Maybe I should explain my decision for a BMW X5 M:
I still love Porsche cars and the Porsche brand but unfortunately Porsche has started to be a mass production manufacturer for big money. Another problem is that a potential blockbuster, like the Panamera, has been developed away from the European market where monster sedans and monster SUVs don't have any real future due to public perception.
The Panamera is actually a very good example of what is going wrong at Porsche: although I don't like the price tag policy on the Panamera, it is just way too expensive compared to the Cayenne, it wasn't really the main issue why I didn't go for it and trust me, I WANTED.
I just can't afford, from a business- and private point of view, to park such a HUGE sedan in front of my business with the Porsche badge on it.
Porsche should have developed two Panamera, one Panamera standard and a long version. BMW, Audi and Mercedes already proved that this system works.
The Cayenne Turbo S is another good example: fantastic car but Porsche never really listened to customer complaints about issues with throttle response and shifting speed. I won't even start to brag about the huge option list, the X5 M has so many options standard, at least over here in Germany, you just need another 10000 EUR to make this car perfect. Most Cayenne Turbo S have options for 30000 EUR and more in them. Ouch.
Public perception is also a huge problem in Europe, especially in Germany. I still wonder why Porsche never really tried harder to advertise the Cayenne in a different way or at least to "prevent" the press to declare the Cayenne the most environmentally unfriendly SUV on the planet. This should have never happened.
Why now the X5 M instead of the Panamera Turbo or a next generation Cayenne Turbo ?
Some facts:
1. public perception (the X5 is just a X5, people actually don't really seem to care, especially not over here in Bavaria, the home of BMW)
2. dealer gave a HUGE rebate and when I mean huge, I mean REALLY huge. Let me put it this way: for the same money the X5 M costs me, I could have gotten myself a Cayenne S with some options. HUGE rebate.
3. turbo lag: what always annoyed me on the Cayenne Turbo S was the throttle response lag, especially when starting from standstill. The X5 M is like a rocket and I don't exaggerate: no special skills necessary, no special launch control needed to be activated. Just press the throttle and the X5 M jumps forward without any lag, it is really unbelievable. It is actually very similar to the Panamera Turbo, so I still have hopes that the same throttle response will be available in the next generation Cayenne Turbo.
4. navigation/entertainment system: REAL internet. I mean Google and everything. Fantastic. I really like the latest Porsche PCM generation with touch operation but it doesn't come even close to the BMW system. Maybe with the next generation.
5. M button: you can program your own throttle, shifting, suspension setup into a single button, this is one of the features I really LOVE on the X5 M. I proposed such a feature for the Cayenne years ago but Porsche never really cared. Same applies to the fun stuff you can actually watch on the X5 M display, like 4WD torque distribution and other stuff.
6. currently, I think the X5 M is the sportiest SUV on the planet. I know it sounds weird to connect the words sport and SUV but it really is true. The X5 M feels very sporty, has a very direct steering and just feels sportier than any SUV I drove before. This could change with the next Cayenne generation of course but right now, the X5 M rulez.
7. resale value: judging by the huge rebate the dealer gave me on the X5 M, I think resale value isn't a real issue. I ran some numbers and after 3 years of ownership, I loose around 50%. On the Cayenne Turbo S, I lost almost 75% in 3 years. No thanks. Especially the Cayenne Turbo/S is hard to sell because of a story german Autobild ran a year or two ago where they showed a fuel consumption of over 40 liters / 100 km. Not that I really care about resale value since I never buy such an expensive car anymore (lease is much more convenient for me) but it matters.
8. a Panamera Turbo would have been 55% more expensive than a X5 M with similar options. 55%...this is not a joke. Sorry but for this kind of money, I can really live with a slightly lower performance on a family car. A fully optioned Mercedes E63 AMG is around 140000 EUR but dealers usually give a HUGE rebate too, so it actually is more like 110000 EUR. I can't buy a Panamera Turbo for this kind of money, most german dealer give 3-7% on the Panamera Turbo, thats it. With some tricks, there may be even 10-11% rebate in it but not more. The competition offers double of it.
In 18 months, my 997 Turbo lease runs out. Right now, I'm still inclined to get another Porsche, maybe not a 997 Turbo but if the business runs smoothly and I don't have to worry, maybe a 991 Carrera S or a 991 GT3, time will tell. I love Porsche and the brand but I'm not sure I like what has become out of it. With VW at the steering wheel, I actually hope for a larger model variation, more standard options and attractive prices. I'm still not sure however that this is going to happen. If VW wants to market Porsche as a premium brand, they need to limit production. If they don't want to limit production (not very likely), they need to create more attractive price options. A Panamera Turbo for 180000 EUR fully optioned surely is not the attractive model I'm waiting for.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M (03/2010), BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW