Construction of the first urban version of the brand’s worldwide concept begins in Pickering
Eight months after announcing that it would build its first and very own Porsche Experience Centre (PEC), Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. officially broke ground on the project during a ceremony held on July 2022 in front of a group of more than 100 attendees including city and province officials.
As the tenth in the world and third of its kind in North America after Atlanta and Los Angeles, the future Porsche Experience Centre Toronto will be located on a dedicated, 20-acre site at the “Durham Live” development in Pickering, Ontario. A casino and luxury hotel are currently operating, and the site will include a concert venue and more than 400,000 square feet of retail space. The future PEC Toronto is slated to open in 2024.
“The kick-off to this construction project represents the culmination of years of dedication and planning by teams on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Marc Ouayoun, President and CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “More than a circuit, the future Porsche Experience Centre Toronto will represent a unique, exhilarating, and memorable place where visitors can fully immerse themselves in the brand and its products.”
PEC Toronto will be a brand park and major tourist destination where visitors can experience vehicle dynamics, technology, and emotion first-hand with expert guidance from Porsche instructors through various driving modules all year long and within a 30-minute drive of downtown Toronto. This domestic and international tourist destination will include a driving circuit over 2 kilometres in length, designed by Tilke Engineering to highlight the technological prowess of the Zuffenhausen brand’s two- and four-door sports cars – in their ideal playground. This will allow customers and fans to immerse themselves in the world of Porsche regardless of whether they own one or not.
“Porsche is one of the world’s most iconic and prestigious brands, and we are thrilled that the PEC project will bring thousands of visitors to our city as they seek new, visceral, and memorable experiences, all within minutes of downtown Toronto,” said Dave Ryan, Mayor, City of Pickering.
Visitors of the PEC Toronto will also be able to admire current and historic exhibition vehicles, stop by the café, and browse the Porsche shop.
“Durham Live is an entertainment playground built for diverse demographics, thrill seekers, sports car aficionados, or the culinary connoisseurs; we look forward to having the upcoming PEC Toronto as a fundamental component of our experience,” said Steve Apostolopoulos, Managing Partner and President of Pickering Developments, the owners of the Durham Live district.
Focus on sustainability
Aligned with Porsche’s ambition to be CO2 net neutral in 2030 across the global value chain, electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be incorporated in the Experience Centre’s plan, extending the brand’s Destination Charging program. Moreover, great emphasis is being placed on using an environmentally responsible layout for the design, build, and operation. Global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK have designed the building and incorporated innovative technologies focused on sustainability. The company is known for projects such as the 2021 La Guardia Terminal B, the Dali museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as the Porsche Cars North America Atlanta Headquarters.
Porsche Experience Centers are a unique concept in the automotive industry and offer Porsche fans and customers exciting experiences with the sports car brand and its products. There are PECs in Leipzig, Silverstone, Atlanta, Le Mans, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Germany’s Hockenheimring, Franciacorta in Italy, and, since October 2021, in Tokyo.
About Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd.
Established in 2008, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. (PCL) is the exclusive importer and distributor of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, Taycan, Panamera, as well as Cayenne and Macan. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, since 2017, PCL employs a team of more than 60 in sales, aftersales, finance, marketing, retail development, and public relations. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience in keeping with the brand’s 70-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. In 2019, a Parts Distribution Centre opened its doors in Mississauga to service the countrywide network of 21 Porsche Centres. PCL is the dedicated subsidiary of Porsche AG, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2021, Porsche delivered 9,141 units in Canada, marking its best-ever sales year.
At the core of this success is Porsche’s proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date.
