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The first stone of the Porsche Experience Centre at Le Mans has been laid

The building is scheduled to open in 2015.

Marc Ouayoun, General Manager of Porsche France, and Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, laid the first stone of the Porsche Experience Centre inside the Le Mans circuit.

Marc Ouayoun, General Manager of Porsche France, and Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, laid the first stone of the Porsche Experience Centre inside the Le Mans circuit.

ACO

Pierre Fillon and Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich
Pierre Fillon, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Volkswagen Group Audi Chief Technical Officer Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg and Jean Todt
Dieter Gass, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, Pierre Fillon
FIA President Jean Todt and ACO President Pierre Fillon
Pierre Fillon with Allan McNish
Hand imprint ceremony: 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Loic Duval, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish with Miss 24 Hours of Le Mans 2014 and ACO President Pierre Fillon
ACO President Pierre Fillon
ACO President Pierre Fillon
Pierre Fillon
ACO President Pierre Fillon

The construction of the Porsche Experience Centre began in July. The building will open in 2015 and work is advancing very quickly. Today, Thursday the first stone was laid by Messrs Fillon, President of the Automobile and Ouayoun, the General Manager of Porsche France, the partners in the project for this unique centre.

Thursday, in the presence of the main movers behind this project, Marc Ouayoun, General Manager of Porsche France, and Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, laid the first stone of the Porsche Experience Centre inside the Le Mans circuit. This site, created in partnership by the ACO and Porsche France is the German make’s first in France, the third in Europe and the sixth in the world. The opening to the public is scheduled during the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours, which will take place on 13-14 June next year.

Work began on 7th July 2014 just after the 2014 Le Mans Classic. Following the demolition of the old Maison Blanche pits and the excavations, the building began to take shape at the beginning of September. Some 30 partner companies are investing all their efforts to bring this major project to a successful conclusion and meet the deadlines.

In January 2015 work will begin on the revamp of the Maison Blanche track near which the Porsche Experience Centre is installed. This circuit will be given a special makeover and zones for specific tests (low grip areas, hydraulic skid and obstacles simulator – kickplate - off-road terrain, flat zone) will be added. Then the interior will be fitted out and the entrance square in front of the building laid for it to be ready to welcome visitors during the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours.

A big challenge

It’s a big challenge that’s being taken up by Porsche France, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and all the local companies involved in this exciting project.

The Porsche Experience Centre will be a complex totally devoted to the make, and it will enable clients and fans to discover the Porsche world and test its vehicles through numerous activities and events.

This ultra-modern centre, unique in France, will be run by the teams of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and will also contain the Porsche Sport Driving School, the make’s only driving school in France, based at Le Mans in partnership with the ACO since 2011.

Thanks to the revamp of the Maison Blanche circuit, part of which uses the legendary Le Mans 24-Hours layout, this polyvalent environment will provide new driving sensations. Pedagogical and playful modules will be put in place to test the vehicles and assess their performance.

Thanks to reception rooms and a restaurant in the building private events can be organised giving a unique view onto the Le Mans 24-Hours circuit.

10 jobs

When completed this project should lead to the creation of around ten jobs.

Said Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest: “Porsche has built its sporting reputation at the Le Mans 24 Hours. Since the first appearance of the make in our events the destinies of the ACO and Porsche have been closely linked, and this manufacturer is still the record holder of victories at Le Mans. Thus it was only natural that the Porsche Experience Centre should be installed in the heart of our circuit continuing this long success story, and that of the Porsche Driving School, which has been implanted at Le Mans since 2011 and is run by the ACO.”

Said Marc Ouayoun, General Manager Porsche France: “The implantation of the Porsche Experience Centre in the heart of the Le Mans circuit that’s been so closely linked to Porsche’s history and its sporting DNA since 1951, is a very powerful symbol. Our clients and fans can enjoy an authentic experience of the make thanks to this new showcase, which is an important step in Porsche’s expansion in France.”

The PEC will consist of an area of over 3000m2 on three levels:

--A modified version of the Maison Blanche circuit (2.9-km long which uses a part of the Le Mans 24-Hours layout) completed by various driving experience modules.

--Reception venues as well as a restaurant.

--An exhibition of Porsche vehicles from the current range and from its historic patrimony.

--A Porsche service centre.

--A Porsche Exclusive Space for personalisation of vehicles.

--A reception venue for all the events at the circuit, in particular the Le Mans 24 Hours, including a space with a direct view onto the circuit.

--A technical and non-technical training centre devoted to the Porsche Centres’ personnel.

--A Porsche Drivers’ Selection boutique.

--The headquarters of the Porsche Sport Driving School in France.

Porsche

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