Suzi Perry: 'I found turbocharged heaven on the ultimate road trip through Tuscany'

Television presenter Suzi Perry lives her ultimate supercar dream while experiencing the Italian region in all its monasterial, truffle-hunting and 400-year-old wisteria glory

My Taste of Tuscany trip with Ultimate Driving Tours came at a very welcome time. I think we all feel as though we are carefully pacing the thoroughly sterilised Covid-19 treadmill, so when the opportunity arose to drive supercars through the Tuscan landscape while staying in luxurious accommodation, I snapped it up faster than a Lamborghini Aventador can hit 60mph – about 2.8 seconds. In the current climate, to be able to experience foreign travel while making an inroad on the bucket list was something of a turbocharged miracle for me.

I began by heading up through the tight, twisty lanes of Fiesole, where bougainvillea tumbled down each wall, to the gates of Belmond Villa San Michele – the starting point for the tour. This magnificent building was once home to Franciscan monks, and 400-year-old wisteria still remains, its lilac hue enhancing the picturesque setting. From the driveway there is a dreamy view of the Arno Valley and the seductive home to the Renaissance, Florence. The trademark ­terracotta roofs dominate the vista with the Duomo – the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, to be formal –popping through the skyline.

I was greeted warmly by my hosts, Julie Hunter and Anthony Moss, the owners of Ultimate Driving Tours. My luggage was whisked off and I now had nothing to think about for two days, other than driving and enjoying the view – my idea of bliss. I would be able to switch off completely and become immersed in the moment, something that I never find possible on a beach holiday, when I usually just find myself lying somewhere new but worrying about the same old things that I mither about at home.

But let us focus on the stars of this break – the cars. Here’s how the grid lined up: Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Lamborghini Aventador S, Ferrari 488 ­Spider, Mercedes AMG GT Roadster and the Bentley Continental GTC W12. I was in heaven.

Espresso in hand, we were briefed by Anthony on what to expect. I tried to give him 100 per cent of my attention but I have to admit, I was a little blown away by the surroundings. We were sitting on the immaculate terrace framed by monasterial arches. As I glanced above the doors, I noted that the original paintings remained, a little weathered and faded from former glory but still resplendent, a gentle reminder of our location. I was half expecting Lorenzo de’ Medici to come and perch next to me to offer sage banking advice.

Apparently I was the only driver on the trip who’d had the pleasure of handling a supercar before, so I became seen as some kind of expert. I couldn’t help but nervously chuckle on the inside. What if I messed up? I don’t know anyone who is partial to making a fool of themselves, and no one wanted to be the one to scratch an alloy or dent a bumper. The nature of the local roads meant that even getting out of the driveway would likely end up feeling like a scene from the 1970s sitcom Butterflies – and don’t forget, these are left-hand-drive vehicles. We’re on the wrong side of the road here! But time would tell, and I was confident that I was in great hands.

The journey, we were told, would begin by heading south, winding our way through the Chianti region to the enchanting town of San Gimignano for afternoon tea, before gently “tearing” up Siena to cross the finish line in Casole D’Elsa. Our trip would take around four hours, including afternoon tea and a car swap. All the vehicles were deeply sanitised and constantly checked as we changed back and forth, with the Covid-19 guidelines well observed throughout our trip.

I bagsied the Porsche to kick things off. I felt like I needed to build up to the Lambo and I wanted to be in tip-top form to boss it. The Aventador reminded me a little of an infatuation I once had with someone. I thought he would never notice me and, when he did, I was so flustered I couldn’t find the right gear and before I knew it, I’d missed my chance. It may sound like an odd lesson to apply to cars, but I didn’t want to be unprepared before confronting my lifelongpassion. So I decided to start by ripping up through the gears of the 911 GT3, serenaded by the spine-tingling scream of the engine in full 500bhp gallop.

I grabbed the keys and hopped into my track-ready racer. Sure, some folk feel as though the design of the Porsche looks a little dated – but I like that, and who cares anyway? It’s an icon.

I fell in love, just as I knew I would. The 911 is easy to drive, sounds sexy and doesn’t take up the entire lane, unlike the Aventador that needs the same width as a dustbin truck. Young Italians chased us on their two-stroke scooters to grab footage to post on their social media channels. I felt at one with my high-revving beauty and really wanted to divert to Mugello, to see what it could do on a racetrack. Instead, I kept holding back in order to shift through the gears.

To get a good sense of these cars, they need to be driven using the paddle shifters. These, of course, give you the gearing control over the automatic transmission, which is great for when you need to slow quickly and turn a tight corner, as you’re gifted extra torque to drive out of the turn. I was in heaven; the 911 was so well-behaved, and handled well at any speed and in any situation. I could feel the reassuring clank of the roll cage and so indulged in the throaty, heart-throbbing soundtrack of the four-litre engine.

Anthony, in the lead car, relayed what lay ahead via walkie-talkies, and I must say, it was very helpful information, allowing me to concentrate fully on pretending to be Mark Webber.

At the same time, I was also trying to appreciate my location. The scenery in this corner of the world is impossibly breathtaking; imperious Italian cypress trees majestically lined our route, while umbrella pines, castles and churches peppered the undulating hills. Tuscany is a special place and early autumn is possibly the perfect time to travel in Italy; the grapes are ripe and ready for harvest, the sun still has its power and the thronging masses have gone back to work. It’s also truffle season. 

I chalked up another espresso and slid, rather snootily, into the Prancing Horse – red, obviously. The 488 Spider is the latest chapter in the Maranello story of V8 open-top sports cars and it reads beautifully. I started the engine and the unmistakable throaty rumble of a Ferrari made me grin; even my hair follicles felt the bellow. 

I couldn’t wait for the rumble to roar operatically as we headed off into the Tuscan landscape. This beauty can do 0-125mph in 8.7 seconds. I didn’t go anywhere near that, but still, the power delivery was exceptional and polite. The car is completely responsive, almost telepathic. For the second time in a day, I fell in love – I’m so fickle. It was as though I was surfing through the dappled sunlight on a magical F1 inspired carpet, albeit a very loud and very beautiful one.

As we all pulled on to the circular gravel driveway of the sumptuous Belmond Castello di Casole, the sun was starting to set. We were served a glass of champagne to witness the day melt away – left to appreciate what an incredible day it was.

We’d also worked up an appetite. Tuscan food is based on the idea of cucina povera, literally translated as “poor cooking”. Traditionally, the Toscani don’t use elaborate seasoning or complex recipes, they just stick to simple local food that is in season, but there’s nothing “poor” about it at all. Even the simplicity of bread and oil, with a classic Chianti, was elegantly simple. 

The next day, I rose early in order to take a moment to enjoy the morning light from my hotel window over the seemingly endless vineyards; today was Aventador day. I was expecting a tough time. 

From everything I’d heard, this jaw-dropping, theatrical, almost mythical-looking beast could bite back. So I elected a co-driver: Josh Young is a British racing driver and instructor, making the perfect companion. 

We prowled around the car doing checks and I couldn’t believe I would soon be experiencing possibly the most impractical vehicle ever made – it’s so small inside that one of our group couldn’t fit because he was too tall. Thankfully, I was an average five-foot-seven in Lamborghini heaven.

The iconic scissor doors opened and I sort of limboed my way in, ungracefully, sporting a Cheshire Cat smile. This is a spaceship of a car fuelled by ego and, at £300,000-plus, I could never afford to buy one. But what an experience, and so much better than I had anticipated.

Once we took off – and that’s exactly what it felt like, taking off – Josh quickly became more of a rally co-driver, navigating us around the ­winding roads ahead. When at speed, the Aventador felt like an unstoppable force, but at a slower pace, it snarled, barked and was bad-tempered. It became obvious that this car needed space to reveal its true prowess; it simply desired more pace. I dropped to second and banged through the gears, my head snapping back, before stamping on the brakes and getting back on the power – it was such a thrill. 

Needless to say, we couldn’t come to this part of the world without visiting a winery, so we stopped off at Tenuta Torciano. Here, charismatic owner and 13th-generation winemaker Pierluigi Giachi greeted us before we were whisked off by his son Emanuele to partake in a very successful truffle hunt.

Fungi aficionado Moreno and his well-trained lagotto romagnolo dogs seemed to discover the black truffle treasure trove. My takeaway learning was to never save a truffle, they go off very quickly. With that in mind, we ate ours for lunch, accompanied by 10 glasses of the finest Tuscan wine with the largest tasting measures I have ever seen. Allegedly, I was holding court by number seven, but thankfully, I was not a designated driver.

My favourite car? The Porsche, without a doubt. But life, more than ever, is about experience – which is why the Lamborghini was such a blast.

The details

Suzi Perry was a guest of Ultimate Driving Tours, Belmond Hotels and Torciano Vineyard. The Tuscany Self-Drive is available from £3,490pp, based on two sharing. The price includes a five-day, self-guided tour with accommodation, breakfast and the car of your choice (ultimatedrivingtours.com)