Porsche Experience Day

The other day on Twitter, I saw a Porsche fan post, “Anyone want to join me at Porsche Experience Day on Saturday, June 16, or Sunday, June 17?” Porsche Experience Day is a special program celebrating 70 years of Porsche. It takes place at Fuji Speedway alongside events such as the Porsche Carrera Cup.

Ferdinand Porsche established his engineering office around 1930, but the first model to bear the Porsche name, the Porsche 356 “No. 1” Roadster, made its debut in 1948—making this the marque’s 70th anniversary year. My family is planning to go on Sunday, and I’m already looking forward to meeting some of the Porsche fans I’ve connected with on Twitter.

What Do You Get with a Guest Pass?

Yesterday, while catching up on Porsche news, I came across several articles about Porsche Experience Day. You don’t have to own a Porsche to attend—any Porsche fan can join. Buying a guest pass also comes with some extra perks. I wondered what they were, so I took a closer look (I hadn’t really paid attention before!)

① Join the Porsche Parade Lap (Limited to the First 70 Cars)

Visitors who arrive in their own Porsche can take part in a parade lap of the main circuit. Sign-up is available at the event, and participation is limited to the first 70 cars. Everyone taking part, including passengers, must wear long sleeves and long pants.

② Test-Drive the Latest Porsche Models

You can test-drive models such as the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid and Macan GTS. The event describes the experience as “an open, comfortable drive you can’t enjoy in the city,” so I’m guessing the test drives take place somewhere outside Fuji Speedway’s main circuit. Sign-ups are available at the venue on the day, and will close once all slots are filled.

③ Have Your Porsche Photographed by a Professional

A professional photographer will take a keepsake photo of you with your car. The image will be available to download to your smartphone right there at the event. Sign-ups for this perk will also close once all slots are taken.

④ Watch the Action from the Guest Lounge or Terrace

Guest-pass holders can watch the races from a dedicated lounge, and also join a pit tour and a grid walk before the race. June falls in Japan’s rainy season, so it’ll be great to have a comfortable indoor spot to watch from if the weather turns. Here are a few photos of the guest lounge and pit walk at Okayama International Circuit last year, along with the lounge at Fuji Speedway.

By the way, the food was ridiculously good—I went back for seconds several times! (Laughs.)

How to Buy a Guest Pass

Here are the details for guest passes:

■ Price (per person, per day)
Adults: ¥11,000 (before tax)
Children: ¥5,000 (before tax) ※Up to junior high school age; preschoolers enter free
■ How to buy
Available at your nearest authorized Porsche dealer
■ Deadline
May 31 (Tuesday)
※Sales will end once the limited allocation is sold out

Since many of the perks are available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day, I’ll need to get there early on Sunday and make sure I sign up. You can find more details on Porsche’s official website:
http://www.porsche.co.jp/experience_day2018/

“Pro Porsche Fan”

In yesterday’s blog post, I called myself a “Pro Porsche Fan,” but it got such a poor response (laughs) that I’ve changed my username on Twitter and elsewhere to “Mina—Porsche Blogger.” My thinking was that even people who didn’t know me would immediately get the idea: “She loves Porsche and does Porsche-related stuff.” This simpler name might be the way to go.

I’m figuring things out as I go, and I hope I can keep improving the blog along the way.