Five magical days
Out of the garage and into a state of driving joy: this motto once again turned the Porsche Gipfeltreffen (Porsche Summit) event into a community gathering with people at its core.
They spent five days on the road, from Stuttgart over the Alps to Nice, and covered more than 1,700 kilometers of the track; yet, for the 84 participants, this event was much more than a car festival showcasing the most beautiful air- and water-cooled 911 models.
Enthusiasts unite
Behind the wheels were friends of the brand, collectors, and keen drivers. Many of them came from the German Porsche communities around Heizr, Curves, Petro Surf, Onassis, Type 7, and the Porsche Club Germany. Also joining the journey were photographer Paul Ripke, actor Axel Stein, designer Hanna Schönwald, artist Paul Schrader, creative director and blogger Mirjam Flatau, stunt driver Riley Harper, and former ski world champion Aksel Lund Svindal.
“It’s the conversations, the good spirits when people talk about Porsche – it’s the little moments that make up the community feeling,” says Ripke, describing the event vibe. Contributing to this, according to Bastian Schramm, Director Marketing Porsche Germany, was also the ‘location’ of the event: “Porsche is a brand that can unite people in an extraordinary place: on the road,” he says. “I’m proud of that.”
Many highlights on the journey
The crew of the Porsche Gipfeltreffen was as interesting as the sports cars that encountered numerous highlights on the journey, from the Porsche Brand Store in Stuttgart and the Black Forest, to some of the most beautiful roads and passes in Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France. The names alone evoke automotive wanderlust: the Grimsel Pass, Col du Galibier, and the legendary Col de Turini, which signaled the approach to the final destination – sun-soaked Nice on the Côte d’Azur. Sports car enthusiasts can retrace the route taken using the Porsche Roads app.
Model diversity
The latest fully electric Porsche models, the Macan and the Taycan, were also on the starting line. However, the secret star of the convoy turned out to be the 911 Turbo 50 Years Edition anniversary model.
It was a meetup that once again confirmed what most participants felt: “It’s not important what you drive, but that you drive.” As Axel Stein puts it, “There have been many great moments in which I’ve connected with Porsche. And this year’s Gipfeltreffen is definitely one of my favorites.”
Above content © 2024 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
