Golf Asia

Electrifyi­ng From Dusk Till Dawn

One night in Bangkok with the 919 Hybrid

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For the first time ever, the legendary car made a pit stop in Southeast Asia as part of the 919 Tribute Tour, after visiting China and Japan. Bangkok is an appropriat­e destinatio­n for the 919 Hybrid, which was immortalis­ed in the World Endurance Championsh­ips (WEC) with 20 pole positions, 17 race victories, six World Championsh­ip titles, three overall Le Mans victories. all achieved within a remarkable four years. The legend is saying “thank you” to all its fans with 13 stops around the globe, and Bangkok was the third stop in Asi a.

The pulsating metropolis of Thailand captivates with its special charm and a fascinatin­g mixture of traditiona­l culture

and modernity. Bangkok with its rich and diverse culture is also home to a thriving start-up scene; it is the world's top tourist destinatio­n and at the same time ranks first as the city with the highest number of Facebook users. It is a city where tradition meets innovation, a fact reflected in the video of the LMP1 car making its way around crowded streets of Bangkok's vibrant Chinatown yet accelerati­ng on the architectu­ral wonder of the Rama VIII Bridge spanning across the Chao Phraya River.

In this dynamic city with a strong identity, where the day has naturally 24 hours, it is the hours between dusk and dawn that will be remembered, just like in Le Mans. Thus, it was an especially significan­t moment when the 919 Hybrid reunited symbolical­ly with Porsche Works Driver Earl Bamber in Bangkok, who also made a cameo appearance in the video (https://youtu. be/nke66tobmg­o). He raced it to multiple victories at the WEC, including the overall lead in Le Mans, which secured the hat-trick that made the car a true legend in the 2017 season. Although the 919 Hybrid is retiring, the champion's legacy will live on in Porsche's growing E-performanc­e range as well as in Formula E. This is seen in Thailand, one of the largest markets in the region for Porsche, especially so when it comes to E-performanc­e.

Nearly every Panamera sold this year in Thailand were of the E-hybrid variants, and the success story is set to continue. Soon the new Cayenne E-hybrid is expected to make its debut in Thailand, and the Taycan, Porsche's first all-electric vehicle that has been formerly known as Mission E, will begin production in 2019. The highly-anticipate­d Porsche Studio at Icon Siam, the fourth Porsche facility in Thailand and a fully digital showroom, is scheduled to open by the end of this year.

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