Porsche Factory Tour
 

Hello Fellow Enthusiasts,

I'm about to embark on a dream. If I can secure a promise from Herr Hoenniger, on behalf of the factory, I'm going to go to Stuttgart in time for the completion date of my 7th and last Porsche, January 12th, 2011. I'm so excited, I can barely contain myself.

My 6th Porsche, a 993 Turbo was purchased new in September 1995, and has gone over 180,000 miles. It's my business car, and I drive back and forth to hospitals and dialysis units, frequently putting more than 100 miles/day on my car. In 2004, Andial turned a great car into an incredible car, 3.8 L twin plug 571 HP, 519 foot/lb, 4 wheel drive, and I've been enjoying it ever since.

Then I drove the 911 Turbo S (997) and started reading about it, and felt, that while I was still working, and could call this my business car, I'd better buy one....and if I buy one, which I've done, I'd better keep working.

I'd like to hear about experiences in the Porsche factory tour. I dreamed that I would witness the "marriage" of painted body and engine, at station 61, of the assembly line, but I fear that this is just asking for too much. I thought I'd be able to take photographs of my car, or something pretty close to it, being built, but, apparently security doesn't permit this.

So, do any of you have any suggestions to advance this agenda, substitute something that's possible, or any suggestions at all?

I wouldn't have a clue, but I have always wanted to tour the factory. It is on the list. Have a blast and take as many pictures as you can!

Mostly, I'd leave a lot of time to see other things, as there is a lot to see around that part of Germany/Europe, and most of it is more interesting than a factory-- although if you get to see your car built, that would be cool. Stuttgart has a lot of history and a lot of really cool beer halls, etc.

With only a couple of exceptions, one factory looks like any other. I visited the Porsche factory about ten or more years ago (they were just starting to make the 996s) and it was, frankly, much like Bowling Green - all automated and such, a production line, and the guides and all are just very marketing oriented. I liked the Porsche Museum a lot, though. If I went back I'd see that again, and the Mercedes Museum (we saw it the next day, somewhere nearby) but skip the factories. Ferrari's is a bit better: the cars really are hand made (although it is surprising how many assembly-frames-on-rollers they have holding incomplete cars, and how few teams they have working on any of them at one time), and the museum is a bit quirky - some strange stuff - not as marketing oriented. The best though, IMO, is Gaydon (Aston Martin) - really different than the others -- I actually watched as some guys built an engine, until it got boring, and just very nice folks.