There was a time, not particularly long ago, when driving enthusiasts were arguing that the Cayman platform was being held back from its ultimate potential. But the latest addition to the lineup suppresses those doubts and amplifies the thrill of the mid-engined sports car.

For collectors of the automotive elite, an abundance of Concours events celebrate the exhibition of these cars around the country. The setting is largely ubiquitous—early morning sun rising over a manicured golf course as prestige wanders the grounds.

 

Pebble Beach set the standard and has 70 years of experience, while events like Amelia Island and Greenwich have followed in its path. In its infancy, The Bridge was an event shaping up to be referred to as the “East Coast Pebble Beach.” But after its fifth installment, that may not be giving it enough credit.

Each Porsche enthusiast fell in love with the brand in a different way, but it’s likely that many will point to a specific air-cooled sports car that started the fire. Now, there’s one place that specifically celebrates those cars in an unrivaled exhibition of classic Porsche.

 

Luftgekühlt is for those who know—even its pronunciation elicits a bit of confusion on the faces of the uninitiated. But it’s a simple name, it’s not an amalgamation or deeply-rooted slang in the Porsche vernacular. It simply means…“air-cooled.”

Porsche’s success in motorsport hasn’t just been based on results—despite how undeniably impressive those have been. The brand’s ability to develop competitive products that meet and exceed the challenges of their time has kept them out in front on the track and in the marketplace.

While cars like the 911 RSR and GT3R have built an incredible reputation as world-beating endurance racers through their successes at tracks like Le Mans and the Nürburgring, the team responsible for a lot of that success behind the scenes is Manthey-Racing. The Nürburgring-based outfit offers performance expertise for road and racing Porsches, tried and tested in the most grueling environments in motorsport.

A lap of the demanding Nürburgring Nordschleife requires ultimate commitment from both car and driver, so Porsche came prepared with its 911 GT2 RS fitted with the Manthey Performance Kit and speed specialist Lars Kern in search of yet another production car record.

In the world of sport utility vehicles, few cars have actually embraced “sport” and “utility” in equal order like the Cayenne has. The soul of Porsche’s sports cars has been apparent in the Cayenne throughout its model lineup, but the latest iteration is the most extreme commitment to sporting dynamics in the history of the nameplate.

As a follow-up to the popularly pure GT3 Touring of the 991.2 generation, Porsche is offering a Touring package on its latest evolution of the 911 GT3 as well. The most notable addition—or, subtraction—is the rear wing which is replaced by a flush rear spoiler that deploys at speed to generate necessary downforce, but otherwise lies flat for an uninterrupted silhouette reminiscent of decades of 911s.

Team Penske is among the most storied entities in North American motor racing, one that has deep ties with Porsche in the elite ranks of sports car competition. The team’s success with Stuttgart ranges back to Can-Am with the 917/30 in the early 70s, then returned for outright domination of LMP2 in the American Le Mans Series with the RS Spyder. Now for the next generation of top-level prototype, Team Penske is back on board to run factory entries in North America and worldwide beginning in 2023 for multiple years.