{"id":36908,"date":"2018-08-05T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2018-08-04T21:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=36908"},"modified":"2019-02-19T07:16:33","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T22:16:33","slug":"about-pecla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/about-pecla\/","title":{"rendered":"A Visit to the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Last, the Long-Awaited Porsche Experience Center LA<\/h3>\n

The day before yesterday, we safely arrived back at Kansai International Airport from San Francisco. I\u2019m so glad the whole family returned home healthy. Traveling overseas with two young kids, aged 4 and 1, was quite the challenge. Or rather, our free-spirited 1-year-old daughter was quite a handful (laughs).<\/strong> I learned that if you\u2019re traveling to long-haul destinations like the US or Europe with small children, it\u2019s probably easier either when they\u2019re newborns who don\u2019t understand anything yet, or when they\u2019re around 3 years old and a bit more independent.<\/p>\n

So, we stayed three nights in San Francisco, then flew to Los Angeles. The place we were most excited to visit in LA was none other than the Porsche Experience Center (hereafter: PECLA).<\/strong> The Porsche Experience Center is a facility where you can directly experience the Porsche brand, test the car\u2019s power, sportiness, and safety firsthand.<\/p>\n

Worldwide, there are only six Porsche Experience Centers: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Le Mans, Leipzig, Silverstone, and Shanghai.<\/strong> Incidentally, Mr. Shichigosanagi, President of Porsche Japan, has previously announced at a press conference his desire to open a Porsche Experience Center in Japan as well. We hope so! Within the PECLA grounds, there are<\/p>\n

two circuits, an off-road course, a dynamics area, a start control, an acceleration straight, a low-friction circuit, and a skid driving practice area\u2014eight training modules in total\u2014plus rotating exhibits of rare racing cars, a gourmet restaurant, and a 6.5 km test and development circuit.<\/p>\n

*Source: Porsche Opens New Experience Center in Los Angeles<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finally, Heading to the Site<\/h3>\n

From our hotel in Long Beach, LA, it took about 20 minutes by car to reach PECLA. It\u2019s conveniently located with good access from the airport. While driving on the highway, you can see the PECLA course and buildings adorned with the Porsche crest right beside you, so you won\u2019t get lost.<\/strong> Upon arrival, many Porsches were parked in the lot, and the entrance proudly displayed a large \u201cPORSCHE\u201d sign.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Amazing! So big! Inside the entrance, reception staff wearing Porsche polo shirts warmly welcomed us. The staff spoke to the kids in English at a normal pace, with an attitude like \u201cOf course you guys speak English, right?\u201d<\/strong> (I could barely keep up listening, haha)<\/span> I guess most visitors here are Americans. Maybe tourists from Japan are quite rare.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

At the reception, I looked for any mention of an \u201cAdmission fee\u201d but found none. When I asked, they said it\u2019s completely free to tour the facility!<\/strong> (Driving experiences on the Porsche test course are paid.)<\/span> How generous! After filling in our names, email addresses, and phone numbers, we received visitor cards.<\/p>\n

\"\"Looking around the display area, there was a lineup of legendary cars that you rarely get to see… or rather, only at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. I\u2019ll introduce each of those cars with photos in a separate article.<\/p>\n

The Well-Stocked Merchandise Corner<\/h3>\n

After checking out the exhibits, we headed to the merchandise shop in the back. They sold various Porsche goods, including many PORSCHE DESIGN items not available at Japanese Porsche dealers.<\/strong> I felt it was even better stocked than the Porsche Museum shop in Stuttgart.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

There were plenty of women\u2019s clothes and bags, and one bag really caught my eye…! It was a stylish, roomy bag from \u201cPORSCHE DESIGN\u201d that you could use for outings. Normally, I\u2019m the type who thinks \u201cOne bag for work, one for everyday, and a Porsche backpack for travel\u201d<\/strong> is enough, so it\u2019s rare for me to want another bag. When I picked it up, a staff member immediately came over to explain it to me (I\u2019m not great with salespeople approaching me so quickly…)<\/span>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

But when I saw the price, I was shocked… it was several times more expensive than I expected. I said \u201cJust looking\u201d and quickly put it back, but my husband said, \u201cIt\u2019s great! If you like it, buy it. You can\u2019t get it in Japan.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cReally? Are you sure? But it\u2019s expensive…\u201d <\/p>\n

After about a minute of back-and-forth, my husband said, \u201cI\u2019ll buy it for you.\u201d<\/strong> So I told the staff, \u201cI\u2019ll take it!\u201d and they were surprised, like \u201cReally!? (You said you were just looking a minute ago!)<\/span>\u201d Thank you so much, dear husband!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2192\u3010Next Page\u3011 Authentic Restaurant and a Game Machine to Race on the Porsche Circuit!<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

The Authentic Restaurant<\/h3>\n

Later, feeling hungry, we went to the restaurant. On the first floor, there\u2019s a caf\u00e9 serving light meals. They sell fruits, sweets, sandwiches, and some people were taking out. The caf\u00e9\u2019s name is \u201cSpeedster.\u201d<\/strong> As expected, even the caf\u00e9\u2019s name is Porsche-themed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

However, since we hadn\u2019t eaten breakfast and were quite hungry, we decided to try the full restaurant on the second floor. \u201cIf the first floor caf\u00e9 is Speedster, maybe the second floor restaurant is called \u2018Carrera\u2019 or something?\u201d<\/strong> I wondered as we went upstairs, but there was a \u201c917\u201d sign instead. Clever Porsche, mixing it up a bit (laughs).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The restaurant had a very authentic and stylish atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With floor-to-ceiling glass facing the test track, you can enjoy your meal while watching the test course from any seat.<\/strong> That day, about 7 or 8 Porsches (probably participants)<\/span> were running, practicing on wet surfaces, accelerating sharply, and more\u2014lots of exciting Porsche driving to watch.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The lunch menu included \u00e0 la carte, mains, and a kids\u2019 menu (chicken with curly fries set)<\/span>. There was also a \u201cKobe beef burger\u201d and a dish with \u201cHamachi\u201d (yellowtail), which made me feel a bit closer to home since they used Japanese ingredients. Of course, there was wine and other alcoholic drinks, but we stuck to water since we had to drive.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

American restaurant portions are huge, and even the kids\u2019 meals come piled high, so I chose an \u00e0 la carte cheese dish with a complicated name… (haha)<\/span>. When it arrived with bread, I was delighted to see the adorable Porsche-shaped butter!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

It almost felt too cute to eat. But my daughter quickly mashed it up and ate it anyway (laughs). My cheese dish is on the left in the photo below, and the kids\u2019 meal is on the right. I realized my dish was really more of a wine pairing, so eating it with water was a bit funny… but it was authentic and absolutely delicious.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

By the way, my husband\u2019s \u201cKobe beef burger\u201d looked like this. He said it was incredibly tasty.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Simulation Lab<\/h3>\n

After lunch, we visited \u201cThe Simulation Lab.\u201d Here, you can enjoy racing on the circuit with your favorite Porsche using a realistic game machine. A staff member sits in the center to handle registration before you can play.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

My husband drove for about 30 minutes, and since he practices daily on Gran Turismo on PlayStation, the staff came over amazed, saying \u201cHow is he so good? Does he practice this game at home too!?\u201d<\/strong> and watched him for a while (laughs).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cThis game machine is pretty realistic, so it might be tough for first-timers.\u201d<\/strong> You can also wear VR goggles to race.<\/p>\n

PECLA, I Want to Visit Again!<\/h3>\n

In the hallways, there were various Porsche photos and framed layouts of circuits from around the world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Outside, there\u2019s a terrace where you can sit on sofas, sip coffee, and feel close to the test course while watching Porsches run by.<\/strong> It was hot in Los Angeles, but shady spots were very cool. I thought it would be wonderful to relax here and admire Porsches.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Inside the meeting rooms, names like \u201cCayman,\u201d \u201cBoxster,\u201d and \u201cMacan\u201d<\/strong> were assigned to different rooms. According to the brochure, you can reserve and pay to use these rooms.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I wonder if people say things like, \u201cToday\u2019s meeting is in the Cayman room!\u201d or \u201cLet\u2019s meet at the Boxster room at 2 PM!\u201d It sounds like it would make meetings more fun. (Though it\u2019s probably not that simple.)<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We ended up spending about three hours at PECLA, and it was more enjoyable than I expected.<\/strong> With the restaurant, track, game space, and merchandise corner, there\u2019s something for everyone\u2014whether you come alone or with family. We visited on a weekday before noon, and it wasn\u2019t crowded at all, so we had a comfortable time. I definitely want to stop by again when I\u2019m in LA. I highly recommend it to everyone!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At Last, the Long-Awaited Porsche Experience Center LA The day before yesterday, we safely arrived back at Kansai International Airport from San Francisco. I\u2019m so glad the whole family returned home healthy. Traveling overseas with two young kids, aged 4 and 1, was quite the challenge. Or rather, our free-spirited 1-year-old daughter was quite a handful (laughs). 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