Whether in Portugal, Brazil, China or Switzerland: the world of Porsche has been celebrating 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars with events all over the globe. An excerpt of the highlights.
Porsche Brazil
Motorsport, music and art were united at the Porsche Fest in Brazil. The Interlagos race track in São Paulo was the perfect venue for more than 30,000 people, as the world-renowned street artist Eduardo Kobra painted a Porsche Taycan live. And that wasn’t all. No fewer than 891 Porsche cars turned out for the event, with more than 500 of them parading on the famous circuit. An unforgettable experience for Porsche enthusiasts. There was also a cocktail party on 8 June at the new Porsche Center in São Paulo. Classic Porsche models were exhibited in the 4,000 square meter building and there was a livestream of the celebrations in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen.
Porsche Switzerland
Porsche fans in Switzerland were also treated to a diverse program from 15-17 June. As 2023 was a double anniversary, with the Porsche 911 also celebrating its 60th birthday, a road trip of about 405 kilometers was also staged, with a Birthday Party theme. Together with guests including long-serving Porsche works driver and brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister and works driver Neel Jani, a master baker was on hand to decorate a birthday cake that was subsequently enjoyed by those present. The many 911 models on the road trip perfectly demonstrated the versatility of the iconic model line.
The event then merged seamlessly with the ‘Mollis’ Porsche festival, which took place at the airport of the same name in excellent weather. More than 800 visitors feasted their eyes on upwards of 1,500 of the brand’s sports cars. These included the 2016 919 Hybrid Le Mans prototype, a Porsche 963, Mission R and a 718 Cayman GT4 e-Performance. There was also a pit stop challenge and around 800 passenger rides in current Porsche models. Here, too, there was an illustrious line-up of guests. Alongside Bergmeister and Jani, the rally legend Walter Röhrl and Porsche Head Designer Michael Mauer were present. Röhrl spoke about the event: “I can only express myself in superlatives. I’ve never seen anything like this before. I found it immensely encouraging to meet so many people who love beautiful cars. And with this fantastic mountain landscape in the background. Monumental.” A special exhibition on 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars is also running in the Museum of Transport in Lucerne until January 2024. It is part of the international traveling exhibition of the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
Porsche China
The Festival of Dreams set a record in China. Attracting more than 100,000 Porsche fans, it began on 8 June in the Haixinsha Asian Games Park in Guangzhou. It was the biggest Porsche event in Chinese history. To mark the 75th birthday, a range of activities communicated the concepts of heritage and pioneering spirit to the exhibition’s visitors. The 600-metre-high Canton Tower, the starting point of the event, was illuminated in a 75 Years of Porsche design. Guests had the opportunity to view all eight generations of the 911, the classic 959 Dakar and much more. The program also included virtual racing. Additionally, Porsche Club China marked the anniversary by opening a subsidiary in Shenzhen. The Porsche Club has more than 10,000 members all over the country and aims to further expand its local network for fans of the sports car brand.
Porsche Portugal
The Cascais Marina in Portugal hosted further anniversary events. More than 400 customer sports cars were exhibited here, including a 959, a 918 Spyder and a Carrera GT. Jacky Ickx, the Belgian former racing driver, and the Portuguese driver António Felix da Costa were among the high-profile guests. More than 30,000 Porsche fans attended the event and witnessed a Porsche lifestyle fashion show, a driving school for children and a rally power stage. Visitors also had the opportunity to drive the new Cayenne on an off-road course.
Rennsport Reunion
With 91,000 fans, some of the most famous faces from Porsche’s rich motorsport history and 300-plus racing cars, the seventh Rennsport Reunion was a four-day festival unlike any other.
Porsche Taiwan
The Festival of Dreams was also staged to the east of China. Here, contemporary Porsche models were on show while guests were taken deep into the rich history of the sports car brand. Alongside the new Porsche 911 GT3 RS, other cars included the 911 that starred on the big screen in the film ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’.
Porsche Sweden
The Festival of Dreams was celebrated on 10 June in Sweden. However, the festival’s organizers did not limit themselves to a single venue, celebrating instead at a range of locations all over the country. Twelve colorful events were put on for more than 12,000 people. Among other locations, there were celebrations at the Porsche Centre in Stockholm, and in Danderyd and Östermalm.
Porsche Mexico
The 75th anniversary of Porsche sports cars was also celebrated in the city of Puebla in the east of Mexico. The event was marked by a show that included everything from tractors to a 911 GT3 with Touring Package. There was also an auction, the proceeds of which were donated to charitable causes. Porsche Mexico, Porsche Club Mexico and many fans of the brand made this an unforgettable event.
Porsche Great Britain
There were a number of things to celebrate in the UK. Goodwood Festival of Speed combined the 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars celebrations with its own 30th birthday. The motorsport festival had many highlights. A number of the most successful Porsche racing cars from the past 75 years were also seen at Goodwood, from the 917 driven by 1970 Le Mans winner Richard Attwood to the 935/76 and the 919 Hybrid driven by Timo Bernhard. About 20 cars were sent by Team Porsche Heritage and Museum from Zuffenhausen to the famous festival.
Porsche Croatia
Porsche fans in Zagreb celebrated the anniversary with live graffiti, dancing and drones. A cooperation between Porsche and the Croatian graffiti festival Graffiti na Gradele was staged next to the National Theatre. Attractions included a unique live show in which a Porsche Taycan was illuminated to create a visual work of art. There was also a breath-taking event in the theatre itself, with the history of Porsche told via a five-act dance show that incorporated the iconic looks of a range of Porsche models. The celebrations continued deep into the night with the event culminating with a drone show and firework display.
Porsche Japan
Porsche Japan was also on board to celebrate 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars. More than 3,000 fans flocked to the Porsche Experience Centre in Tokyo to feast their eyes on about 600 models from across the generations. The 911 Dakar and the Cayenne also celebrated their market debut here. Former Formula One driver Jacky Ickx was also present as a surprise guest.
Porsche Italy
The double anniversary of 60 Years of the 911 and 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars was also celebrated in style in Italy, with 1,236 Porsche cars adorning the 4.2 km Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. At the same time, two Porsche Carrera Cup races were held, one of them at night. And that wasn’t all. More than 4,000 laps of the main course were driven, with the 918 Spyder present alongside the 911 GT2 RS Clubsport 25, a model of which only 30 cars exist worldwide. Thanks to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, there were numerous models of all generations to enjoy.
All images © 2023 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG
