Porsche has opened its eighth Porsche Experience Center (PEC) worldwide in Franciacorta, Italy. The new brand experience venue covers approximately 60 hectares and includes the Autodromo di Franciacorta handling circuit.
The opening ceremony took place on Saturday, 11 September. The new PEC in Franciacorta is located in Castrezzato (Brescia), a scenic area of northern Italy. The location is not only appealing because of its proximity to Lake Iseo and the airports of Milan, Bergamo and Verona but also because the vineyards in the surrounding area have made the Franciacorta name world famous.
“The PEC Franciacorta combines many of the things that make Porsche special: the racing atmosphere, a unique design with iconic architecture and a brand experience venue for our global fan community,” says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. “In Franciacorta, we have found the ideal location for a new Porsche Experience Center. People in Italy are passionate about our brand. Here, they can now indulge that passion.”
Customer Centre with eye-catching architecture
The new Porsche Experience Center consists of two main areas: the customer centre and the drivers’ paddock. The customer centre has a futuristic appearance and an eye-catching curved structure.
It covers an area of around 5,600 square metres and includes a central space, or agora, from which various areas can be accessed: training rooms, a showroom for picking up vehicles, a panoramic restaurant and bar overlooking the handling circuit, a shop and an area for children. There is also a business centre with a meeting room. The paddock, with its 29 garages, is dedicated to motorsport events, such as the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia.
A wide range of training facilities for sports car fans
The heart of PEC Franciacorta is its handling circuit, which has three different training areas. The 2.5-kilometre, highly technical main circuit has a variety of corners and chicanes that are perfect for fine-tuning driving skills. A low-friction handling circuit made of polished concrete allows Porsche drivers to practice in extremely slippery conditions. On the low-friction circle, controlled oversteer can be perfected with the ideal combination of throttle and steering on wet, polished concrete. The cars’ braking-system efficiency and their stability during emergency manoeuvres can be experienced in the dynamic area. An off-road course with ramps, curves and a gravel track allows drivers to experience the off-road performance of the Cayenne and Macan SUVs.
Vehicles with driving aids are available for people with disabilities. Franciacorta also boasts a simulation lab for virtual reality and esports, equipped with eight latest-generation simulators and an e-kart track. A training centre from Porsche Italia for trainings of the dealers will also be completed by the end of the year.
“Porsche is more than its products, Porsche is a promise for a unique brand and product experience,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “At our Porsche Experience Centers, we promise unique and thrilling experiences that visitors will never forget. Here, the Porsche community can put our sports cars through their paces and enjoy an authentic brand experience.”
In line with Porsche’s corporate strategy, the PEC Franciacorta is geared towards sustainability. Existing infrastructure has been reused as far as possible. In addition, the entire facility is powered by renewable energy.
Porsche Experience Centers are a unique concept in the automotive industry and offer Porsche fans and customers exciting experiences with the sports car brand and its products. In addition to Franciacorta, there are PECs in Leipzig, Silverstone, Atlanta, Le Mans, Los Angeles and Shanghai, and, since October 2019, at Germany’s Hockenheimring. A further PEC is set to open in Tokyo in October this year.
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