Part of the Porsche Experience Center Adjoining the Airport, the Track Available for Driving Experiences includes Reproductions of Some Famous Racetrack Corners
By John Oreovicz
ATLANTA – 2023 is a year of many significant anniversaries for Porsche.
Seventy-five years ago, leading a team totaling 200, Ferdinand Porsche created the Porsche marque and introduced the 356 model. The iconic 911 was first unveiled 60 years ago, at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. And Porsche’s North American operations are celebrating their 25th year of being based in greater Atlanta.
These days, Porsche employs approximately 700 associates at its Atlanta campus alone, which encompasses the company’s North American headquarters, Porsche Experience Center (PEC) Atlanta, Porsche Classic Factory Restoration and Porsche Service Center South Atlanta. The 60-acre facility, adjacent to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, is a stunning display of Porsche’s commitment to excellence.
On March 30, Porsche staged an invitation-only grand opening event to celebrate the completion of the final elements to a complex that has been in a constant state of growth and development since 2015, when the corporate HQ and PEC Atlanta opened. The most recent additions are the Service Center, Porsche’s first standalone service facility in the U.S., featuring 13 vehicle lifts and same-day appointments. Conversely, the waitlist can be up to eight years for one-off “Sonderwunsch” commissions at Porsche Classic Factory Restoration, which like the Service Center is a purpose-built facility that is the first of its kind on the North American continent.
The complex features a host of sustainability initiatives, such as a dedicated solar-powered microgrid to provide independent power for the Experience Center’s fleet of demonstrator vehicles, including plug-in hybrid versions of the Cayenne and Panamera and the fully electrified Taycan.
The centerpiece of Porsche’s latest $50 million investment in the Atlanta/Hapeville area is PEC Atlanta’s new West Track, designed and constructed by Tilke Engineers & Architects, creators of Circuit of The Americas and many other international circuits. Adjacent to the original 27-acre South Track property, the West Track features a 1.3-mile Handling Circuit that includes reproductions of famous corners including the Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Le Mans Chicane at Daytona International Speedway, the Long Beach street circuit hairpin, the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife’s Karussell, and even a series of esses from the “Tail of the Dragon” section of U.S. Highway 129 in Tennessee. There’s also a 196-foot low-friction circle or skid pad, an 8-percent grade Ice Slope and a central autocross area.
The most remarkable thing about PEC Atlanta is that for as little as $450, a traveler flying through ATL can complete a 90-minute driving experience in a new Porsche with a personal driver coach during a long layover without even leaving the airport perimeter. PEC also now offers multicar experiences, allowing a prospective client to sense firsthand the dynamic nuances between front-, mid- and rear-engine and rear versus all-wheel drive.
Nearly 400,000 enthusiasts have experienced the PEC Atlanta South Track since 2015; the new West Track, offering a uniquely different flavor with an increased emphasis on elevation change, is anticipated to achieve similar popularity.
The March 30 “Driven by Dreams” opening was attended by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and hosted by NBC Sports personality (and Atlanta native) Maria Taylor.
Taylor revealed that her concept of a dream car when she was growing up was a gold 1978 Porsche 928 owned by her father. She was joined onstage for remarks by Kjell Gruner, president and CEO of Porsche North America, and Sabre Cook, the first recipient of the Porsche Deluxe Female Driver Development Program scholarship to compete in the Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America.
“I’ve driven the new West Track and it’s awesome! It adds a new dimension to our sports car experience,” said Gruner. “I’m proud to be opening the new site, welcoming our guests and – once more – to be investing in the Atlanta area as we celebrate our 25th year in the city.”
The evening program featured demonstration laps by all of Porsche’s current product range, paced by an immaculately restored 356 A Speedster. Earlier in the day, select guests were taken for hot laps around the West Track by factory driver Marco Seefried in the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 e-Performance prototype.
Based on the 718 GT4 that competes in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, the e-Performance is a test vehicle to assess the viability of a future electrified single-make series such as the Carrera Cup. With up to 1,088 horsepower available in qualifying mode, cars like the e-Performance will certainly shake up preconceptions about the capability of electric-powered cars as racers.
Like all of Porsche’s modern production cars, from the 718 Boxster to the fully electric Taycan sports sedan, the e-Performance prototype is an unimaginable leap from the humble early 356 and its Volkswagen Beetle roots. Porsche sold more than 70,000 vehicles in the United States in 2022; the first contract agreement between Ferry Porsche and U.S. importer Max Hoffman in 1950 called for 15 cars per year.
America has long been an important market for Porsche, for both street cars and motorsports. And every aspect of the company’s amazing history is now showcased in both static and dynamic form in Atlanta, just a 15-minute shuttle ride from the world’s busiest airport terminal.