![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/blog-27-Susten-pass.webp\")
<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/blog-27-Furka-Pass.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/section>\nPlan the Three Passes Loop from Zurich<\/h2>\n
Susten, Furka, Grimsel in a single day\u2014it\u2019s possible. The best way to do it: two days with an overnight stay in Andermatt. The team plans the route in advance and confirms the fuel stops before handing over the vehicle. <\/p>\n
Plan a Route<\/a> <\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n The Grimsel is the third stage of the Central Alpine Triangle\u2014and the pass that most cyclists underestimate. The climb from Gletsch to the pass summit is short and technical\u2014no problem. The descent on the north side, from the pass summit down to Innertkirchen, consists of 26 km of nearly continuous downhill riding with tight turns through the R\u00e4terichsboden and the Grimsel reservoir area. <\/p>\n This is where the Turbo S Cabriolet\u2019s ceramic brakes\u2014and how to use them\u2014prove to be crucial. The beginner\u2019s mistake: constantly tapping the brakes as you descend from the summit. By the second reservoir at the latest, the brake pads will be overheated and the pedal travel will be long. The correct approach: use engine braking in third gear, apply the brakes firmly when necessary, and remain patient. <\/p>\n Sport Plus, manual mode, third gear\u2014let the boxer engine do its work. The natural engine braking of the turbocharged 3.6-liter engine is enough to maintain your speed on any stretch below the pass summit. The brakes are there for the curves, not for the straight stretch leading up to them. Driven correctly, you\u2019ll reach Innertkirchen with brake pads that still have bite and a car that won\u2019t give you any trouble with overheating. <\/p>\n The detour you should take: down the Grimsel Pass Road to Lake R\u00e4terichsboden. Two kilometers off the main route, with hardly any traffic, and at the end of the dam, a turning area where the car really stands out against the concrete. Five minutes. Then back on the route. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n When it comes to technical precision in the Central Alps, everything in the Engadin revolves around the river. The Albula Pass between Tiefencastel and La Punt is the closest thing Switzerland has to a fast British B-road\u2014long curves in third and fourth gear, good pavement almost the entire way, and traffic that completely dries up between Filisur and the pass summit. <\/p>\n The Bernina Pass, which runs from Pontresina to Tirano on the Italian side, is the highest year-round pass in the Alps at 2,328 meters. It is wider than the passes in the Central Alps and calls for a different driving style: less braking, more acceleration, and longer turns. The Turbo S Cabriolet\u2019s all-wheel drive really comes into its own here, because the road surface is more varied than on the Susten\u2014older patches of asphalt, occasional gravel from spring roadwork\u2014and the all-wheel drive allows you to keep your foot on the gas where a rear-wheel-drive 911 would start to slide. <\/p>\n The Fl\u00fcela Pass connects Davos with Susch and is the main route for anyone staying in the Lower Engadine. It\u2019s the least spectacular of the three, but the most consistent\u2014virtually no slow traffic during the week, the pavement was repaved in 2023, and there\u2019s a plateau at the pass summit where the road runs flat for 800 meters before descending toward Susch. Use it as a warm-up run before tackling the Albula in the morning. <\/p>\n Stay at the Suvretta House in St. Moritz or the In Lain in Brail, and you\u2019ll drive all three passes\u2014plus a day on the Stelvio Pass before breakfast on the fourth day. If you\u2019re considering another car for this terrain, it\u2019s worth reading the comparison between the Turbo S and the Ferrari F8 Spider on Swiss mountain passes<\/a> \u2014on paper, the F8 is faster, but on the Bernina Pass in light rain, the Turbo S comes out on top. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The Klausen Pass appears on every \u201cBest Of\u201d list, but it doesn\u2019t belong there. The upper section is narrow, the eastern descent has patchy pavement, and the Sunday motorcycle traffic between Linthal and Altdorf turns the road into a single-lane crawl. Skip it. Ride the Susten twice instead. <\/p>\n The San Bernardino is a transit route. It\u2019s beautiful from a helicopter, but of no interest to a 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. Locals take the parallel highway tunnel\u2014do the same if you\u2019re traveling between Zurich and Ticino. Save the convertible experience for real driving roads. <\/p>\n The Stelvio Pass question deserves its own paragraph. Yes, the Stelvio Pass is technically a great road to drive on. No, it\u2019s not worth driving there from Switzerland in this car. The problem: The Italian side from Bormio onward is clogged with cyclists, motorcycles, and Top Gear pilgrims\u2014all summer long, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Swiss route via the Umbrail Pass involves two hours of border traffic. You\u2019ll spend more time in the photo line at Cima Coppi than behind the wheel. If you absolutely must do it, leave Suvretta at 4:30 a.m., drive over the Umbrail Pass to the summit of the Stelvio Pass by sunrise, take a photo of the car at 2,758 meters, drive back down, and be back in St. Moritz in time for breakfast. Otherwise, take the Bernina route to Livigno and consider the matter settled. <\/p>\n Driving through the Alps in Switzerland is a matter of timing, not route choice. The right pass at the wrong time is worse than the second-best pass at the right time. <\/p>\n The yellow PostAuto has the right of way on every Alpine pass. If you hear the three-note horn before a blind hairpin turn, pull over to the right and stop. The PostAuto driver is counting on it. The Turbo S is faster, but not more important. <\/section>\n Fines in Switzerland are based on income and can be quite steep at the higher end. Expect speed cameras on any straight stretch of road outside city limits. The car is traveling at 330 km\/h. The country imposes four-digit fines for every kilometer driven over the speed limit by more than 25 kilometers per hour. <\/section>\n If you drive carefully on mountain passes, the Turbo S gets about 13\u201315 l\/100 km. Fill up in Andermatt, Airolo, and St. Moritz. There are no gas stations at the Susten and Grimsel passes\u2014plan accordingly. <\/section>\n On summer days at 2,400 meters, the temperature can drop from 22 \u00b0C to 6 \u00b0C within an hour as soon as clouds roll in. Be sure to bring a jacket. The convertible top closes in under 12 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km\/h. <\/section>\n The tried-and-true itinerary: Furka at daybreak (5:30\u20137:30 a.m.), Susten in the late morning (9:00\u201311:30 a.m.), lunch in Engelberg or Andermatt, descent from Grimsel in the early afternoon, and a second run through Susten before dinner if you\u2019re staying nearby. Weekdays, from May through early July or in September, are the best time to drive all three passes with virtually no traffic. Weekends in August are a whole different story. <\/p>\n We deliver the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet anywhere in Switzerland\u2014to your hotel, your residence, or the airport\u2014in Zurich, Bern, St. Moritz, Andermatt, or the Engadin. We provide a briefing, a route overview, and hand over the keys. <\/p>\n Request a Quote<\/a> <\/div>\n The car will be delivered to you. Park Hyatt Zurich, Dolder, Suvretta in St. Moritz, The Chedi in Andermatt\u2014or directly to a private terminal at Zurich Airport. The team will provide on-site instruction\u2014driving modes, how to operate the convertible top, the specifics of the PCM navigation system, fuel quality, and the brake break-in protocol, in case you\u2019re heading straight for a mountain pass. <\/p>\n Rates vary depending on the season, duration, and country\u2014once you have your details and a rough itinerary in mind, send us both, and we\u2019ll get back to you with a customized quote and a recommended route that incorporates your hotels. If you\u2019re considering swapping the Turbo S for a car with a different character on the same trip\u2014such as the open-air thrill of a Lamborghini Hurac\u00e1n Evo Spyder on the same mountain passes<\/a> \u2014the team will walk you through both options before you make your decision. <\/p>\n For most customers, the choice is clear: the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet<\/a> is the car that excels at everything. It crosses the Susten Pass at 9 a.m. and the Brenner Pass at 2 p.m. without batting an eye. It returns to the hotel with ease. It\u2019s the car you rent for a week and end up wanting to keep for a month. The rest of our Swiss fleet<\/a> is at your disposal if you\u2019d like to experience that same week in a different way. <\/p>\n The Susten Pass between Innertkirchen and Wassen is the best Swiss mountain pass for the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. Wide radii, consistent banking, and the recently resurfaced road surface harmonize perfectly with the all-wheel-drive traction and the high-torque boxer engine in third gear. The Furka and Grimsel are more technically challenging, but they\u2019re narrower and busier\u2014they\u2019re better suited for a single drive at the right time of day. The Albula and Bernina in the Engadin reward fast cornering and are quieter during the week. If you have a day and a pass to