Panoz Roadster

Price Paid:  $64500.00

Summary:
One reviewer knocked this car because it is uncomfortable and doesn't have locks on the doors. This is true, but irrelevant. One might as well give a Rolls Royce a 1 because it doesn't go 0-60 in 4 seconds. The car is not made for that purpose.

To evaluate this car fairly, one must rate how well it does what it is designed to do. Yes, it is noisy and uncomfortable and impractical. If you want a quiet, comfortable, practical car, you shouldn't even be looking at a Panoz. If you love the thrill of driving a serious, purpose built, no-bones-about-it high performance car, and want a car that outperforms every other car on the road and is so exciting to drive it will send chills down your spine and have you laughing out loud with exultation, the Panoz is your car. The Panoz is quicker than a Ferrari, 911 Turbo or Viper, while much lighter and outcorners and outbrakes all of them, and it costs a fraction of what they cost.

As for the safety issue, the Panoz is not a tank you can plough into a bus and survive the incident. But remember the most important safety feature of any car is the driver. This is a serious car that requires a seriously skilled driver.

Strengths:
None

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
many high performance cars: Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette, etc.

Summary:
Good stuff:
It feels much lighter than the 3rd gen RX-7 (one of the best handling cars in the world), quicker in everything including turnin, brakes and throttle, like driving a go-cart and it has enough low end torque to get throttle steer at 2000 RPM with medium throttle. It's so light I can drag it out of the garage by grabbing one of the stainless steel bumper rails with one hand and walking it along. Even though the peak torque is up high at 5000 RPM, there is lots of it down low too. Redline is about 7000 RPM. At 2500 RPM part throttle, it accelerates like a Ferrari F355 and it only gets stronger! The suspension is tight but not grueling, there is little or no body roll, squat or dive. So it drives more smoothly on rough roads, but stays tight in the turns. And the way it sounds is indescribable, that big aluminum high revving quad overhead cam 32 valve V8 with high compression and short unrestricted exhaust pipes.

Bad stuff:
Uncomfortable driving position -- steering wheel very close but pedals far away, and clutch throw goes twice as far back as the other pedals. Rear view mirrors mostly blocked by rear wheel wells. Heater is not very effective, windshield is small, very noisy with wind and engine, small fuel tank and cruising range (11 gallons @ 15 mpg), no side windows on doors, top does not cover sides either and takes at least 10 minutes to assemble & install. Trunk is minimal, with the top in the trunk there's just enough room for a motorcycle tank bag. No locks on the doors, and it attracts people who check it out, so you can't park it anywhere you can't
see it. You can never let a valet park it. You can't take it out for
a night on the town.

Overall -- a kick in the ass, beasty fun car to drive, outhandles an RX-7 and outaccelerates a Viper, forgiving to drive with a big fat flat torque curve, unmatched beauty and uniqueness. This is the ultimate high performance driving enthusiast's car. No street legal car or motorbike can catch it on a twisty road. But only on the right roads, in good weather, and totally impractical. Take a driving class when you buy this car, else you will get yourself into a load of trouble!

Strengths:
Super light, razor sharp cornering, awesome brakes, instantaneous acceleration, quality construction, standard drivetrain and warranty, excellent factory support and service, unmatched beauty and uniqueness.

Weaknesses:
uncomfortable driving position, ineffective heater & A/C, low cruising range, minimal trunk space

Similar Products Used:
quicker than a Viper, outcorners and stops any other car on the road