Porsche hopes to continue to stir the passion for automotive dreams for a long time if its recent celebration of 75 Years of Porsche sports cars is anything to go by.
The Porsche “Festival of Dreams” celebrates 75 years of the brand and is being celebrated all over the world, with the Philippines included.
The event marks 75 years since the Porsche 356 “No.1” Roadster received its license to operate on the road — on June 8, 1948. The model was the culmination of Ferry Porsche’s commitment to create his own sports car dream, and laid the foundation for what would become the Porsche legend. Seventy-five years on, Porsche continues to reinvent itself with the same pioneering spirit touted by its founder, honoring its heritage, but at the same time looking ahead to an exciting future.
The Festival of Dreams drew hundreds of Porsche enthusiasts and fans to the PGA Cars facilities with a range of classic and current Porsche models arrayed at the venue for the occasion. Some of the most notable examples present were rare exotics such as the 356, Carrera GT, and the 918 Spyder. Porsche also had enviable current models like the 718 GT4 RS, 911 R and 911 GT3.
Cayenne E-Hybrid
The occasion was made more special with the launch of the new Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid. The model expands the new Cayenne lineup featuring an electric drive system for the first time to one of its bestselling nameplates.
The new Cayenne E-Hybrid boasts of improved electric range, electric motor power and charging speed. Its sustainable hybrid strategy also optimizes charging and discharge phases in different driving modes.
Powering the new Cayenne E-Hybrid is a 3.0-liter V6 turbo engine producing 304-PS. It is paired with a new electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. Together, the combustion engine and electric motor achieve a combined output of 470-PS and 650-Nm of torque. This lets the new Cayenne Hybrid to sprint from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds, and reach a top speed of 254 km/h.
A new electric motor improves the Cayenne E-Hybrid’s recuperation performance by around 30 percent. In generator mode, the Cayenne can convert power of up to 88-kW into electrical energy and supply it to the traction battery. This is how the new Cayenne E-Hybrid uses a significantly larger share of braking energy to increase efficiency and performance. Moreover, recuperation can now decelerate the vehicle to a speed of 2 km/h.
Beyond its increased drive and recuperation performance, as well as the resulting improved performance and efficiency, the new Cayenne E-Hybrid offers a higher electric range. A new high-voltage battery with a gross capacity of 25.9 kWh now has 8 kWh more, enabling a purely electric range of up to 90 kilometers (EAER City).
To avoid longer charging times due to the larger battery capacity, the Cayenne E-Hybrid also has a new on-board AC charger as standard. With a charging capacity of 11 kW, the HV battery can be fully charged in about two hours and 15 minutes.
All of these functions are easy to monitor thanks to the new interior layout. Just like the fully electric Taycan, frequently used controls are on or beside the steering wheel, including the gear selector that is now on the dashboard. The redesigned cockpit also integrates a curved, 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch central Porsche Communication Management display, and an optional 10.9-inch screen passenger display.
Like all the new Cayenne models, the Cayenne E-Hybrid has completely redesigned front and rear ends, characterized by a new hood, grille, bumpers and rear apron.
A two-chamber air suspension is fitted to the new Cayenne E-Hybrid. Combined with other revised control systems, it sharpens the vehicle’s performance on pavement and off-road, as well as offers more differentiation between Normal, Sport and Sport Plus driving modes. The thicker tires matched to the suspension guarantee a smoother and more refined ride quality.
Porsche Center Manila
Porsche Philippines’ final surprise was the groundbreaking for its new and state-of-the-art Porsche Center, a new building set to rise beside the present Porsche facilities in Greenhills. Set to be housed within a 15-storey building, the new Porsche Center Manila aims to integrate showrooms, corporate offices and service areas, while also anticipating future Porsche retail space requirements, as well as visual identity.
The new Porsche Center also aims to complement existing service capabilities by expanding capacity and integrating a first-ever dedicated facility for fully electric Porsche vehicles. At the recently-concluded “Festival of Dreams”, a grand groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark this new beginning for Porsche in the Philippines.
The event was graced by Hannes Ruoff, CEO Porsche Asia Pacific, Roberto Coyiuto III, President and CEO of Porsche Philippines, and Robert Coyiuto, Jr., Founder and Principal of PGA Cars, the exclusive importer and distributor of Porsche in the Philippines. Alongside the Porsche executives, Dr. Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, German ambassador to the Philippines, also attended the occasion.
“As we look back on a year of vibrant expressions of Porsche passion in Asia Pacific, we are glad that Porsche Philippines wraps up our 75th anniversary of sports cars with another thrilling activation,” said Hannes Ruoff, CEO of Porsche Asia Pacific at the inauguration of the event. “As we officially mark the groundbreaking of the new Porsche Center Manila, we hope to usher in a new era of success for our trusted partners PGA Cars,” Mr. Ruoff continued.
“The introduction of the new Cayenne E-Hybrid in the country represents the latest chapter in our evolving success story,” said Roberto Coyiuto III, President and CEO of Porsche Philippines. “Through models like this, we are redefining the concept of luxury by taking environmental and personal wellbeing into account along with performance. It also signifies our intention to continuously set the benchmark in the domestic luxury auto sector.”