Ride height and the Sport Chrono Pack make all the difference to steering and handling, too. Similarly equipped, the TechArt car, which wore exactly the same tires on the same size wheels, would have been the Sportec car's equal in the handling stakes. However, on stock suspension sans SCP, it felt less precise in our handling course, with more understeer going into a turn, and less tidy oversteer coming out.

The lesson learned here is simply that if you are a keen driver, always tick the Sport Chrono Pack option box when you order a Porsche, any Porsche. Even if you just buy the wheels and body kit from one of these three tuners, without tuning the motor, the SCP is well worth the money.

Despite all the initial drama, we lucked out in the end. The three cars that finally made it to Malmsheim epitomized the spread of different approaches you can take to personalizing a Panamera Turbo.

If the FAB Design Panamera is the boulevard cruiser and the Sportec Panamera goes all out to appeal to the keen driver, the car that TechArt brought along walked the fine line between luxury and a sporting drive.

Whichever route you might choose, from hardcore driving to show-boating, you can be sure of one thing. While Porsche's Panamera may not be the prettiest performance saloon out there, the basic excellence of its engine, chassis, and interior make it the perfect basis for a car that can be personalized to meet your exact needs.