Inside the new Porsche museum

It's got more metal than the Eiffel Tower, took five years to build and has a price tag of more than 100 million Euros. So you would expect there to be something pretty special inside. Well, there is. This is the new Porsche Museum!

More like a modern art gallery than a place to park cars, the amazing structure is one of the most striking automotive monuments in the world – a fitting home for its wealth of motoring masterpieces.

Rising above the industrial buildings of Porscheplatz Zuffenhausen, Porsche’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, the site appears to hover in space, with the main section resting on only three V-shaped pillars. More than 170 architects submitted concepts before this design was chosen. And, three days ahead of its official public opening at the end of last month, Auto Express was allowed a preview tour of this fantastic new facility, which houses 80 cars at any one time, from a collection of more than 400.

Unsurprisingly, it’s just as impressive inside. We’re ushered in, through an entrance beneath the giant glass facade of the main exhibition area, passing the bistro, coffee bar, cloakrooms and shop.

A huge glass wall gives us a glimpse of the treats in store. Behind it is the museum workshop, where visitors can watch mechanics tinkering with some of the company’s historic cars.

From here, a huge escalator carries you 10 metres up into the main exhibition area. As you pass underneath the glass roof of the lobby you get a great view of the sharp angles of the architecture. However, it’s what lies inside the museum that will set the pulses of petrolheads racing. Few firms have a sporting and technical history to rival Porsche, and from the moment you set eyes on the new museum, it’s clear it realises just how important this heritage is to the success of the brand today.

The main hall is breathtaking – white and stark. You walk through the space in a spiral, with the clever layout affording you glances of the cars you have just passed, and those you are about to see.

On the outer wall, all the road models are displayed in chronological order. In the centre, displays concentrating on motorsport successes and technological breakthroughs are laid out. There’s plenty of space, leaving fans to wander within arms’ reach of the cars.

“We wanted visitors to get as close to the cars as possible,” explained museum director Achim Stejskal. “We also avoided too much audio-visual activity so the exhibits could speak for themselves.”

This approach has worked. The airy space means that the models can be viewed from several angles, the architecture cleverly giving the machines room to shine. Another unique factor is that nearly all the exhibits are full working models. Some regularly compete in races and displays around the globe, and new examples take their place in the museum. That ensures regular visitors will rarely see the same set twice.

Whether it’s the simplicity of early cars such as the 356 Coupé or 550 Spider, or the power of racers such as the 917 and 956, Porsche’s entire heritage is here. Highlighting Ferdinand Porsche’s early work are the original VW Beetle and the electrical wheel hub from the Lohner-Porsche, built in 1900.

Large windows allow visitors a view over the Zuffenhausen factory, while displays of aero engines, military machines and concept cars remind you of less well known products. There’s even a tiny diesel tractor from the Fifties! Porsche lovers will be intoxicated by this place. Whether it’s the history of the racers, or the fine examples of the road models, this will become a Mecca for fans from around the world.

Yet the stunning architecture and displays mean even casual observers can enjoy a visit. With a high-class restaurant, conference facilities and a company archive and library, the museum has many other uses, too. Nevertheless, like any art gallery, it’s the quality of the exhibits which make this such a special place.