And somehow, the car looks even more aggressive in lego form.

The new address for this blog is: 

http://passionforcars-vikram-singh.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there.

Cheers

-Vikram

Well, what can one think of the Porsche Panamera?  The front is unmistakably Porshe.  So is the rear…. after our hearts and minds adjusted to the Cayenne.  And the minor camouflaging isn’t enough to confuse impressions of what the spoiler would look like….. unless they ended up without a spoiler.   But still, Porshe, you’ve just diluted your brand for me.  I can never see Lamborghini doing this!

Random thought – if there’s a spoiler, and some machinery to control it (assuming that its not fixed in place, which hopefully it isn’t), then how far does that cut into trunk space? 

The new address for this blog is: 

http://passionforcars-vikram-singh.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there.

Cheers

-Vikram

It had an inline 4-cylinder engine with 169 horsepower.  Now I drive a 300+hp monster of a BMW 335i, so I was expecting a disappointing drive.  However, given my lower expectations, the Malibu did well.  It had decent pick-up, nice and comfortable at top speed.  The only hitch came when the accelerator was floored while driving on the freeway;  the engine screamed loudly, the car shuddered a bit, but it took perceptible seconds before it started accelerating.  I would be cautious about overtaking in tight situations.

The car’s exterior looks have changed a bit.  I like the new aggressive front grill.  But Chevy had better know what its doing – the grill looks like it would appeal more to younger folks; but I can’t imagine the 20 – 30 year old set buying a Malibu over a Honda Accord, a Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, or even the Ford Fusion.  So they might completely miss their current older market segment, who might prefer a more relaxed look.

The interior is nice and relaxed, though, and very spacious, specially in terms of leg room.  I do also like that there is a single “info” button on the steering wheel, which gives you major car data, including tire pressure.  Thing to note, though – seemed our tire pressure readings were off, way off.  The interior has no major bells or whistles, but that’s ok in this price range.  

Ok, on to the one major flaw – you can’t drive it aggressively on turns.  The car can’t maintain its grip, and skids if you aren’t driving carefully.  Again, that means the Malibu is really for the 40+ age group, or at the least for the cautious and conservative type…. who like a dash of danger, delivered by the grill.

Finally, a close-up of the aggressive grill

I’m also going to drive a rental Mazda 6 on the way.  My co-driver, Adit, is also an avid car enthusiast.  He owns a Mazda 3s Touring Sedan with a 5-speed manual transmission, so already loves Mazdas.  His has a 2.3 liter four-cylinder engine putting out 156 bhp.

Yippee.

Disclosure – I liked this car so much, that after test-driving over 50 cars from December – March, I bought one myself. I wanted a build that wasn’t commonly available, so had to order one from Germany… which gave me the chance to drive a lot more cars before mine arrived.

So this part of the review is the summary. And the summary is…. its AWESOME!! No ifs, ands or buts. This car is the bomb! To misappropriate a quote from Jeremy Clarkson – its like a sharp Armani suit, but one you can put on all day every day.

Want to spend a very pleasant 10 – 20 minutes? Try building your own 335i Convertible!

But definitely try negotiating for a discount yourself first, before pulling out this card.

After the jump, we have 2-minute video footage of the Porsche Panamera, that shows off all the car’s lines, as well as some really nice photos.  I have to say, I’m still reserving my opinion on the car – I can’t quite figure out what to make of its shape, and the fact that Porsche is now making…. gasp… sedans!  But if I had the chance.. yes, I would indeed want to drive it on the autobahn.

Hope its worth it, to have Aston Martin and Porsche diving into the 4-door sedan market.

Porsche Panamera spy video