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Passenger in a Pana 4s today

3K views 38 replies 16 participants last post by  MBrown1003 
#1 ·
i didn't have a stop watch, but it's not as fast as my car. feels firmer, probably better in the turns. the interior is interesting, i really do like the array of buttons up the center console, and the drivers array has the navigation right on it. it had the brushed silver which looked very slick, but the dash was, i dont know flat, not intimate, felt very wide, and i'm not sure how much wider than an f10 it really is. and if you have complaints about the ventilated seats in the F10, you would hate the pana's.

The sound of the engine (this one had the PDK) is very angry and it grunts and snarls, but the low end power is not as impressive as the twin turboed 550 with Dinan. I think that with the right exhaust/intakes, the 550i would sound every bit as impressive. My buddy paid 95 for a very well optioned pana. at 78 MSRP, my 550i is more car.

flame suit on
 
#2 ·
Why would anyone ever consider flaming you for your honest unbiased and very insightful comparison?

Okay, now I've got my suit on too. ;)
 
#5 ·
yah, i think turbo is probably not the right comp for the 550i w/ Dinan given double the price moderately equipped
 
#7 ·
i didn't have a stop watch, but it's not as fast as my car. feels firmer, probably better in the turns. the interior is interesting, i really do like the array of buttons up the center console, and the drivers array has the navigation right on it. it had the brushed silver which looked very slick, but the dash was, i dont know flat, not intimate, felt very wide, and i'm not sure how much wider than an f10 it really is. and if you have complaints about the ventilated seats in the F10, you would hate the pana's.

The sound of the engine (this one had the PDK) is very angry and it grunts and snarls, but the low end power is not as impressive as the twin turboed 550 with Dinan. I think that with the right exhaust/intakes, the 550i would sound every bit as impressive. My buddy paid 95 for a very well optioned pana. at 78 MSRP, my 550i is more car.

flame suit on
I've driven both and wound up ordering the 550iX. The Pana cornered almost as well as my 997.It handled very well.
I thought the 550 was a great car......I've never had a BMW and can't comment on the differences in the steering from previous iterations.
The A6 I drove was a delightful car as well.
I avoided the Merc......can't stand the styling and old tech. But that's a very personal feeling.

How did it compare to your car prior to the Dinan Stage 1?
 
#8 ·
you know i don't remember the 550 with out the tune. i think it probably is faster than the stock though. it is an impressive car. the aesthetics are completely objective. i don't think it's unattractive at all. but performance wise, i think that the 550i with the tune gets the nod. now if we could just pump up those decibels.
 
#9 ·
...but the low end power is not as impressive as the twin turboed 550 with Dinan.
...but the low end power is not as impressive as the twin turboed 550.

BMW 550i - Power (SAE): 400 hp @ 5500 rpm; 450 ft lb of torque @ 1750 rpm

PanameraS - Power (SAE): 400 hp @ 6500 rpm; 369 ft lb of torque @ 3500 rpm
 
#16 ·
i dont think anyone would be unhappy with either. and when the Beast comes out, it may correct many of the qualms people have about the "cushiness" of the stock F10s
 
#20 · (Edited)
i didn't have a stop watch, but it's not as fast as my car. feels firmer, probably better in the turns. the interior is interesting, i really do like the array of buttons up the center console, and the drivers array has the navigation right on it. it had the brushed silver which looked very slick, but the dash was, i dont know flat, not intimate, felt very wide, and i'm not sure how much wider than an f10 it really is. and if you have complaints about the ventilated seats in the F10, you would hate the pana's.

The sound of the engine (this one had the PDK) is very angry and it grunts and snarls, but the low end power is not as impressive as the twin turboed 550 with Dinan. I think that with the right exhaust/intakes, the 550i would sound every bit as impressive. My buddy paid 95 for a very well optioned pana. at 78 MSRP, my 550i is more car.

flame suit on
Man... I sympathize with you but...
the Porsche with respect to flexibility and turns it is an clinical instrument...
vs the 550 is a torque instrument...
can you compare violin with quitar?...
can't compare them...
this is kind of like when others tell me that I Can't compare M3 with 550i...
 
#21 ·
i can compare them, and i did. 550i w/ dinan tune wins. and i can compare an M3 with a 550i w/dinan tune too. 550i wins.

questions?
 
#23 ·
The Panamera versus the 550i...are these cars really comparable? I had always believed that the Panamera was Porsche's toehold in the executive sedan class. As for which is the quicker, the Panamera or the 550i, having never driven either car all I can tell you is that I once was driving alongside a Panamera when I had my M6 and saw it pull away so quickly that I knew that that car was/is FAST. We weren't racing; perhaps the one that pulled away from me was a turbo, I didn't think to look at the badging; but you know what I'm saying about those of us who drive fast cars and can tell when another car has "it".
 
#31 ·
dunderhi;629494[B said:
2]Dinan has measured a 25hp for their CAI prototype, but we'll need to wait to see what the production version yields.[/B] It's about airflow capacity with all new plumbing and not substandard filitering.

BMW quotes the 550xi as 0.2 seconds faster, so 0.3 seconds shouldn't be too unexpected. The test article states standing start acceleration.

As far as tires are concerned, I'm not blaming you, so don't worry about it being your fault. ;)

Finally, when comparing the M5 to the $140-150k Panamera Turbo, the M5 looks like a bargain to me.
Well that is what they like you to believe but in reality most of the gains come from the filter panel itself. It can be maid of gauss or foam which allow more air through the filter media. The only CAI that actually allow more air in due to the plumbing would be ones you see on cars with the headlights missing or something to that degree. The ones you mainly see from Dinan and the aftermarket tuners are just marketing aside from the filter media. It goes exactly in the place of your current system so unless they are able to cut out a significant amount of bends than most of the airflow increase is from the change of the paper filter media to the ones I mentioned above. I am willing to bet if you just change the filter with a gauss or foam filter that you will come very close to the gains from the CAI that will cost you an arm and a leg for.
 
#32 ·
First, it's spelled gauze, not gauss.

Second, a proper cai can reduce intake loss even with a stock filter. All depends on the intake plumbing. Very easy to test with a manometer.
Third, 25 HP from a proper cai is an absurd claim unless the stock intake is the size of a paper straw.

Sent from my DROIDX using Bimmer
 
#33 ·
I came around to liking the pana look as time passed.

I drove a 4S, I liked the car, but a little too much exhaust note at routine speed and acceleration for me. As most that consider a pana, the cost is the deal breaker.

If I were comfortable with the price level of the pana, I would be starting to wonder why I wasn't looking at 911's instead. I know the rear seats fill a need for the people that buy them, but when cost hits $100k and over, I would be on the 911 configurator trying to pick a color.
 
#34 ·
I came around to liking the pana look as time passed.

I drove a 4S, I liked the car, but a little too much exhaust note at routine speed and acceleration for me. As most that consider a pana, the cost is the deal breaker.

If I were comfortable with the price level of the pana, I would be starting to wonder why I wasn't looking at 911's instead. I know the rear seats fill a need for the people that buy them, but when cost hits $100k and over, I would be on the 911 configurator trying to pick a color.
bingo. and the new 911 and 911s can be configured now on the website. oh right, i havent done that. :)
 
#39 ·
That was the deal-breaker for me. That, and the cost.
 
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