Initial impressions:

• It’s different to drive than my Golf (pictured behind it in this photo), even though it’s only a few inches longer. I’m not yet sure what chassis is being used. I presume it’s the same Golf Mk6 chassis and the difference in handling is mostly due to the softer suspension setup.

• The interior feels more dated than the TSI/GTI/R. Most notably, the nicely sloped door handles with integrated window controls are gone. Instead, VW have chosen flat armrests that look like they came from a previous generation.

• I love what they’ve done with the sunroof. It covers most of the roof (stretching from the front all the way to just behind the rear passenger seat) and is also very wide, giving you a targa-top feel. You can also open the glass top and leave the fabric sun shield above you, giving a nice breezy feel without the sun beating down on you. I’m a big fan.

• I am still not a fan of the DSG. I find it far more difficult to modulate the throttle when the car keeps choosing a gear for me, and the Golf Wagon doesn’t have flappy paddles, so I can’t easily switch it into manual mode and force it to hold the gear of my choice. Also, the manual up/down positions on the gear lever are backwards (like a Porsche). You push forwards to go up a gear, which is wrong, dammit. It is easier to pull BACKWARDS when you are accelerating hard, because that’s the same direction the g-forces are pulling your arm anyway. I don’t understand why manufacturers can’t see this.

If I get more time in the car, I’ll update this post.

I played it for a couple of minutes during my lunch break and was really disappointed because it was just Asteroids.

I tried it again a day or two later and realised… it’s Asteroids with a tech tree. And therefore it is awesome.

Oh, and it’s kinda amusing too. Worth the $2.50.

The host of the podcast mentioned a song that I wanted to own, so as I stopped at the lights I took my phone out. I bought the song online, downloaded it to my phone and was listening to it via the stereo (thanks to the witchcraft of Bluetooth audio streaming) before the lights had turned green.

We are living in the future, people.

And my answer is:

The Ferrari Testarossa.

Ever since I was a boy and my brother and I argued about which Italian supercar company produced the best cartoon car (Lamborghini was his pick), I’ve yearned for this thing. Yes, I know that it likely handles like rubbish, is too big to fit my garage, gets horrible mileage and is slower than a modern hot hatch… but WOULD YOU JUST LOOK AT IT?

God, if a million dollars dropped into my lap I’d still be tempted.

Oh, and Andrew? The Countach is still rubbish!

Initial impressions: This thing is even larger and more ungainly in person than it is in pictures. Seriously, for the amount of money the Panamera costs, it has no right being this awkward.

Second impressions: Okay, this isn’t just a leather interior, it’s a leather interior. It’s pushing ostentatiousness to a new level with even more syllables.

It seems that everything in this car is electric – even the steering wheel adjustment. That’s probably why it’s so heavy. You can’t disguise sheer mass, no matter how good your engineering, and the Panamera tops two tons once you add a driver, passenger and a full tank of fuel.

So, it’s a large, ugly, heavy sports saloon that costs $300k, in a country that treats speed as a crime only slightly above puppy molestation. I really struggle to understand who would buy the thing. No quibbles with the engineering, the interior quality or the power – this is a very well-put-together vehicle. In fact, the only real concern I had from behind the wheel was the crazy amount of tan dash I could see reflected in the windscreen.

I hope to get some more time with the car to try to nail down my thoughts on it. The divine Miss M has suggested a back-to-back comparison with the Mercedes CLS63 this week, so I may be able to follow up on this soon.

I’ll start by discussing the car I borrowed to do the actual moving with: the 2010 Subaru Outback diesel.

Let’s start with what I thought was going to be a positive, but actually turns out to be a bit of a negative – the car comes with a manual transmission only. Now, I’ll bang on for as long as you care to listen about the driving experience, the connection between driver and machine and the commitment to learning the craft that’s part and parcel of choosing that third pedal, but let’s be honest: driving a diesel with a manual transmission in the city sucks. It really does. The rev range is so minute that you’re touching the stick more than a schoolboy who’s just discovered masturbation. And worse, the 2-litre boxer diesel engine in the Outback just doesn’t have the torque that you’d expect down low, so you’re forced to push the tacho towards the redline to get the thing moving.

And that’s where another problem crops up. The Subaru has a shift indicator that tells you when it’s most economical to change into the next gear. Sounds great, but unfortunately it wants you to change just before that torque finally kicks in. If you drive the car as intended it doesn’t feel like a powerful diesel engine – it feels like a Prius. And even when you do try to help out the planet, the fuel economy is far worse than Subaru would have you believe. I struggled to get below 9 litres/100km in combined city/highway driving – Subaru claims 6.4!

The list goes on. The ‘park brake’ is dangerous, substituting a strange push/pull button in the dash instead of a good old central brake handle. Hill starts can be nerve-wracking, requiring you to rely on the car to figure out when you’re stationary on an incline and apply the brake automatically, then release it once you start moving again. This works most of the time but when the system screws up the car immediately rolls backwards, you yelp in panic and start bunny-hopping the torqueless bastard up the hill in a desperate attempt to avoid stalling it or cleaning up the BMW behind you. This happened to me. I did not enjoy it.

Now for some positives – the shifter feels nice and solid and you always know which gear you’re in. The rear seats fold well and the entire cargo area is intelligently put together, with a clever retracting cover to hide your shopping. I also had no real issue with the way the car rode – yes, it was a fairly large SUV but it didn’t roll around like a Patrol or Land Cruiser. I’d say it was about as car-like a ride as you could realistically expect.

In the end, though, this ‘premium’ version of an Outback diesel feels like a rushed first effort. No auto is offered so most folk will write it off right away, and those that don’t will probably be underwhelmed by the interior, which is a long way behind European standards. That means a lot of hard plastics and no automatic wipers/headlights/mirrors – a curious omission in a vehicle that will cost close to $50k driveaway. Oh, and don’t wear polarised sunglasses or you won’t be able to see the AC controls. Unbelievable!

Would I buy this car? No, I don’t think I would, but it was incredibly handy during the move. I give Subaru a 6/10 – must try harder next time. Sorry, but I didn’t have time for photos due to.. moving!

If you’re a leftist geek, you probably should.