2015 Porsche Panamera Hybrid: The perfect cycling car?

James Raia

August 6, 2015

The fledging Airgas-Safeway cycling team is still seeking competitive clout. But the squad has attracted major attention at the Tour of Utah โ€” if only in the caravan of race vehicles.

The first-year team and its exuberant owner, Chris Johnson, secured the use of two 2015 Porsche Panamera S Hybrids as team cars for the biggest race of the teamโ€™s short tenure.

Subaru is a race sponsor and there’s the usual assortment of manufacturers represented among team vehicles, Kia to Volvo. But it’s a safe bet to assume $110,000 high-performance, four-door hybrid sports cars with 380 horsepower are a first in the sport.

“I think cycling is a perfect type of audience; a lot of cyclists drive Porsches,” said Johnson, prior to the stage 3 start on Antelope Island State Park. “It’s a very nice, high-end clientele within the cycling world.

 

The Airgas-Safeway cycling team is using two 2015 Porsche Panamera S Hybrids during the Tour of Utah.

 

“I think cyclists can appreciate it. It’s a hybrid. It’s obviously energy efficient. It’s good for the environment. And it has style. Everybody is just turning their head. We want to keep it fun and it is a really practical car.”

Johnson drove of the Panamera models to the event from San Francisco, with a friend piloting the other.

Team cars traditional are wagons or crossovers with substantial interior space and wide rooflines for carrying at least a half-dozen bikes and plenty supplies. Each of the Porsche Panamera vehicles carries three bikes with an unique rack system.

โ€œWhile the Panamera is not a traditional station wagon, it has a pass-through,โ€ said Johnson. โ€œThereโ€™s an incredible amount of space. Iโ€™m sure it was designed more for golfers than cyclists, but as a professional cycling team was are taking advantage of its space.โ€

โ€œTypically, we like to carry more bikes, but you have to respect the vehicle. Were using a Porsche-branded racks made by Thule. Weโ€™re used the full-frame mounts.โ€

Although Johnson didnโ€™t calculated his gas mileage while driving to the event, he estimated the Porsche Panamera achieved just under 30 mpg. The cars made it the more than 500-mile trek from San Francisco to Elko, Nev. before requiring additional fuel. It has a 21-gallon gas tank and a eight-speed automatic transmission.

โ€œYesterday (stage 2), we had some fun on the descent; Iโ€™m amazed at how it just holds the road,โ€ said Bart Bowen, the team director and the former pro whose personal car is an Audi A6. โ€œIn the caravan itโ€™s so smooth. Thereโ€™s obviously a sport mode, but if you touch the gas, itโ€™s too much. But in the efficiency mode, pacing the guys, itโ€™s just classic.โ€

While the Porsches stand out among bike race vehicles, itโ€™s not the first time a team has driven unusual cars. Several years ago, the ill-fated Rock Racing team used the gas-guzzling Cadillac Escalade sport utility vehicle during the Tour of California. It was a fitting choice considering its controversy owner, Michael Ball.

โ€œI think his branding was a little more aggressive,โ€ said Johnson. โ€œWe are trying to be classy and fun. Our image is like a fun young team. And who doesnโ€™t like to drive a Porsche?

Article Last Updated: August 6, 2015.

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