Italy Trip in Panamera Turbo S
We just returned from a one week trip to Northern Italy, more precisely Lago di Garda (Lake Garda).
The weather has been very nice all the time, 32°C and sunny each and every day, absolutely perfect.
My Panamera Turbo S has added 1200 km during this trip and the car has been completely trouble free, not a single issue. I started at 1800 km on the speedo, filled up around 0,75 l of oil and after the 1200 km, the oil gauge is still at max, oil consumption is surprisingly low for this type of engine. The average fuel consumption during this trip was 19 l / 100 km, not very low but quite alright, considering that I was driving in Sport Plus mode most of the time and fully accelerated whenever possible. I didn’t drive faster than 280 kph (Germany) though and usually didn’t reach speeds over 180 kph on my trip.
The chassis/steering setup is amazing but feels a little bit artificial. The Panamera Turbo S with all the performance enhancing goodies feels very comfortable when driving straight and the steering feels very light but as soon as you start using the full potential on the well known Lago di Garda lakeside roads with lots of twists and turns, the Panamera Turbo S switches from a Mercedes S class to a Porsche 911. It is amazing how the character of a car can change during driving but like I said before, it doesn’t really feel natural, the switch in character is too spontaneous. On the other hand, it is absolutely stunning how such a big car can handle like this.
Ever dreamt of a 911 for the family? This car is the real deal.
Which brings me to the weak points of the Panamera Turbo S: The size (it feels huge, especially when you have to park it in parking lots made for the standard sized European hatchbacks) and the pretty limited luggage room.
On our way to Lago di Garda and during our trip there (we have driven a couple of times around the lake, usually a 75 min. trip from the north part to the south part), we haven’t seen a single police car. Not even one. No speed traps either, which was quite weird. In Germany, I usually see a police car every ten minutes or so but in Italy, nothing. Strange. Maybe Italian police is saving fuel or whatever but I really didn’t have the feeling of being targeted as a tourist, as some friends warned me before. On the contrary.
What was obvious though: Italians, mostly car drivers, respected the speed limits much more than in the past. The driving was less passionate and quick but more relaxed. I can’t say I hated it because the traffic chaos of the past years was just absent.
My Panamera Turbo S received a lot of „Mama Mia“s and some thumbs up, which clearly shows that the Italians love cars. During the week long trip, I didn’t have any envy issues with the car and it doesn’t have a single scratch or dent, which is quite surprising considering the parking lots I have been parking the car.
Also very surprising and food for thought for Porsche: Many comments I heard about my Panamera were related to the fact that...it was a Panamera. Some people didn’t even recognize it or they thought this is a new Porsche model or the Panamera facelift. It is really surprising how a color choice can change the look of a car completely. The funniest part: There was a silver Panamera 4S parked in the hotel garage and the owner asked me if this is the facelift. I might have stepped on his toes replying to this question, bragging and ranting about options and color choices but I really think that many owners don’t have a clue what possibilities they have to choose the right options for their car. They see that nice silver or black Panamera at their local dealer and the decision has been made. The reactions to my car and the reactions to that white factory test car I drove for over a month actually prove my point.
On my way back to Germany, I „met“ another Panamera from Germany in Austria and the car was all black like mine, very likely a Diesel (considering the look of the exhaust pipes and the performance) but the Porsche lettering on the rear was in silver, which kind of didn’t really fit.
Those who crave for a Panamera should choose their options and color wisely. The result is either elegant or sporty, you can’t have both on this huge car.
My wife and my kids were thrilled about the ride comfort, I didn’t hear a single complaint from them during the whole trip. On the contrary.
The electric sun shades (rear side windows and rear window) came in very handy during this trip, the heat was kept out quite effectively and furthermore, the kids were able to play with their iPads or watch videos in the back of the car without being bothered by the sun. Highly recommended and the electric shades really work well.
When we arrived at our hotel, there was an argument going on between a Greek visitor and an Italian visitor with the women at the front desk and apparently the general manager. Both, the Greek and the Italian left the hotel with their families. When I checked in, I found out what this heated argument has been all about: Apparently a new Italian law forbids people to pay more than 1000 EUR in cash to put a lid on tax fraud. Interesting: I fueled up my car three times during my stay and I rented a boat a couple of times and I never got a receipt. Not that I care but just saying... The mentality certainly hasn’t changed.
It was also very obvious during our trip that Italians apparently cut down on their spending, most tourists were from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. I also didn’t see that many expensive cars like in the past and certainly none with italian license plates. My local german Porsche dealer told me that they had lots of inquiries from Italian Porsche owners in the past six months to sell their used Porsche because they wanted to get rid of them. The Italian tax fraud office apparently is going after expensive cars in Italy and it is no secret that many of them were paid in cash.
Also interesting (and kind of sad): Most shops were...empty. Tourists were walking by but weren’t really going inside. A jeweler for example offered 30-50% rebate on his watches merchandise, including Chronoswiss and other expensive watches. He just wanted to make a sale. I didn’t buy anything but for someone who is looking for good deals, some regions in Italy certainly have become interesting.
Last but not least, I "met" Mr. Anthony Hatter, one of the Porsche designers in a white 991 Cab with S-PX license plate, at least I think it was him (his haircut is kind of recognizable in an open Cab ). I also got greeted by a Italian Ferrari F458 driver, which is kind of weird and I didn't understand but I greeted back.
I wish I would have taken more photos of the car in Italy but I really tried to enjoy the vacation and actually forgot about it, sorry.
Enjoy the photos...
My daughter enjoying the comfort of the rear seat(s).
The Italian (left) and the German (right) way of parking. Yes, the Fiat 500 is shorter but still...
Hotel garage...actually only for one day because it was always full and I had to leave my car in the outside parking lot (which apparently wasn't a problem).
Very deserted parking lot near Movieland but apparently, no safety issues...
Parking lot in Riva del Garda city center but don't ask how I entered the parking lot because it was almost impossible to make the turn (I took the photo from an empty parking lot which was actually occupied before, so you can imagine).
Nice "sun shield" at a parking lot next to the Autostrada, pretty effective. We had over 32°C the whole week during our stay, beautiful and hot weather. The black color of the car certainly is no advantage in the hot sun but the A/C works pretty well.
Beautiful route along the lake, highly recommended, especially for cab drivers and motorcycle riders.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche Panamera Turbo S, BMW X5M, Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe PP/DP, Mini Cooper S Countryman All4