Interesting conversation with my wife as I was driving the family back from seeing friends in Worcester yesterday. We were in the Porsche Panamera Hybrid (pictured), which I though was excellent. The battery technology works seamlessly with the 3.0-litre petrol engine, giving a total of 380bhp, fuel economy of 41.5mph and emissions of 159g/km. That’s about the same as our own Ford Focus estate, which surprisingly won’t do 0-60mph in six seconds like the Porsche can. Back to the debate; she said I was driving more aggressively and getting closer to other drivers than I normally do. I didn’t think I was but it was making her uncomfortable. Here’s what I think; whether I was doing it or not is irrelevant. If your passenger is getting stressed then you’re being a bad driver. Part of the skill of piloting a car isn’t just about getting from A to B, it’s about doing it in a way that keeps everyone calm. If my wife was getting nervous I was failing, simple as that. So I left larger gaps and if they got filled by other people I backed off. She was a happier passenger so I was driving better. Having been a passenger myself on countless thousands of occasions, it’s amazing how many people don’t appreciate this point.
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