choose from, drive the Susten twice\u2014from east to west, then from west to east. <\/p>\n Yes, with ease. The 911 Turbo S Cabriolet was developed with precisely this terrain in mind\u2014Porsche test drivers use Swiss Alpine passes to fine-tune the suspension. All-wheel drive ensures traction on cold or wet hairpin turns, the PDK transmission handles the rapid upshifts and downshifts required by the tight turns on the Furka Pass, and the ceramic brakes handle the long descent down the Grimsel Pass\u2014provided they\u2019re used correctly. The ground clearance is sufficient for any paved mountain pass in Switzerland. The only things to watch out for are approach angles at hotel driveways and steep ramps\u2014that\u2019s where the front-axle lift system comes in, which responds in seconds. <\/p>\n In the summer, the best times are between 5:30 and 8:00 a.m. and between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. The Furka Pass is empty before 7:00 a.m.\u2014start your ride there, and the road is all yours. On the Susten Pass, even late morning is fine, because its width can handle traffic better than the Furka. Avoid the hours between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in July and August, when tour buses, motorcycle groups, and convoys of rental cars flood every pass. Weekdays in May, June, and September are the best time to tackle all the passes. Sunday afternoons on the Klausen and Furka are the absolute worst choice\u2014even the locals avoid them. <\/p>\n Yes, without compromise. Switzerland uses fixed radar units, mobile checks by the cantonal police, and section-by-section checks on Alpine roads. Fines in the higher brackets are based on the driver\u2019s income and start at several hundred francs for minor violations. Penalties for speeds 25 km\/h over the limit quickly climb into the four-digit range, and exceeding the limit by 50 km\/h can result in the vehicle being impounded. The standard speed limits on mountain passes are 80 km\/h on open stretches and 50 km\/h in built-up areas\u2014both are enforced. The Turbo S is capable of much more, but Switzerland isn\u2019t the place to test its limits. Drive briskly within the limits; the car remains a joy to drive even then. <\/p>\n But only if you time it right. Technically, the Stelvio Pass is a great road to drive, but the Italian side from Bormio onward is congested daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer with cyclists, motorcycles, and tourists. You\u2019ll spend more time in the photo line at the pass summit than behind the wheel. If you absolutely must do it, leave St. Moritz at 4:30 a.m., take the Umbrail Pass to the Stelvio Pass summit for sunrise, drive back down, and be back in time for breakfast. Otherwise, the Bernina from Pontresina to Tirano will give you 90% of the experience without the traffic. You\u2019ll make better use of your week on the Susten and Furka passes. <\/p>\n3. The Grimsel Pass \u2013 Downhill and the Reservoir Loop<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/blog-27-Grimsel-Pass.webp\")
<\/div>\n4. The Engadin\u2014Albula, Bernina, Fl\u00fcela for lovers of winding roads<\/h2>\n
![\"Porsche](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/blog-27-img-1-porsche911-turboS.webp\")
<\/div>\n<\/section>\nWhat You Should Skip\u2014Klausen, San Bernardino, and the Stelvio Pass Question<\/h2>\n
The Right Timing\u2014What Time of Day, What Day of the Week<\/h2>\n
![\"PostBus](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/icon-postbus-2.webp\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\nGive Way to the PostBus<\/h3>\n
![\"Speed](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/icon-speed-limit-2.webp\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\nSpeed checks<\/h3>\n
![\"Fuel](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/icon-fuel-2.webp\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\nFuel Filler Door<\/h3>\n
![\"Icon](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/icon-sun-temp-2.webp\"){kind=icon}
<\/div>\nTemperature Change<\/h3>\n
Pickup at Your Location<\/h2>\n
Handoff, Fueling, and the Route Briefing<\/h2>\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n
Which Swiss Alpine Pass is best suited for the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet?<\/h3>\n
Can the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet handle the Susten and Furka Passes?<\/h3>\n
What is the best time of day to drive over the Furka, Susten, or Grimsel passes?<\/h3>\n
Are speed limits strictly enforced on Swiss Alpine passes?<\/h3>\n
Is it worth driving the Stelvio Pass from Switzerland in a Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet?<\/h3>\n
![\"Benedikt](\"https:\/\/www.edelstark.com\/esmagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/profile-Benedikt-001.webp\")
<\/p>\n