75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars – Driven by Dreams
27.01.2023 - 07.01.2024
Open daily from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Entrance is free.
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75 years of pioneering spirit, passion and dreams
When dreams and engineering artistry converge to become an amazing and pioneering automotive brand: the DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum is currently focussing on the cult Porsche brand. Alongside sports car pioneer Ferry Porsche, “Driven by Dreams” focuses on other prominent people from the world of Porsche, who were, and continue to be, driven by dreams. The vehicle exhibits are guaranteed to get the pulses of Porsche fans racing. The real highlight of this exhibition is the public launch of the Porsche Vision 357 concept car.
This extraordinary exhibition focuses on people who are inspired by dreams that have shaped Porsche’s history and are shaping the future in a visionary way.
360 Degree Tour
This virtual tour is best viewed with Internet Explorer 11.x or later, Mozilla Firefox® 80 or later (78 in MacOS), Safari 11 or later, Chrome 85 or later or equivalent browser software. You may have trouble seeing our virtual tour correctly if your browser is older.
Please note that not all vehicles you can see on the 360° tour are currently in our exhibition. The content of the exhibition may be changed without prior notice. If you’re interested in a specific vehicle, you can send us an enquiry by emailing: drive.info@volkswagen.de. Privacy Policy drive.info@volkswagen.de nachfragen. Privacy Policy
Back to the Future
Ferry Porsche launched the 356/1 Roadster model onto the road in 1948, a cult car with a pioneering design. This vehicle marks the start of the legendary success story of the Porsche brand.
he Porsche Vision 357 concept car is a homage to the legendary 356/1 model. What might Ferry Porsche’s dream of a sports car have looked like today? With this idea in mind, the development team has combined the past, present and future in a new model. The proportions are intended to reference the car’s historical predecessor, at the same time looking to the future. The magnificent result can be seen at the DRIVE for the first time.
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Porsche 356 SL
Porsche built 44 of the 356/2 coupés in Gmünd, Austria, between 1948 and 1950. Their aluminium bodies, aerodynamic, narrow roof sections and high torsional stiffness meant that the light metal coupés were absolutely perfect for excelling in motorsport. The coupes were around 120 kg lighter than the 356, which was manufactured by Reutter in Stuttgart from April 1950 onwards, and they were the first sports cars to bear the “SL” mark for “Super Light” – which was borrowed from the Italian “Super Leggera”. In 1951, Porsche dared to put one of its vehicles on the start line at Le Mans for the first time, using a fuel tank with a capacity that was expanded to 78 litres, hubcaps and special gear ratios. All of this led to the 356 SL promptly winning the 1.1-litre class, and it did so again a year later.
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Porsche 914/6
Volkswagen and Porsche joined forces in the late 1960s to produce two different versions of the VW-Porsche 914. The 914 was driven by a four-cylinder engine with electronic fuel injection and 80 HP output developed by VW, while the 914/6 contained the 110 HP six-cylinder engine used in the Porsche 911 T. Porsche took care of the construction work. The 914 was the first step Porsche took to expand its product range, which had solely consisted of the 911 up to that point.
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Porsche 911 2.0 Coupé
At the International Motor Show (IAA) in 1963 in Frankfurt, Porsche presented the successor to the 356: the first-ever 911 was born. The 911 differs from its predecessor in many ways, starting with the high-revving six-cylinder engine. Ferry Porsche was also pleased to “finally have space for a set of golf clubs”. Due to Peugeot having claimed the 3-digit number with a zero in the middle for itself, Porsche had to withdraw the 901. The magical 911 number combination was created.
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Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo
Porsche is expanding the product portfolio of its first all-electric sports car range with the addition of the versatile Taycan Cross Turismo version, thereby continuing the systematic pursuit of its path towards sustainable mobility. The new high-tech chassis with allwheel drive and adaptive air suspension also ensures uncompromising dynamics off-road.
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Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo
The 919 Hybrid dominated the World Endurance Championship (WEC) from 2015 to 2017. After that, the 2017 WEC-model and a further developed 919 Hybrid Evo went on a Tribute Tour to public events as well as record attempts. With a system output of 1160 PS, reduced weight and modified aerodynamics the Evo proofed what the Porsche 919 Hybrid could achieve without strict WEC regulations. In April, the 919 Hybrid Evo with Neel Jani at the wheel set a new lap record at Spa-Francorchamps, being faster than the Formula 1.
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Porsche 911 SC Safari
In 1978, the factory team started two 911 SCs at the Safari Rally in East Africa. The name of the game was to survive 5,000 kilometres of the toughest tracks in sweltering heat and torrential rain. The extreme conditions took their toll, with just 13 of the 72 starters reaching the finish line. Martini Racing Porsche System Engineering signed up Sweden’s Björn Waldegård (starting no. 5) and Kenya’s Vic Preston Jr. (starting no. 14) as renowned expert drivers. With 28 centimetres of ground clearance, very long suspension travel, an underseal, a reinforced vehicle body and special running gear, their 911 SCs were ideally equipped. Despite the heavy Safari body, a 110-litre petrol tank, and 16 litres of water and 20 litres of oil on board, the Porsche was comparatively light at 1,250 kilograms. The standard engine’s 250 bhp made the 911 a favourite. Waldegård led at first, but fell back due to problems with the rear axle, completing the World Championship in fourth place. Preston Jr. seemed likely to win until the final leg, however finished in second place following damage to the drive shaft. This was the third time Porsche drivers finished in second place, after 1972 and 1974, to stand on the podium in Nairobi. It was the last time that the factory team would take place in the Safari Rally.
Dreamer and maker
Porsche continues to reinvent itself without ever forfeiting the values and the identity that make the brand what it is today. It stands for people who helped write the success story with their dreams and their gambles. People who likewise believed in their dreams. Dreamers change the world with their foresight. They are inspirational and are what sets a successful brand apart.
Those lucky enough to build a business out of a dream owe it to the world to be the caretakers of dreams.
Ferry Porsche
“When driving a 911 in Le Mans in 2002, all the prototypes were simply whizzing past me. And that’s when I formulated a dream – the dream of securing overall victory here in a prototype with Porsche."
In 2017, Bernhard had another opportunity to realise the victory he was hoping for when the 919 Hybrid competed in Le Mans for the final time. Bernhard: “Three and a half hours into the race, we were stuck in the pit for 64 minutes undergoing repairs. I thought to myself: ‘Even if there were still 20 hours of driving ahead of us, we wouldn’t be able to move up by more than one podium position’. Our mechanics worked quickly and were absolutely focused. When we left the pit, we were in 56th place. But the 919 Hybrid was running like a dream again. From then on, we simply went full throttle – it was all or nothing. We took a lot of risks. I was able to take the lead 66 minutes before the end and ultimately crossed the finishing line in first place."
If you wish with all your heart to realise something, be bold. Have a plan, question things, but not too much, and apply all your energy.
Frank-Steffen Walliser Vice President Complete Vehicle Architecture and Characteristics
DRIVEN BY DREAMS exhibition opening times over Christmas and New Year: December 25th and 26th and January 1th, open from noon to 6:00 p.m. closed on December 24th and December 31 th
THE DRIVE
The must-see attraction in the heart of Berlin: welcome to the Volkswagen Group Forum! Welcome to a place brimming with movement, meet-ups and mobility.
