Obviously these takes are ridiculous in hindsight. It makes you wonder what opinions on driving that people hold today will sound just as ridiculous 60 years from now.

Lucid

I think actual enforcement of the laws we already have would be a better step to take than mandatory limiters.

There should absolutely be better enforcement of vehicle-related laws. But the issue of speed limiters deserves discussion independent of that. If all the existing laws were properly enforced, we would still have the question of whether it’s reasonable to have mandatory limiters.

How would people profit from restricting speed? I think it’s likely about control more than profit.

And it seems that there may be truth to the exaggerating of the dangers of speeding.

That’s why I linked a European study that correlates average speed with fatality instead of estimating how many crashes are influenced by speeding. You’re right though, “speeding” isn’t the objective metric it should be.

People are missing the point of the article because the author doesn’t understand how cars work. Forget the quote about the gears. The point is that the author is advocating for electronic speed limiters in cars close to the speed limit. As he notes, these are required in the EU in the form of intelligent speed assist.

There’s a reasonable discussion to be had there regarding public safety vs individual rights with respect to cars. Of course highway use is not a right nor is being able to drive at 100+ mph on the highway. Strictly speaking, neither is safety on the highway. But we all expect and demand safe roadways if we’re to use them. On the matter of speed this sub veers toward the individual’s right to whatever speed their car is capable of. But when it comes to vehicle size the sub is nearly unanimously in favor of government intervention to limit the size and weight of vehicles on the road. In practical terms large, heavy vehicles are a hazard at every speed and fast vehicles are hazards only at high speeds. But conceptually, what is the difference? In both cases it’s a question of whether the risk to public safety is worth restricting individual freedoms. If it’s simply that electronic speed limiters shift the balance to individual freedoms, why do people feel that way?

For some obvious data, higher average speed is correlated with higher fatality rates.

if on a road the average speed goes down from 120 to 119 km/h, the number of road fatalities is estimated to be reduced by 3,8% and the serious road injuries by 2,9%. And if on a road the average speed goes down from 50 to 49 km/h, this is expected to result in 5,9% fewer fatalities and 4% fewer serious road injuries.

The problem is if you have money for a Taycan, then you also have money for a true sports car.

If you have money for a Taycan then what you want is likely an EV, so the sports cars don’t matter. If interior design and quality are high up the list then the Model S is probably also not a serious consideration. That leaves the Taycan’s cousin in the e-Tron GT, and the Lucid Air Sapphire. Reviews suggest the Lucid is better but I can understand why one would be hesitant to buy from them because they’re far from established. And as for the Audi, it’s like asking if you want a navel orange or a tangerine. The Taycan still has a place IMO, but two years from now when the Lotus and Polestar competitors hit the market that could be a very different story.

but every single mainstream electric car will see an “electronics” depreciation curve.

Every single mainstream ICE car sees a depreciation curve. Based on how many ICE cars get produced, ones that appreciate in value are no less esoteric than the original Tesla roadster or the SLS AMG Electric Drive.

I’m just gonna go hit up Kathy next door. She’ll be in a really good mood when I tell her about the $5K loan I gave her husband for a new RX.

Your flair tells me you’re a sports car enthusiast. That’s not the average consumer.

MB steering has a way of being light and very accurate. Very little steering effort and corrections are needed. Kind of weird not many journalists mention this as far as I know.

Journalists are all sports car enthusiasts and former race car drivers who don’t value light steering with little effort.

Nissan Micra hardtop convertible in Pepto Bismol pink was the best car ever made. There’s no topping that.

100k base MSRP lmfaooooo

BMW 7 series starts at $97K. The 8 series gran coupe starts at $91K. The S-class starts at $117K. The AMG GT 4 door starts at $100K. The Audi A8 starts at $89K. The S8 starts at $120K. The S7 starts at $84.5K and the RS7 starts at $130K. The Panamera sounds perfectly in line with its competitors.

Our then-new 2014 base panamera was 74k out the door

$74,000 in 2014 is $97,000 today. With options this is probably $115K which would’ve been $87K in 2014. For comparison, my BMW 640i convertible was optioned to $90K in 2013. It sounds like you just got a great deal.

Yeah that’s really cool. It’s an adaptive anti-roll system for pitch.

There are several engineering changes which the article discusses. By every development metric this is a new generation of car.

As of the time of my comment, you’re the only person in this thread discussing the actual car. Everyone else is just talking about the styling. I agree the system sounds just like Mercedes’. One thing that stood out to me is that the air suspension is only 2 chamber. The second generation Panamera was co-developed with the current Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur, and both of those use 3 chamber air suspension, so I’d have expected the Panamera to use the same system. But Active Ride should go a long way toward increasing the comfort.

lol X5M dirty bulking, I like it.

Unfortunately they’re the only German brand who are still making good looking cars. Seems like everyone else peaked in the late 2010s.

Audi’s design language hasn’t shifted since then. I think you just prefer designs of the 2010s.

It’s more like the powerlifter with a gut who doesn’t need to be lean to lift heavy.

Guessing it was a swing and a miss for autocorrect.

The Gemera is such an amazing mindfuck. It takes the grand touring concept and gives it a line of cocaine and a tab of acid at the same time. It’s a hyper GT. It is to hypercars what something like an Aston Martin DB12 or Ferrari Roma is to supercars, which is to say the speed, drama, crazy design, and excess of a hypercar, but in a more comfortable package that can seat 4. I love the absurdity of a single scissor door nearly the size of two regular doors so rear seat passengers can get in.

If the GT is meant to get you across the continent in comfort and style and still be sporty enough for some fun up a mountain pass, then the Gemera is the same comfort and style and sportiness but also fast enough to do a 250 mph run at the Nardo Ring with your bespoke luggage in the back.