Did you know that Porsche is the top luxury brand in the world? Porsche has been listed beside brands like Rolex, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci. To anyone who sees cars as just transportation, this would probably be normal. But for those of us whose neck keeps snapping because a cool car drove by, it doesn't fit. Cars that have become the apex predators at their home, nicknamed The Green Hell, others that have become the grandest of tourers, and yet others that have been nothing short of dominant in professional racing. This is Porsche, an enthusiast brand. And when thousands of enthusiasts who hold these beliefs to be self-evident come together in Durham, North Carolina, we call it Luftgekühlt.
This year’s Luftgekühlt, or Luft 11, looked at the idea of a normal car show, and in the true Porsche spirit, said we can do better. They chose the American Tobacco Campus as their home base, which felt more like a college campus than a place of business. Buildings looking like mini train depots standing over a man-made river running all the way down into the lawn, surrounded by repurposed tobacco factory buildings, each filled with a business or museum. And with so many alcoves, side streets, and little nooks, they had just enough space to fit all the heroes of Porsche’s story.
As soon as you exit the parking deck and walk past the Copenhagen 956, you'd hear the collection of "what the hell is that" surrounding the coolest 914 ever, which doesn't sound inspiring, but this was a baja-ready Porsche 914 that was so popular it was turned into Hot Wheels. Walking down a set of stairs, you'd be met with a wall of eyes staring at the legendary Jagermeister Porsche 956, which was tucked underneath. Walk across the lawn while overhearing the Porsche aficionados talk about how expensive each option is on the unique collection of classic Porsches and a 917, towards the water tower in the middle of a man-made island, you'd find a collection of racing 993s. And when you wandered into the food area, you'd see what looked like a small dead-end road with a squadron of beautiful Singer Porsches. And through the doors of Tag Heuer pop up, the race-worn 550 would greet you along with the 718 RSK. But when you finally staggered back to the parking garage, looking left in the corner between the parking garage and the street was a collection of the various types of factory rally spec Porsches.
But the poster child, and quite possibly the most historic, was the Porsche 917/30, the car that set the speed record in the 70s and had 1100 horsepower. This car resets your perspective on how good cars were. Almost 50 years later, Porsche's flagship hypercar, the 918, isn't in the same league in terms of speed and power, and the 917/30 still owns one of the most impressive times at the Talladega oval.
If you are reading all this and feeling overwhelmed, good, you know how we felt. And the best part is that there were so many icons, rarities, and beautifully modified Porsches that writing about each one would take the better part of a dog's lifespan.
But that's the magic of this event. Every turn would reveal another legend or car that tugs on that innermost part of an enthusiast's heart, where we keep icons. And none of them were behind glass or ropes; you could get as close as you dared, finding them in unlikely places that made the event feel like a treasure hunt for car junkies. You never knew what was behind the next corner because the organization was more of a free-for-all than a curated museum. These famous and high-dollar cars that have owned the spotlight were parked under staircases and next to modest Porsches by comparison because they didn’t need a spotlight to take your attention. A quiet confidence, which made it feel all the more Porsche. They don't scream for your attention with over-the-top styling or exhausts that rattle your windows, because their performance, feel, and enjoyment speak far louder.
