Porsche roared into Southern California recently with the opening of the German car manufacturer’s Porsche Experience Center (PEC) in Carson. A car lover’s Disneyland, the PEC can turn a corporate meeting into a true driving adventure
The second PEC in the U.S. (the first is in Atlanta), this new 53-acre, eight-module Porsche driving “playground” offers myriad opportunities for a group experience. The possibilities range from a simple lunch meeting with a view of the four-mile track from the private dining room and terrace of the center’s second-floor (and already acclaimed) Restaurant 917, to a total buyout of the facility, which includes driving lessons for everyone on the track.
“We run 18 cars on the track at any given time,” explains Jennifer Malacarne, manager, PEC Los Angeles. “But for group buyouts, we can accommodate more than 100 drivers during a rotating session. We also have a simulator lab with five simulators, with different tracks to drive and several different vehicles, and it’s pretty realistic. It’s a lot of fun.”
The simulator lab is also the only place where guests can challenge one another to a race. “It’s the only place here that you can compete, because out on the track you are driving alone—it is not a racetrack,” Malacarne notes. “We do a lot of corporate events and teambuilding there.”
A complete buyout isn’t necessary for a group to drive, and it can be an exhilarating experience to get behind the wheel of a selection of Porsche vehicles, such as a 911 Carrera S, 911 GT3, 718 Cayman GTS, 718 Boxster, 911 Turbo, Cayenne Turbo and even a G-Force (the latter costs $1,300 for three hours). A typical driving session lasts 90 minutes, with a driving instructor along for the ride.
PEC can always work with the client to accommodate their needs. “If it’s a group of 20 or more, then we’ll have to close down the track to the public,” says Malacarne. For groups of six or more, the PEC looks toward a corporate event strategy. “We set it up so that the group can drive different vehicles, as opposed to the retail experience of just choosing one,” she adds.
The LEED-certified PEC is also home to Porsche Motorsport North America, the topend repairs facility that restores cars and supplies parts to race teams across the country, which is located in the atrium lobby. Viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows, guests can see collectors’ cars on display. More displays fill the atrium itself, which is easily transformed into a 6,000-square-foot event space for up to 500 people.
“It has a great view into Pit Lane, where all our cars are waiting,” adds Malacarne. “We’ve already had groups in from all over the map—anywhere from a medical spa to a very corporate company, and we even have a wedding booked for September. The PEC is really for anyone that is looking to do an event and is thinking out of the box”—and into the driver’s seat.
