Falling in love with Porsche as a car company has never been a difficult thing. The shape of the 911 convinced us that amphibians were beautiful(save for the 993 generation)long before we had to endure the ghastly shape of the first Panamera. And as hideous as it may have been the Panamera was deemed by many to be every bit the Porsche anyone who wanted a super sports saloon could want. While the Cayenne felt like treachery at first to Porsche’s values it was paving the way for the run away success that is the Macan.
Even though the 911 is the definitive Porsche, its very roots, the company didn’t enshackle itself with it. It branched out into other segments of the market and this has enabled the company to stay on its toes and at the forefront of sports car innovation. This has clearly been an inspired move as nearly every year most automotive publications have a Porsche as a car of the year finalist if not the car of the year.
This February Porsche opened the doors to the Porsche Studio at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. This will be the fourth such centre to open its doors globally with the others being in Beirut in Lebanon, Sylt in Germany and Guangzhou in China. The Studios have been created to encourage interaction between Porsche and its clients but also the fans. Clients are able to test drive the full range of vehicles offered by Porsche. Featured cars include everything from a 718 Boxster to the Panamera e-hybrid. More importantly they are able to customise and order their cars on site. Porsche’s personalisaton division, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur also has various items on display for clients to interact with.
Porsche’s Studio in Cape Town is sandwiched between a Ducati Dealership and Scuderia Ferrari with an Audi dealership directly opposite. The Waterfront in Cape Town is becoming quite the enthusiasts paradise. As soon as you walk through the door you are greeted by a Porsche Macan GTS. White in colour, no doubt a deliberate choice as it contrasts well against the dark floors and ceiling of the entrance area. To the left is the Sales Executives ‘office’ with a wall decked out in various hides and fabric and various other pieces of interior and exterior trim options. To the right is a small section dedicated to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, their equivalent to McLaren’s MSO. On this wall is a brief write up of what Exclusive Manufaktur does with examples of different pieces of interior trim outside the scope of normal Porsche offerings.
Straight down the hallway and to the left is this Studio’s party piece: The 918 Spyder in classic Porsche racing colours. The colours signify that this particular example has the Weissach Package. The package essentially adds light weight components to the 918 making it a sort of RS version of the standard car. In fact, it was a similar 918 Spyder equipped with the Weissach Package which blitzed the Nürburgring record in late 2013 at 6 minutes 57 seconds. Other visible cues include the side mirrors, the roof and windscreen surrounds finished in naked carbon fibre. In all honesty I’m not the biggest fan of the colour scheme. I would rather have it in plain colours or decked out in Martini Racing colours. However, seeing as this is not my car it will be best if I keep these opinions to myself. Behind the 918 Spyder is a screen displaying Porsche’s rather illustrious history.
Moving to the back is a show room area with various products on display. In typical show room fashion this part of the Studio has the floors and ceiling painted white. There are three models on display: A 911 GTS, which in South Africa is one of Porsche’s best selling models, a 718 Boxster and Panamera e-hybrid. I’ll set the record straight by saying the new Panamera is a lot prettier than the last one.
At the very back of the studio is a coffee bar aptly named Carrera Café. I don’t know what to think about the name if I’m honest but perhaps Porsche loves alliteration. Apart from the cars this has to be my favourite part of this studio. This area is meant to service clients with coffee and soft beverages as the staff attend to their needs. The coffee machine gives this section of the studio a much lighter tone. It beckons one to have a seat and take everything in. From the classic model cars placed on shelves strategically around the studio to the bar stools which were most likely custom built for Porsche.
While the café adds a nice touch to the studio and is the proverbial cherry on top of the pudding it wasn’t the highlight of my visit. The conversation that ensued between Adrienne, the receptionist, and I was most invigorating. We covered everything from Bentley to Porsche’s cars to personal preferences when it comes to motoring. She loves the Panamera. While this isn’t the main purpose of the studio I feel that it is such an integral part. The conversations that are created around the products Porsche offers and even their competitors are a real treat to fans and clients alike.
The Porsche Studio at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is open to the public from 8:00 am- 5:30 pm during the week and from 8:30-13:30 on Saturdays. I highly recommend a visit to any automotive enthusiast.
