Icons of Porsche in Dubai: 60 years of 911, Mission X and 70 years of Porsche
Porsche cars everywhere, as far as the eyes could see. That was the overwhelming feeling I had as I was exploring the exhibits of “Icons of Porsche 2023” at The Slab in Dubai, UAE.
As the only Filipino media delegate in attendance and considering this was only the third run of the Icons of Porsche festival, I didn’t know what to expect. But even without a baseline, I could tell that everything about the festival exceeded expectations. The site was an enormous 2,800-plus square meters displaying over 500 Porsche cars (this was the estimate of Brendan Mok, Head of PR & Communications for Porsche Asia Pacific, who toured the exhibits with me). There were also an estimated 27,000 visitors for the 2-day festival held on November to 26, an almost 400% in25 crease in attendance since the event began in 2021. It wasn’t just the volume of the cars and people, but the quality of the exhibits that impressed me.
This year’s theme “Safari Edition” was immediately apparent as soon as I entered the festival grounds. I was welcomed by off-road modified versions of Porsche Cayenne, including one that had a tent mounted on its roof. One of the main attractions is a “Safari Camel” which recreates a famous CGI artwork o f digital artist Chris Labrooy. The “Safari Camel” had a 930 Turbo as the base to create the appearance of an inflatable camel floatie. The Icons of Porsche festival is not just about one theme. It brings together cars, art, and culture. This is perhaps why, unlike most car or mobility shows that I’ve attended, the Icons of Porsche festival also attracted plenty of children, women, and families.
The Icons of Porsche festival is not just about one theme. It brings together cars, art, and culture. This is perhaps why, unlike most car or mobility shows that I’ve attended, the Icons of Porsche festival also attracted plenty of children, women, and families.
There were several art installations including a display of acrylic Porsche paintings by German artist Pascal Goebel. A white Taycan sedan served as an art canvas where adults and children alike signed their names, wrote messages, or drew images using colored markers on the Taycan’s exterior. A hot pink electric Taycan that looked like a “Barbie car” constantly drew women to take photos beside it.
There was a stage area that featured live performances (including singers, DJs, and interviews of notable personalities from Porsche), Lego and Porsche merchandise stores, and picnic grounds with different types of food trucks.
There was an overwhelming number of Porsche cars on display across eight festival zones (consisting of 60 Years of 911, an Esports Arena, The Pit Lane, The Boulevard, Mission X, Porsche Museum heritage truck, Art Beach, and the new Panamera Cube), but there were some displays that stood-out for me personally.
Towering over the festival with the Burj Khalifa in the background, was a red inflatable Porsche 911 that recently entered the Guiness World Record as the “largest inflatable vehicle.” The 20-meter long vehicle represented the first generation 911. Underneath were the words: “The one and always.”
Around the giant 911 was a display of cars showing the evolution of the 911 since 1963—a tribute to the 911’s 60th anniversary this year.
A highlight of the “60 years of 911” exhibit was a customized 911 Turbo that was inspired by the first 911 Turbo created in 1974 (the “911 Turbo Nr. 1”). An interesting story behind the 911 Turbo Nr. 1 is that it was commissioned by Ferdinand Porsche as a gift for the 70th birthday of his daughter Louis Piëch.
Among the distinct features of the 911 Turbo Nr. 1 is the integration of Tartan fabric with red interior, a design personally handpicked by Louis Piëch to match the car’s silver exterior.
The bespoke 911 Turbo of 2023 (which stood side-byside the 911 Turbo Nr. 1) replicated several features of the 911 Turbo Nr. 1 while also creating special features of its own such as a new front splinter and a front trunk lined with lipstick red leather, Tartan fabric container and Tartan floormat.
The bespoke 911 Turbo (a collaboration between Style Porsche, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, the Porsche Middle East and Africa regional office, with support from Porsche Heritage & Museum) is a testament to the incredible capabilities of the Porsche Sonderwunsch personalisation programme. For those of us in attendance at the festival, we were lucky to be personally given a tour of the 911 Turbo Nr. 1 and bespoke 911 Turbo by a member of the Sonderwunsch department in Germany and by Patrick Gallas, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Manager, Porsche Middle East and Africa.
I ended my evening listening to Markus Auerbach, Head of Interior Design for Porsche, speaking on stage about his inspiration for designing Porsche’s newest concept car “Mission X.” He said that the inspiration for the Mission X was the 917 which is called a “Living Legend,” but they started first of all with wanting to create “a cool car.” The Mission X is an all-electric vehicle that seeks to replicate the DNA of Porsche’s iconic sports cars of the past while setting new standards and reinterpreting distinctive Porsche elements.
I left the Icons of Porsche on a high after spending a day marveling at iconic cars and an overall iconic event. If Porsche exceeded its festivals of the past, it was only fitting since this year marks its 75th anniversary. The only problem they have is if they can top this event next year.
