California has Luftgekühlt, Bangkok stunned the world with Das Treffen, and now the United Arab Emirates has joined the party with an event that truly blew us away. Starting humble with a local meet for Porsche owners within the Gulf, the event has grown substantially into a true celebration of the brand, now in its fifth and largest display edition. The weekend saw over 30,000 fans flock to Dubai’s Design District, known as d3, which on a normal given weekday is an open concrete space, but during this weekend in November it was completely transformed into a true festival. Die-hard fans from all over the world flocked together to celebrate Porsche's achievements in all areas, such as their motorsport legacy, the Sonderwunsch programme and road-going icons of the past. As the temperatures approached the mid-30s, it was a tough battle between the cars and the weather to determine which was hotter!
25 Years of Carrera GT
A quarter of a century ago, during a rain-soaked Paris Motor Show, Walter Röhrl was behind the wheel of the Porsche’s new golden child, the Carrera GT. He navigated the V10 mid-engined machine around the Place Charles-de-Gaulle and along the cobblestones with the Arc de Triomphe serving as the perfect backdrop for the car's launch. Since the concept car was unveiled, the Carrera GT has become a legend, and its celebrations are so rightfully deserved.
This year’s event paid the ultimate homage to this unusual launch, swapping rain-soaked cobbles with sun-drenched concrete, where a stunning line up of 16 examples immediately brought in the crowds. Each one was different in their own way, be it through unique colour combinations or colour-matched wheels, and they told a story of how Porsche’s supercar of the millennium is still the one many would choose over just about any ride. For us, this was a true highlight of the event!
Off Road Royalty
Of course, if you’re heading to a country surrounded by towering sand dunes and deserts, there’s a good chance you’ll need the right vehicle for the job. Thankfully, Porsche’s Cayenne isn’t just a highly capable sports car with a rugged body, the SUV is the choice of many sand-loving adrenaline junkies. This year, the event’s Camp Cayenne was taken over by a wealth of customised examples, boasting huge tyres, lifted suspension and more lights than the Burj Al Arab!
Porsche’s Most Powerful Production Car
Quite the statement, but one that were amazed to discover is entirely true. Porsche’s all-new Cayenne Turbo Electric was the centrepiece of the Icons of Porsche’s entrance plaza. Following its virtual unveiling a few days prior, this was the first time the car was shown in public, bringing in a steady stream of onlookers throughout the weekend. As the name suggests, Porsche’s flagship SUV is now fully electric, and in its most potent form produces a staggering 1,156 horsepower, rocketing it from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. During the event, the large display screens played a video showing this understated SUV go head-to-head against the 918 Spyder, which saw the new Cayenne claim a clear victory, sending crowd into a frenzy of excitement. With Cayenne culture so strong over in the UAE, we have no doubt this new model will be a success!
For the Love of Porsche
As cliché as it sounds, no other brand has a community quite like Porsche. Whether you’re a life-long collector or just starting out, the variation in models and vast personalisation options that go with the Porsche brand ensure no two examples are alike, especially when it comes to somewhere like Dubai. While many are lovers of outright speed and agility, showcasing their Weisach Pack GT3 RSs, the humble 996 Carrera 2 still received just as much of a warm embrace. Strolling along the perfectly parked rows, what stood out to us was the variation in colours, from ultra-rare PTS greens to single year-only golds, always combined with colourful leathers that made every example worth stopping to fully appreciate.
Sadly, we now have to wait a whole year for this incredible event to return, but after seeing its rapid growth over the past five years we have nothing but excitement for what the future holds. Whether you’re Porsche obsessed or simply in the region and looking for the perfect Porsche-themed day out, Icons of Porsche is one to firmly recommend adding to the ever-growing event calendar!
Photos by Elliot Newton
