Over 28,000 people, 500 special cars, and two days of art, culture and everything Porsche – that’s the 2024 edition of the Icons of Porsche festival for you. Before I even reached the venue in Dubai’s swanky design district, the streets were filled with sights and sounds of Porsches homing in on the festival grounds, and from the moment I walked in, I was absolutely overwhelmed. No, it wasn’t because of the crowd; it was because of all the precious metal scattered around with Dubai’s stunning skyline in the background. From 356s to 964s to 918 Spyders to apocalypse-ready Cayennes and every imaginable Porsche GT product, it took me a good while just to soak it all in and calm down.
2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the 911 Turbo, and to celebrate, the entire line-up of the model was present. From the very first Type 930 Series from 1974 to the latest 992 and the five Series in between, all were parked in a line for spectators to witness. A one-off 911 Turbo Remastered, created by Porsche’s Sonderwunsch special request division, was also auctioned off by RM Sotheby’s. And it wasn’t just 911 Turbos; there were other lesser popular but significant Turbo models present, too, like the 944, Cayenne and Panamera.
Some stars from Porsche’s storied and colourful racing heritage were also in attendance, and I don’t just mean the cars. Porsche ambassador, FIA WEC champion and former F1 star Mark Webber, Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein, and Porsche’s GT3 legend and long-time test driver Jörg Bergmeister were present. And where do I even begin with the race cars? The dominant Porsche 956 from 1982 in the sublime Rothmans livery, the 1987 Le Mans-winning 962 C and the 1998 winner GT1 were all parked next to one another and were among the highlights of the show. Also tucked away at the Tag Heuer booth was Porsche’s current Endurance racer, the 963, which is fresh off a championship-winning season.
Alongside its past, there were also models for the future, specifically the EVs. The all-electric Taycan and Macan were on display; the electric Taycan is the new GTS and the top-rung Turbo GT version. Racing fans also got to appreciate the Porsche 99X Electric Formula E race car, which Wehrlein piloted to the championship.
Porsche also debuted a few of its models at this year’s Icons of Porsche – the 992.2-generation 911 Carrera T and 911 GT3, the Taycan GTS and the absolutely ridiculous 911 GT3 RS with Manthey Racing kit. All of them, barring the Taycan GTS, will be on sale in India.
Besides the cars, there were plenty of activities, such as live music acts, a proper racing simulator, a mini Legoland, and all sorts of food and drinks to keep the crowds entertained. There were loads of freebies to take home, too: posters, stickers, coffee table books, and even leather patches with the Icons of Porsche logo embossed on them. There were some interesting art installations, such as a 911 in the form of a huge pool float and another 911 draped up in sequins.
But for me, two moments stood out: witnessing one of my all-time favourite cars, the Carrera GT, in GT Silver no less, and having brunch and watching the Formula 1 race with Mark Webber at Porsche’s DRVN café. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see a 959, though. But hey, there’s always a next time! Forget Porsches; if you just like cars or even have some affinity for them, this is an absolute must-visit. It is truly a world-class festival celebrating one of the most storied car brands.
Suraj Viswanathan
