The 

Porsche

Museum

and 

Factory

Tour 

 Starts on Porsche Strasse

Leading up to the tour

My thanks to my wife who organized the factory tour, what a treat.  

Tour date: October 2002

 

We stayed at Castle hotel Weitenburg the night before our tour. http://germany-castles-hotels.com/weitenburg/ This was lovely, the castle is in an absolutely quiet, out of the way place over looking the farming valley it has protected over the centuries. Our room was the Tower room. There is a five star restaurant in the castle (my rating) that served wild venison filets wrapped in a crepe, wow. After a great nights sleep and a solid German breakfast we were off to mecca, the Porsche factory.

The castle was on the A81 south of Stuttgart, less than an hour drive north to the Porsche factory, which is off the A81 northwest of Stuttgart. Instructions to the factory provided by Porsche [after your tour is approved] worked well. We arrived at the Porsche factory early because of reported parking problems. . 

Select photos from the Museum

The Museum's first exhibit

Never saw so many Porsches in my life. The plant is surrounded with hundreds of new cars. There are employee/test drivers exiting with a new Porsche every few minutes for the 30 kilometer 80 point test drive. When you enter the first thing you see is the Porsche boutique with Porsche bicycles, etc. Next-door is the Museum with all the studs of the breed. Interesting was the Boxster on display with the body cut out for viewing.

Boxster undressed rear

Click on Photo for Hi Res version

The tour was two hours and extremely interesting. I discovered that Volkswagen makes the Boxster five-speed trany. BMW presses all the sheet metal and provides many engine block parts. Mercedes contributes also but I forget what their part is. Porsche is an engineering and final assembly operation, all parts are out sourced based on cost and I presume quality.

Boxster undressed side

Click on Photo for Hi Res version

The tour guide bubbled when discussing the Cayenne, and we saw the Cayenne engines being assemble there [think “big”]. Saw a Cayenne hot pepper racing around outside. I discovered that the name Cayenne is from an Italian hot pepper. Italian?

Boxster undressed front

Click on Photo for Hi Res version

First thing in the tour was the engine assembly area. With pride it was pointed out that wherever a Porsche is built (Finland, etc.) the heart (engine) is assembled there in Stuttgart. We also saw the final assembly line where it all comes together. 

Jeff with the GT1

I noted that all convertible windows are glass. In Stuttgart, if I remember correctly, they are producing about 150 911s a day and maybe 2 Boxsters. About 70 Boxsters are being produced a day in Finland.  

The exhibit

 

 Jeff's Boxster Page

 

 The Great Valley House Home Page

 

Updated 07 Nov 2010