M5 will blow the panny away in a straight line test. But I think the panny will hold it's own on the track. Sport Auto had a 1:13.5 time in sub-freezing temperatures vs a 1:12.9 time for the M5 in ideal conditions. I'll bet their track times are very similar, and that means the GTS must handle way better, given the 130HP deficit it's making up.
3. Yes, some say the panny is ugly, and the M5 is definitely better looking from most angles. But at least the panny looks like a 4-door $100K super car. The M5 looks like a tricked out 5-series, and might just be too 'subtle'.
4. The interior of the Panny is one of the best of any car available. The bimmer is better than the E60, but doesn't measure up to the panny.
5. The M5 has the most ridiculous feature of any car in the last 20 years - PRE RECORDED PIPED IN EXHAUST SOUND, because the natural engine noise doesn't get through the cabin. The panny has both the 'sport exhaust' and the 'sound symposer' - fantastic solutions to having a quiet car when you want it, but having a sports sound when you want that.
6. The panny is AWD. Big advantage in the snow belt, and a much more practical car for driving long-distances when you don't know what the weather will be.

So, I think the GTS is the better car.

 

[klier]

Cheers mate, and power to you!

But please try to keep a pokerface when you get trashed by the M5. On the track and on the straight

 

[Zafiro]

M5 for me. I simple dont like the design of the Panama. And for the normal streets both cars are just fine, more power and handling I will ever need and able to explore so the discussion about these two issues are pointless. And for the track these two are big and heavy and it takes away the driving fun. They are not trackcars.

Heck, I dont want M5 or Panamera, I rather spend my money on 1M.

 

[Deckhook]

The Panny just feels so wide on the road and the whole idea of driving it quickly down a narrow B-road isn't something I would cherish doing, especially with other traffic coming the other direction. So it's M5 for me all the way.

 

[Sayyaaf]

The Panny just feels so wide on the road and the whole idea of driving it quickly down a narrow B-road isn't something I would cherish doing, especially with other traffic coming the other direction. So it's M5 for me all the way.

so true.

Congrats on the Panamera. You will be happy with any of them.

 

[K-A]

Cheers mate, and power to you!

But please try to keep a pokerface when you get trashed by the M5. On the track and on the straight

LOL. You're such a keyboard racer, head in the clouds, always, we can count on you.

To O/P. I think you made a wise decision. Rarely do people use these cars for all out track racing, so the performance difference probably would never be a factor in real world driving. The Panny is a higher segment car, and carries that in its road presence and essence. Yes, I think many cars are technically better looking than a Panny, but not many, if any, are as exotic in the 4-Door segment.

To me, M5's and E63's, etc. are kind of pointless (this is a personal thing, to me, not saying it would be to all), so if I'm spending that kind of coin, and have those two choices.... Panny GTS ALL the way.

 

[Gianclaudio]

Cheers mate, and power to you!

But please try to keep a pokerface when you get trashed by the M5. On the track and on the straight

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

The Panny is too ugly to my taste, to even consider it. If I got it for free, I'll sell it and buy another car

 

[330CIZHP]

Cheers man! Glad you thought through it very well and came up with your preferences, which helped you decide which car to pick. Cannot go wrong with a "Porsche".

p.s. I was laughing so hard reading your "pre-recorded piped exhaust/intake sounds" comment. Well put!

I'm one of three or four people on the Panamera Board that decided on the GTS instead of the new M5. AND, we're all former E60 M5 owners. This tells me that a number of well informed BMW people have made the decision to purchase the GTS instead of the F10 M5. I gave up my 'first in line' spot at the dealer.

I do think these cars are real competitors because:

1. Their pricing is similar. Yes, the GTS is some $15K more, but it's in the 'buyers range' for a car like this.
2. Yes, the M5 will blow the panny away in a straight line test. But I think the panny will hold it's own on the track. Sport Auto had a 1:13.5 time in sub-freezing temperatures vs a 1:12.9 time for the M5 in ideal conditions. I'll bet their track times are very similar, and that means the GTS must handle way better, given the 130HP deficit it's making up.
3. Yes, some say the panny is ugly, and the M5 is definitely better looking from most angles. But at least the panny looks like a 4-door $100K super car. The M5 looks like a tricked out 5-series, and might just be too 'subtle'.
4. The interior of the Panny is one of the best of any car available. The bimmer is better than the E60, but doesn't measure up to the panny.
5. The M5 has the most ridiculous feature of any car in the last 20 years - PRE RECORDED PIPED IN EXHAUST SOUND, because the natural engine noise doesn't get through the cabin. The panny has both the 'sport exhaust' and the 'sound symposer' - fantastic solutions to having a quiet car when you want it, but having a sports sound when you want that.
6. The panny is AWD. Big advantage in the snow belt, and a much more practical car for driving long-distances when you don't know what the weather will be.

So, I think the GTS is the better car.

 

[Sayyaaf]

I really can argue ponints 1-5 but 6 I have no clue about driving in snow.

