Porsche has opened a so called Experience Center in Los Angeles, the second in the United States after Atlanta, which opened in 2015. The new headquarters of Porsche Motorsport North America is also located in LA. A total of $160 million was spent on the two marketing projects, $60 million of which was invested in the Los Angeles site. In addition to Los Angeles and Atlanta, there are also experience centers in Le Mans, Silverstone and Leipzig. The next construction project is already under way in Shanghai, with the opening scheduled for 2017.
“Over 100,000 guests worldwide in 2016 is an impressive testament to this concept and demonstrates the fascination that the brand holds for people,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board responsible for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “In the age of the digital revolution, real-life driving experiences are becoming increasingly important for our brand.”
The new Experience Center in Los Angeles is located on incurably clogged Interstate 405 and is accessible from three airports. It includes a 6.5-kilometer test and development track with eight training modules, a changing racing car exhibition and what’s claimed to be a gourmet restaurant by the Germans. (No Michelin Rating Yet.) Visitors can take part in a 90-minute driving course led by an instructor on the test track. The eight training modules cover two circuits, an off-road course, a dynamic area, a start control and acceleration straight as well as a low-friction circuit and a skid pan.
Porsche Motorsport North America is the only authorized provider in the U.S. and Canada for the sale, parts supply and customer service of all specially manufactured Porsche racing cars – the 911 GT3 Cup, 911 GT3 R and the Cayman GT4 Clubsport. It also provides maintenance services for engines and transmissions, racing support at several international racing series, as well as repair services. A glass wall in the entrance hall of the Porsche Experience Center affords visitors a glimpse into the workshop, where historical racing cars are repaired, track vehicles are maintained and racing cars are exhibited by owners and collectors.
Alongside China, North America is one of the most important sales regions for Porsche. In California alone, Porsche Cars (and crossover SUVs) North America sold around 23% or 12,000 out of a total of almost 51,800 vehicles in the U.S. during 2015.
