In recent years, the Porsche badge has enjoyed a renewed interest in off-road rally and hillclimb. Many saw the new factory-produced 911 Dakar models for the first time. A colorful batch of Leh Keen’s 911-based rally-restomod project cars were in the paddock and perched atop the hill at the Corkscrew. Pikes Peak cars of various classes spanned a 911 Turbo S and 911 GT2 RS entered by 000 Magazine, the Champion Racing 911 GT2 RS Clubsport driven by Romain Dumas, a and the outrageous and bespoke “Hoonipigasus” built for Ken Block. Their collective presence amplified the sense of breadth and depth of branches on the Porsche family tree.
Porsche emphasized the link between off-road motorsport and vehicles available from the showroom by setting up a complementary regular shuttle from the paddock up and down the hill to the top of the corkscrew. “Up the hill” does not mean paved roads – it means straight up the hill and back down again. Cayennes and drivers courtesy of the Porsche Experience Centers in Atalanta and Los Angeles gave thrill rides throughout the event and got very dirty in the process. Spectators filmed their trips and were grateful to skip the climb up and down the steep hill. (Porsche also ran Taycan shuttles, decorated in distinctive wrap liveries, that stayed on the pavement for guests to get to the top of the corkscrew and other location around the grounds.)
As usual, the reward at the top of the hill was epic views of the corkscrew. In addition, a small biergarten, a duo of Leh Keen’s off-road cars, a brand new 911 ST, a 911 Dakar and one of Jeff Zwart’s off-road rally racers greeted guests.
Porsche used the 2018 Rennsport Reunion to launch a limited production modern-day 935 track-day special. The surprise was Porsche’s way to mark Porsche’s 70th anniversary. In 2023, Porsche produced and unveiled another track-day special, this time dubbed the 911 GT3 R Rennsport. Like the 935 before it, the Rennsport edition will be limited to only 77 units. Giant flares around all four wheels and a massive rear wing gives the car a presence. As is tradition, small “Made in Flacht” lettering on the lower left rear bodywork signifies the lead role of the racing department. Factory driver Jorg Bergmeister took the car out for demonstration laps, logging times over four seconds faster than current IMSA GT3 cars under current regulatory specifications.
Tractor races are a highlight at Rennsport Reunions. The first in 2018 at Rennsport Reunion 6 was an immediate hit with fans and drivers. Iconic race cars in the paddock and garages are left behind and cell phone cameras rise in unison when the tractors move toward the track. Races on Saturday and Sunday at Rennsport Reunion 7 with two dozen tractors of various sizes and capabilities started at the track’s start/finish line and ran half a lap to turn 5 (no corkscrew). Jeff Zwart and Patrick Long are ringleaders, but many professional drivers find their way to borrowed rides. No prizes and no stopwatches tracking lap times, but lots and lots of smiles.
Porsche’s “Sonderwunsch” program occupied its own temporary building to show off its custom capabilities. Porsche owners armed with desire and pocketbook can order “special wishes” cars with unique paint colors, trim specs, and bodywork touches. The program has become more formalized over the years and its presence at Rennsport Reunion is a signal of Porsche’s intent to expand the scope of the event beyond strictly motorsport.
The sheer quantity of race cars that made history for various reasons is too much to absorb fully. Cars that would easily feature in almost any museum exhibit around the world are common. There is an element of guilt when walking past yet another Gulf Porsche 917, a Le Mans winning 962, or the very first Porsche 356. Most cars have remarkable stories of competition success, barn finds and restorations, or engineering breakthroughs that could warrant their own chapter in a Porsche book. Some already have chapters or even books dedicated to their story. After several days of immersion, the guilt diminishes but the sense of awe remains.
In music terms, Rennsport Reunion is a greatest hits of greatest hits. People who have never been to the Porsche Museum in Germany have seen much of the Porsche Museum come to them for the various Rennsport Reunions. Huge credit to the Porsche Museum for sending crown jewel cars and the staff to run them. Likewise for private owners who invest enormous amount of money to prepare and run their cars and risk bending or breaking them on track. Some cars run regularly. Others come out rarely just for Rennsport Reunions.
The Rennsport Reunion concept has grown and evolved from a vintage event with Porsche emphasis to an all-encompassing party organized and thrown by Porsche. That comes with a certain amount of polish and professional approach. Porsche uses it as an avenue to demonstrate its strength and extend its reach beyond the motorsport fanatics. There are commercial objectives which helps Porsche justify the substantial investment of resources.
Rennsport Reunion’s essence is both racing and reunions. Racing drivers in period see and often drive cars they wheeled in their prime. Spectators see cars they recall seeing race as kids with their parents pressed up against chain link fences. They meet or re-connect those who were integral to the competition, including those outside the spotlight in design, engineering, mechanics, and ownership. Cars that raced in the same races are bought back together to share paddock space or track time.
The wide and varied branches of the Porsche family tree re-join to celebrate common origins and DNA. As in real life, often family members learn about others they did not know before. Those experiences build bonds to celebrate the past, embrace the present, and wonder what the future holds. Farewell until the next Rennsport Reunion…