One thing though, Panamera 4S or GTS were really tall geared from 3rd gear onward, don't be surprized if a C350 or 335, 135 can beat it from 100Km/h onwards. It happened to me many times that I gave up on straights

Just worth mentioning in UAE Panamera GTS is as expensive as M5.

 

[Merc1]

Interesting look at both of these, the very 2 sedans I came down too having to choose between. I too like the Panamera's interior and the fact that it is a Porsche and the design for better or worse is far more unique than the M5, which is a afterall another version of the 5-Series. That said, I just couldn't plunk down the money on the Panamera because of the design and the fact that it will get a facelift, most likely early next year. I just realized the 5-Series will likely get one also, for what will be the 2014 model year in the U.S. i.e. sometime next year. BMW did this last time right after the M5 came out. For 2000 M5 came out, then the 5-Series got a facelift for 2001. If it isn't/wasn't going to be a BMW for me it would be the Panamera. It is a more special car to me, but I just hate the hunchback look from the side profile view.



M

 

[Merc1]

I just had to go build one again, my Pana GTS comes out to 135K with the options I want. I bet a loaded M5 in the U.S. will fall between 110-120K. Pricing for the M5 is about 3 weeks away from being announced.


M

 

[K-A]

I think the facelift 5-Series should come out in 2015 MY. Isn't it usually 1 year after the E-Class (1 year launch after E-Class, so it would give them the same cycle 'till the facelift, and the E gets a 2014 lift)?

 

[f_klo]

I dont the M5 is a direct rival of the Panamera. The 6 Grancoupe is! and looking at the price of the normal 640i/650i GC you'd be wondering who would buy the 6GC over its own M5. The answer is they are cars in different categories(4door coupe VS sedan)

 

[mini_cooper4]

I dont the M5 is a direct rival of the Panamera. The 6 Grancoupe is! and looking at the price of the normal 640i/650i GC you'd be wondering who would buy the 6GC over its own M5. The answer is they are cars in different categories(4door coupe VS sedan)

Exactly! The 6GC is the main competitor of the Panamera
The CLS and A7 not that much as they are not as premium as the Pana and GC

 

[Levi68]

The Panamera is nice but the rear is ugly IMO, even worse than the A7. I will not sound better than a Maserati Quattroporte, and the M550d xDrive is faster yet more efficient and also has AWD.

 

[Merc1]

You're dreaming and falling for that marketing nonsense if you think actual buyers aren't comparing the Panamera to the M5. Of course the cars are competitors. The CLS, 6 GC and what not are sedans styled like coupes, lets quit the nonsense people. The M5 and Panamera are competitors for sure.


M

 

[umwolverine]

Like I said, we have 3-4 former E60 M5 owners that chose the GTS over the F10 M5, so I think it's a competitor.

No doubt the M5 is a great car, but I really didn't need 560 HP for the street. I'd rather have a car that meets/exceeds the M5 in most other categories, and handles better.

 

[K-A]

The Panamera and 6 GC are NOT *direct* competitors. The Panamera is NOT a "4-Door Coupe".

The Panamera seems to confuse people as to what it is, as it's more things than one.

The 6GC, CLS, and A7 are DIRECT competitors.

The Panamera has enough headroom to fit tall drivers in, the 6 GC, CLS, and A7 can't comfortably fit anyone in the front or back who's over 6'2 (and that's considering they're okay with having the ceiling right close to skimming their head).

Functionality still dictates best what competes with what else. In that case, actually the M5 is a closer competitor to the Panamera than the 6 GC is, as the 5-Series equals the Panamera's interior dimensional aspects more-so.

ALL that said, in the real world, people WILL CROSS SHOP ALL OF THESE CARS!!!! Of course, unless you can't fit your head into a lousily-functional "4-Door Coupe", therefore, out of all the cars mentioned here, again, the M5 and Panamera would be the closest choices.

 

[f_klo]

Actually the Panamera is a 4door coupe as you have forgotten it has the unconventional 4seat configuration no matter how you dislike the Panamera's looks. So the direct competitor IS the 6GC. Its just like those people buying X6M, its in a class of its own where no other SUV has a 4seat configuration.

Yes in real world there is cross shopping and there are a lot of cars that will muddle this fight up. You may as well throw in S500 and 750i which are all about the same price and also has 4+ seats and 4doors 400hp+ while cross shopping.

 

[K-A]

This again comes down to what defines "4-Door Coupe".

The Panny doesn't have frameless windows, it DOES have a roomy and functional interior for tall drivers, who can fit comfortably in the front OR back, and it is a large sized car. I think the fact that Porsche, a traditionally Coupe company, had to make it look like a "Porsche", makes it appear to be designed as a "4-Door Coupe", when in fact, it's just designed to look like a Porsche.

Basically, from my perspective, the Panamera has too much utility to be a true "4-Door Coupe" (stupid, stupid term). It really is a unique kind of concept, hence the strongly polarized opinions of it.