The Porsche 919 Hybrid has written motorsport history. Now it is still setting records out of habit: for the first time ever, the legendary car made a pit stop in Southeast Asia as part of the 919 Tribute Tour, after visiting China and Japan.
Bangkok, whose name means “the great city of immortals” in Thai, is an appropriate destination for the 919 Hybrid, which was itself also immortalised in the World Endurance Championships (WEC) with 20 pole positions, 17 race victories, six World Championship titles, three overall Le Mans victories – all achieved within only a remarkable four years. The legend is saying “thank you” to all its fans with 13 stops around the globe, and Bangkok was the third stop in Asia.
The pulsating metropolis of Thailand captivates with its special charm and a fascinating mixture of traditional culture and modernity. Bangkok with its rich and diverse culture is also home to a thriving startup scene; it is the world’s top tourist destination and at the same time ranks first as the city with the highest number of Facebook users. It is a city where tradition meets innovation, a fact reflected in the video of the LMP1 car making its way around crowded streets of Bangkok’s vibrant Chinatown, yet accelerating on the architectural wonder of the Rama VIII Bridge spanning across the Chao Phraya River.
In this dynamic city with a strong identity, where the day has naturally 24 hours, it is the hours between dusk and dawn that will be remembered, just like in Le Mans. Thus, it was an especially significant moment when the 919 Hybrid reunited symbolically with Porsche Works Driver Earl Bamber in Bangkok, who also made a cameo appearance in the video. He raced it to multiple victories at the WEC, including the overall lead in Le Mans, which secured the hat-trick that made the car a true legend in the 2017 season.
Although the 919 Hybrid is retiring, the champion’s legacy will live on in Porsche’s growing E-Performance range as well as in Formula E. This is seen in Thailand, one of the largest markets in the region for Porsche, especially so when it comes to E-Performance.
Nearly every Panamera sold this year in the country were of the E-Hybrid variants, and the success story is set to continue. Soon the new Cayenne E-Hybrid is expected to make its debut in Thailand, and the Taycan, Porsche’s first all-electric vehicle that has been formerly known as Mission E, will begin production in 2019. The highly-anticipated Porsche Studio at Icon Siam, the fourth Porsche facility in Thailand and a fully digital showroom, is scheduled to open by the end of this year.
