Jafetica888

Hi guys

I am moving to Lisbon for work and as cars are brutally expensive over there, I am thinking of taking my 2013 GTS.
Two immediate challenges:
a) I need a COC, a Certificate of Conformity. I called my local Porsche dealer, who sent me to Porsche North America who send me to Porsche Germany, who don't answer. Any idea where to get this?
b) I will have to fit a KM/H odometer instead of the MPH. Would anyone know if the electronic one can be switched and is sufficient or do I have to change the dial, which means that the entire instrument cluster needs to be changed (and what does that cost?).

Has anyone done this before?

Thanks for your help

Andial

a) They aren't working with you so you won't get one.
b) The dealership can do this. The electronic one is sufficient though.

Jafetica888

I am sure that with enough patience one can overcome the challenges of the import-paperwork.

My main worry is that I would have to change the instrument cluster to go to a metric system, i.e. km/h instead of mph; knowing Porsche costs that could be astronomical (has anyone here ever done this and would have an idea on price?).

Appreciate your help

GratedWasabi

Do some google searching and find email addresses for VPs at the Porsche NA & Germancy corporate offices. Email them.

Customer service numbers for car manufacturers are always useless and your dealership isn't allowed to give you useful contact info. But they can be found on the internet and the corporate VPs are usually happy to help.

krabman

Please understand I'm just trying to be helpful but I have to ask even though I'm guessing you're well aware... so... have you driven over there? The roads aren't exactly US sized and the parking spots are going to look awfully small in your Panamera it's not something you can fully appreciate if you haven't seen it in the flesh so to speak. Again, sorry for bringing it up but I figured I'd better just in case.

Jafetica888

Hi Guys
update almost two years later: we ended up selling my beloved GTS, greatest car I ever owned (or likely will ever own, loved it).
Too many worries about export to Portugal, too many unplannable costs with conversion and single-car registration, not worth the risk

In hindsight, the key point should have been that a Panamera is simply too big for Portugal, the roads too small and narrow, the carparks impossible to use etc. Ended up buying a Mercedes A45 AMG (for those in the US: smallest Mercedes, about the size of a VW Golf, but with 381HP) and even this one has quite a few dings and scratches since we got it. Great car as well, just too low for Portugal ....

Appreciate all your help

krabman

I didn't notice that this was a zombie thread, all well, my bad. I was in Lisbon this winter taking care of some business and went down to Lagos for a few resort days at the sea. Saw an ST hybrid down there parked out on the road, must have stuck out at least a foot past the other cars in front and back of it. It was dinged, scratched, etc. I couldn't deal with that.

Jafetica888

agree, it is a shame
It is not just the size, it is also to low - you cannot imagine how often I touch the ground on bad roads with my A45 (granted, the GTS has air suspension and you can put him up, but ....)

martinced

I've driven in Portugal (Algarve) and I don't remember it being that bad? I mostly live in Spain and I daily drive a Panamera there. I may have to move to Portugal for a while and was planning to use my Panamera as my daily. In Spain indeed many parking spots are too short (not too narrow but too short) but then I end up knowing where the "good spots" are and I park at my usual spots. The only times when it's a bit problematic is when driving trough an old village or, like I did a few weeks ago, when driving in the snowy mountains when the snowplower driver at times was a bit drunk and built some snow walls overlapping on the road.

Where is it that bad in Portugal? In big cities? Highways and "national roads" seems fine to me. In small villages but that's basically the same everywhere in old european villages right?

I guess I'll just try it and see. Everybody told me I shouldn't drive from Andorra to France with the Panamera (the road is much narrower this side of the mountain then on the Andorra/Spain side): I still did it and it the end sure it was narrow, but nothing too problematic. Only real problems were when a truck was coming the other way: but that was a problem for "normal" cars as well.

As for the bad roads and car height: I used to live in one of the european countries with the worst potholes ever (Belgium: highways there are so bad motorcyclists have to regularly sue) and daily drove there for five years a lowered (!) air-cooled 911.

I'll ask someone I know who has a Panamera in Portugal if it's really that bad. The narrow and pothole'd roads: I'm pretty confident I can deal with that while I'm at that Panamera's wheel. But people scratching or dinging my pristine car when it's parked, this would drive me nuts.

krabman

Depends on what you're doing and how you want to use the car. In daily driver duty your going to have to tap out of parking spots from time to time depending on where you're at or you wont be able to street park it without going out of your way to find something more open. Nothing like you'll run into in Rome but it's a thing. You'll also find some garages that are fine, some that have spots that you can get into but you'll have to climb out the hatch to get out of the car, and some you wont fit in at all. Everything is a little bigger in Spain in the areas I've been, (Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Cordoba) and the roads are also better. Spain is quite a bit wealthier and it shows in many ways including the road system. Portugal is a more mixed bag with some good roads and some that are not very nice at all. Maybe Jafetica will chime in, I only get over there for a few weeks a year he would be able to give you a better idea of what you're up against. Keep in mind I'm looking at it from a US perspective where everything is bigger and you would be arrested for tapping in and out of a parking spot. I think from your viewpoint things would look a lot less tight. When I rent cars there I always get something small so my poor American driving skills aren't too heavily taxed.