In honour of Singapore’s 50th year of independence as well as the 30th anniversary of Stuttgart Auto, sole dealer of Porsche in Singapore, a celebratory event, The Porsche Circuit, was held at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Halls 401 – 402, on Friday, 24 July 2015.
Celebrations began on Thursday, 23 July 2015, at a gala dinner attended by 470 selected guests, where a grand total of SGD 740,000 was donated to various charities – Porsche Asia Pacific donated the proceeds from the 919 Hybrid mock-up auction of USD106,100 to the charity organisation SportCares Foundation. Karsono Kwee, Executive Chairman and founder of Stuttgart Auto, donated SGD 100,000 to the Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund and SGD 500,000 to West Coast Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC).
It was full throttle ahead on Friday, 24 July 2015 as members of the public were treated to a host of exciting activities. “We are elated with the overwhelming response and trust that we have left a pleasant and memorable Porsche experience for everyone”, said Henrik Dreier, General Manager Singapore of Porsche Asia Pacific.
Young Porsche fans and mature Porsche enthusiasts alike were kept entertained and given a real treat. 50 underprivileged children from SportCares Singapore were taken on an exclusive ride by members of the Porsche Club Singapore in a convoy of 50 Porsches around parts of central Singapore commencing from Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre. “Porsche Club Singapore is proud to be a part of Singapore’s SG50 and Stuttgart Auto’s 30th anniversary celebrations at The Porsche Circuit. We are glad to give back to society with a special Porsche SG50 Charity Drive with 50 SportCares volunteers in 50 of our iconic Porsche cars.” said Daniel Chow, President of Porsche Club Singapore.
Working crowds in the CBD were entertained too as the convoy made a stop-over at Asia Square for a SG50 phototaking session. It was certainly a memorable and inspiring experience for the excited children as it was the first time they have been driven around in a Porsche and participated in a club motoring activity. “The money raised by Porsche Asia Pacific will be put to good work providing opportunities and resources for underprivileged children and youth to change their lives through sport,” said Toh Boon Yi, Chief, Strategic Development & Marketing Group, Sport Singapore. “We also appreciate the strong interest that the team at Porsche has shown in our youth.”
Newly-launched Porsche models – the boundary-breaking 911 GT3 RS, the distinctly attractive 911 Targa 4 GTS and SG50 edition duo: the 911 Turbo S SG50 Custom-built for Singapore and the Cayenne SG50 Exclusive Edition, which is limited to 10 units for Singapore; as well as a series of iconic Porsche models and thoroughbred Porsche racing cars including the 911 Carrera S Martini Racing Edition, a limited edition vehicle customised by Porsche Exclusive, provided a feast for the senses.
Visitors were also enthralled by the display of all seven generations of the Porsche 911 and the cars that claimed victories for Porsche at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, including a replica of this year’s race winner, the 919 Hybrid.
Some visitors opted to configure their dream Porsche via the Car Configurator or went to the Exclusive/Tequipment vehicle customisation area, and took the opportunity to learn more about the extensive array of customisation options available from German experts in this field. Motorsports enthusiasts got to attend an exclusive autograph session with Earl Bamber; one of the three drivers of this year’s Le Mans winning team from Porsche, tried their hand at one of the Porsche racing games and even pitted their motor-racing skills in a Porsche slot car race challenge alongside Bamber. They also got to discuss motorsport racing with one of the most promising young motorsport drivers around. “It gives me great pleasure to be able to share my motorsport experiences with so many Porsche enthusiasts and inspire motorsport fans in Singapore” said Bamber.
Others took a walk down memory lane via the Porsche heritage wall and traced the steps of Stuttgart Auto’s success. Trend-setters indulged themselves in the exceptional shopping experiences provided at the Porsche Design and Porsche Driver’s Selection corners. The former is a luxury brand representing functional, timeless and purist design, and boasts an impressive level of innovation. The latter offers cutting-edge designs that are practical, minimalist and assured.
A series of exhilarating stunts performed by professional bikers on the Porsche bike track satiated thrill-seekers’ appetites. Visitors too, had the opportunity to take the sleek, new Porsche Design bicycles around for a spin on the bike track and to sign up for exciting test-drives of the latest Porsche models. Not to be outdone, children showed off their budding driving skills in Porsche 911 pedal cars at the Porsche Kids’ Driving School, and received commemorative certificates and photo mementos for their participation.
The little friends were also introduced to the fascinating world of Porsche through the captivating storytelling sessions. The passionate children were told about the different interesting facts of Porsche while participating enthusiastically in the quiz and games. The children brought home an exclusive Porsche storybook, where they can find the crossword puzzle contest to win an exciting ride to and from school in a Porsche 911 by a race car driver.
An apt complement to the SG50 theme, the wide array of popular hawker-style food available was a delight to the palate. With bodies and minds thoroughly nourished, it was truly an eventful day of enjoyment for one and all.
