German sports car manufacturer Porsche has announced that a new Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) will be built in Franciacorta, Italy.
After openings in Leipzig, Silverstone, Atlanta, Le Mans, Los Angeles, Shanghai and the Hockenheimring, the PEC Franciacorta will be the company’s eighth in total.
Covering an area of around 60 hectares, the modern facility is being constructed at the Autodromo di Franciacorta racetrack in the centre of northern Italy.
Porsche Italia is investing more than €26m (£22m) in the destination and it’s expected that it will be ready after a massive refurbishment at the beginning of 2021.
State-of-the-art and spacious, the PEC will feature a multi-purpose 2,400sqft area crossed by an impressive suspension bridge. A restaurant and the terrace overlooking the racetrack will complement the hospitality area.
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The racetrack, which is 2,519m in length, will maintain its layout whereas the asphalt surface will be completely renewed. The facility also includes an off-road track.
Porsche Italia expects more 20,000 people to visit the PEC Franciacorta every year.
Other attractions will include a simulation lab for virtual reality driving experiences where visitors can drive all classic and new Porsche models on the most famous racetracks in the world as well as an electric go-kart track. It will be possible for customers to have their new Porsche car delivered at the PEC Franciacorta.
Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board for sales and marketing at Porsche AG, said: “The Experience Centres embody what Porsche is all about: first-hand experience that gets under your skin.
“Franciacorta will be a further contact point for customers and fans from all over Europe who want to experience the Porsche feeling for themselves.”
Where is Franciacorta?
Porsche says that Franciacorta is the “ideal location” for a PEC, as the existing racetrack can be used as a starting point for the future driving tracks.
The region is logistically attractive due to its location in the centre of northern Italy, close to Switzerland and the Garda Lake, but also with good connections to major cities such as Milan, Brescia, Bergamo and Verona.
With its wine and food culture, Franciacorta is also a popular tourist destination, especially in summer.