Exploring coffee culture on a colourful Porsche road trip in Sicily

Seeking car colour inspiration on the Porsche Travel Experience Sicily

In Sicily, great roads, scenery – and an espresso – are never far away

31 October 2023

brown espresso coffee dripping through machine

Its food, drink, heritage and roads are what makes Sicily such a unique island. And its colours – like that of the humble espresso – can even serve as an inspiration for your next Porsche

Nowhere in the world does espresso quite like Italy. The warm, brown hues of an expertly prepared brew is one of the abiding memories of a Porsche Travel Experience Sicily trip. At any one of the lively cafés you encounter on the routes that you drive along throughout this magical and historic island, the colour and aroma of the espresso is ever present. It’s also a colour that you can celebrate when choosing your new Porsche – Espresso Brown is available by individual request as a Porsche Paint to Sample Plus colour from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.

Why espresso is an essential fuel on a Porsche Experience Sicily trip

In a busy café in the Sicilian town of Noto, its espresso machine is putting on a show. It hisses and steams, bubbles and roars. Conspicuously displayed on the countertop like a museum piece, it’s like a piece of performance art. It pulses to the rhythm of a long-standing tradition – the tradition of Italian coffee making. Brown gold trickles – steadily at first – out of its spout into a small, preheated cup. Then the trickle becomes a thick, steady stream of coffee.

Porsche 911 in the Paint To Sample Plus Espresso Brown colour — Fancy an espresso? There are no limits when it comes to finding inspiration for your Porsche Paint To Sample colour

Here at Caffè Sicilia, amid the late Baroque beauty of Noto in the south east corner of Sicily, espresso is something to be celebrated. To be perfect, it should never reach a temperature over 80 degrees Celsius – and certainly not under 79. It has to be that precise. Coffee is, as you will discover on a Porsche Experience Sicily trip, a very serious business. A good espresso should be consumed in two enjoyable sips, preferably while flicking through the pale pink pages of the Gazzetta dello Sport to catch up on the latest football or cycling news. Espresso Brown is not just a colour here – it’s an experience.

People sitting outside café on a sunny Sicilian street — Caffè Sicilia has been serving espresso to the people of Noto for over 125 years

Noto is an undisputed jewel of this island. Honoured as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Noto is nestled in a picturesque valley and filled with impressive churches, cathedrals and old cafés. Caffè Sicilia, has been serving the perfect espresso to the people of Noto, and its many thousands of visitors, for over 125 years.

Baroque square with fountain and church in Sicily — One of the highlights of the Porsche Travel Experience Sicily is its beautiful Baroque architecture

With your cup emptied, it’s time to head out on one of the meandering country roads that take you in every compass direction from here. Each turn you take seems to give you an even more scenic view than the last. The cobalt blue Ionian Sea glistens in the distance as we heard towards the ancient heart of Syracuse, some 40k to the north of here. Wineries and artisan workshops dot the land in between. Anyone who takes the time to travel into rural Sicily with the Porsche Travel Experience will be rewarded with a feast of colour and natural bounty. There are olive groves, orange trees and vivid yellow lemon groves as far as the eye can see.

The joy of driving on the Porsche Travel Experience Sicily

At a stop in Geracello, a hidden village forgotten by time, it is time for another espresso. Served up in the small front yard of a remote farm estate it is strong and delicious – more of a golden syrup than a liquid. Heading through Palma di Montechiaro, another idyllic postcard treasure, we make our way along twisting, circuitous roads towards the grand, boisterous Sicilian capital of Palermo. It’s a city soundtracked by the buzz of Vespa riders, who weave in and out of the cars along tight streets festooned with lines of laundry. Traffic cannot be avoided here. You just have to take your time and drink in this unique city. Which takes us back, once again, to the glory of the espresso. Best served at 79 degrees. And at its most truly authentic when sipped in a streetside café with the hum of a sunny Sicilian morning as your soundtrack.

Beautiful coastal scene on the Porsche Travel Experience Sicily — On the Porsche Travel Experience Sicily you’ll drive through elegant hillside villages and take in memorable coastal scenes

The Porsche Colourful Experience: Paint To Sample inspiration

Close your eyes and take in the aroma rising from your cup – of the deep brown of the espresso blending with the swirling beige of its crema that help create your own Colourful Experience. In addition to Espresso Brown, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur offers an almost endless selection of special paint finishes with the Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus options for your Porsche. You can even experience these special paint options on-site during your Porsche Travel Experience to Sicily.

Woman looks out of window of Porsche 911 Turbo S

How to become a better race driver with individual training courses from Porsche

Once you’ve developed a passion for hot laps on cold ice, what’s next? For experienced amateur race driver Katarina Kyvalova it meant embarking on an individual training session with a Porsche Ice Experience instructor

Porsche 911 sculpture, with Porsche Museum in background

Where is the Porsche Museum?

Travel through time and discover the history of Porsche at its Stuttgart museum, via its unique collection of legendary sportscars, racecars and prototypes

Driving on Grand Prix circuits with the Porsche Track Experience

Experience the thrill of the world’s greatest tracks with the Porsche Track Experience from behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 RS or 718 Cayman GT4 RS – painted Grand Prix White, of course.