When Porsche Canada announced a few months back that they would be focusing their marketing dollars on driving events rather than car shows this year, I wondered if they were risking missing exposure to young enthusiasts. You know, the kid on the other side of the velvet rope looking in. Still, there is no question that Porsche retailers must see more than a few potential customers come through their dealership who might not be quite ready to pull the trigger and invest in a new Porsche. They are dreaming the Porsche dream. The question is: How can Porsche convince them to commit to that purchase.
The answer: Bring the Porsche World Roadshow to Canada.
What is the Porsche World Roadshow? Well, for 11 years now Porsche has had a traveling circus of cars, tents and staff that has introduced more than 5,000 potential buyers to the magic that is Porsche. Rather than spend a fortune at auto shows this year, Porsche Canada is going to spend 9 days wowing the enthusiast until they have absolutely no choice but to buy a new Porsche.
Today, a group of media from across North America descended upon the famed Mosport road course to be immersed in that magic in the same manner as consumers will in the days to come. The day began bright an early at the track, while American guests and European staff grumbled somewhat about the brisk Spring Ontario air. Following a gourmet breakfast, we split into groups for a variety of activities. Our group of 7 was led by 1996 kart racing Junior World Champion, Mike Den Tandt. Mike would spend the whole day with us, acting as a combination driving instructor, Porsche historian and host.
We were fortunate to be the first group out on the track where we put a collection of 911’s, Cayman’s, Boxters and even a Cayenne GTS through their paces under the guidance of our fearless leader. My fave ride of the day was a white 911 Carrera S with an actual manual transmission. This car was the stuff of dreams. Responsive, fast as hell, ultra communicative and it fit me like a glove. Oh yeah, it also sounded absolutely like every 911 in-car video that this enthusiast has ever drooled over. On the way up Mosport’s Andretti straight, the needle was nudging 200 kph before Mike slowed our pace on entry to corner 8. Perhaps the next most fun was a Cayman S fitted with the PDK transmission. Once I figured out the proper button sequence, the thing shifted like lightning. It was almost as fun as the manual 911. Almost. The biggest surprise of the day had to be the Cayenne GTS. How the hell can something so big be so fast? Not only was it fast (like 185 kmh on the straight) but unbelievably responsive. Even the slightest throttle or steering adjustment begins a predictable weight transition, making the Cayenne surprisingly fun to drive at speed.
After we got our fill of high speed (not really!), we moved to the infield autocross course set up on the new lower paddock. Here we would put a PDK equipped Cayman S through a nice long autocross course. I’m very happy to say that I did not live up to my recent history and managed to set fast time for our group by a full second. The Cayman proved to be quite the sharp tool for carving through the cones, with fairly neutral handling throughout. My only complaint was the location of the shifter buttons caused an unexpected upshift during my second run. Perhaps paddle shifters might be a better choice than the wheel mounted buttons.
Following a fabulous lunch, we headed down to some of Mosport’s infield off road trails to put some Cayenne’s to the test. Who would have thought that a vehicle could combine this much utility, track prowess and still be confident off road with on road performance tires? Technology is a wonderful thing.
Once we had gotten the Cayenne’s dirty we headed back into the main tent to learn a bit about Porsche and the ordering process. I honestly did not realize how many custom options there were to choose from when ordering a new Porsche. Everything from interior & exterior trim colours (even seat belts) to surface materials can be chosen. For the truly detail oriented, one can even have hand stitched leather on the dash vent slats. In the colour of your choice of course.
To finish up the day, we were taken out for some hot laps of the main track. This was the time when all of us hot shoes were put in our place by some true displays of car control. Rather than shooting for lap times, the guys were getting their drift on which is a whole bunch more fun. I was lucky to draw a spot in the brand new GT2, being driven by one of the senior instructors. I suppose it goes without saying that the GT2 is beyond wicked, with brutal acceleration and instantaneous brakes. I finished my day riding shotgun with Mike in a Cayenne Turbo. The things this dude can do with the monster SUV are beyond belief. There was a steady stream of laughter from a female passenger in the back seat who commented that this was the only activity this side of the bedroom that makes her so giddy!
The Porsche World Roadshow is a traveling product display on a grand scale. Don’t let that sway you from the fact that each person involved is 100% certifiably immersed in the Porsche mystique and lifestyle. These folks are not only great hosts and instructors, but they are completely in love with everything Porsche. Their enthusiasm is infectious and it shows. When you look around the paddock or the meeting tents, people are telling stories about Porsches and Porsche people. I can pretty much guarantee that if one was on the verge of buying a sports car and can’t quite make up their mind what brand to choose, the roadshow would seal the deal. If you are in the market, you’d better hurry and hit up your dealer for an invite as there are only 9 days and I’ll bet there aren’t many seats left.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like a thrilling event Gary! Ingenious marketing by Porsche. Glad you enjoyed it.
Gary,
To think, I used to like you.
I’m so jealous, I can’t even type. Nice write up and sounds like an amazing day.
Gary, sounds much like the day I had, with even the same favourite cars. Loved the full-on sport buckets in that blue Cayman S!
Our gent, Kees, told us of stories of his 30-odd years with Porsche, including debuting the 961 at Le Mans! Nice that a kind guy from Kelowna, BC has that sort of history with them.
I’m with you in saying the World Tour is a much better spend of Porsche corporate dollars than laying out bucks to sit on an auto show stand.
Mark, I agree, those seats are awesome. They fit my fat behind just perfectly, so I’m surprised you skinny guys didn’t move around in them.
As for you other two – I seem to recall hearing that both of you have a 911 tucked away in your garage…eat your hearts out boys
Thank You for posting the photo gallery, it must have been a fun and enjoyable event.
One thought, 2009, SUV’s, dirt….that was popular 10 years ago!
I was just there on Thurs April 16 and Friday 17th. Best thing by far I’ve ever done in my life. I also loved the white 911s. Everyone there was awesome, and we were treated royally.
I am now completely sold on Porsche, and plan to get a 911 s. My experience was exactly as written above, and while every step of the way was amazing, I actually could not believe my ride in the Cayenne, drifting around every corner at 160km/hr. It was NUTTY! Great write up. I am still pumped many days later….
MacM – Glad to hear you had a great time. Be sure to let us know how your follow up visit to the dealer goes!