The Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, which offers drives for visitors, as well as a museum, shop and dining, has embarked on an expansion of the facility, the German automaker announced.
Construction has begun on a second track that effectively doubles the length of the existing driver development course. The new section can be driven on its own or in combination with the existing track and adds features inspired by some of the world’s best roads and racing turns, track designers said. The project is a part of a multi-million dollar investment in further developing the headquarters campus of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA).
The track expansion is a portion of the 33-acre site development adjacent to the existing 27-acre headquarters, which first opened in 2015. Construction will be ongoing through 2023 and includes a new Porsche Classic Factory Restoration facility, a parking deck and the already-opened Porsche Service Center South Atlanta.
“The physical connection a driver enjoys with our sports cars is core to the Porsche brand, which is why we’re expanding this option even as we and our dealers invest in new digital touchpoints for customers. The two worlds – digital and real – complement each other,” said Kjell Gruner, president and CEO of PCNA. “Whether a Porsche owner or not, the Experience Centers in Atlanta and LA serve as destinations where anyone can experience the thrill of a Porsche sports car and learn more about the brand. The Atlanta center has already hosted more than 6,000 visitors a month in normal times, and we hope the track expansion excites many more to come engage with Porsche.”
The track addition at the PEC Atlanta will include the following features:
- A 1.3-mile handling circuit with elements inspired by the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, with a rise of 30 feet and drop of 25 feet through approaching and descending turns; the Carousel from Germany’s Nurburgring-Nordschleife; and the twisty and challenging Tail of the Dragon in the Smoky Mountains, one of North America’s most iconic driving roads.
- Three new driving modules: a low-friction, wetted 60-meter asphalt circle; an ice-hill, with a wet and slick surface along with an incline and decline to demonstrate traction control; and a dynamic area comprising 135 feet by 555 feet of asphalt to demonstrate handling capabilities.
The expansion will operate independently from the existing South track, but the two layouts can be combined for an overall main handling circuit of 2.3 miles, and up to 2.9 miles when all track surfaces are utilized. Track expansion is expected to be ready for operation in the first quarter of 2023.
