SHANGHAI. Experience the fascination of Porsche at first hand: This slogan typifies the first Porsche Experience Centre in Asia that the sports car manufacturer has opened in China. The centre is the sixth site in the world in this format and is located right next door to the Shanghai International Circuit. At the 100.000 square meters site, customers and fans can enjoy a handling course, offroad track, restaurant, café, conference rooms and a Porsche Driver´s Selection Store.
The ceremonial opening of the Porsche Experience Centre was held yesterday and was attended by some 300 guests. Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG, emphasised the strategic importance of the new site: “In recent years, China has become Porsche’s largest single market. To date, our four-door sports cars in particular have been at the heart of the development in this market. The new Experience Centre gives visitors the opportunity to also test the sporty and dynamic properties of our two-door sports cars.”
With around 71,500 vehicles delivered, China is ahead of the United States as the largest individual market for Porsche. The SUV models are especially popular: In 2017, a total of around 57,600 Cayenne and Macan models were handed over to customers. The increasing importance of two-door sports cars is confirmed by the number of deliveries of the 718 Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars. Last year, China was the world’s top-selling market for these models with 6,000 vehicles delivered. “The new Experience Centre in Shanghai emphasises not only the special significance of the Chinese market. It also allows us to offer existing and potential customers an opportunity to experience our sports cars exactly where they are at their most impressive: on the track. Driving pleasure is a core element of our brand”, von Platen continued.
Visitors also benefit from the fact that the new Porsche Experience Centre has direct access to the 5.5-kilometre-long Shanghai International Circuit. And when it comes to choosing their own dynamic driving experiences, visitors have access to a 1.4-kilometre handling course with a skid pan, kick plate and dynamic area available. There is also an offroad track. The central location of the centre is another bonus. Approximately 300 million people live within a three-hour drive. The Experience Centre is now open and offers unique driving experiences for fans, enthusiasts and customers. News Desk
