Porsche to open S$100m ‘experiential centre’ in Changi by 2027
It will have a two-km test-drive track and an aftersales facility
GERMAN luxury carmaker Porsche is investing more than S$100 million in an “experiential facility” in Changi, set to launch in 2027.
There, customers and visitors can test-drive Porsche’s cars, view exhibitions and more.
The Porsche Experience Centre (PEC) will be Porsche’s 11th such facility worldwide, and its first in South-east Asia.
Sited next to Changi Exhibition Centre, the facility will span 90,000 square metres and include a two-km handling track, where visitors can test-drive its cars at speeds of 200 km per hour.
This will also be the first PEC with an aftersales facility, meaning that maintenance and repairs, along with training for technicians, can be done on-site.
Groundbreaking is expected to happen by year-end, with construction expected to last two years.
Beyond catering to drivers, the PEC will provide activities for families and tourists, such as themed exhibitions, displays of historical vehicles, racing simulators, and food and beverage offerings.
“Yes, it is for our Porsche enthusiasts and driving plays a major role, but beyond that, there should (also) be something for everyone,” Porsche’s Asiapacific chief executive officer Hannes Ruoff told The Business Times.
Details of specific attractions are yet to come, but the general idea is to maximise revenue streams, he said.
This means that Porsche will be open to renting out the facilities – including the handling track – for corporate engagements, along with other Mice (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) events, he added.
Porsche made “a conscious choice” to site the PEC in Singapore, instead of in nearby countries with lower costs and larger car-buying populations, he said.
This January, Singapore hosted the global unveiling of the updated Macan sport utility vehicle, its best-selling model in recent years.
The Republic is also home to Porsche’s regional office, and a two-storey, 8,500 square foot showroom – the Porsche Studio – in Guoco Midtown, which opened in January.
The new PEC is therefore part of a multi-year, wider regional strategy, Ruoff said.
“If you look at all the things that have happened in Singapore, including building the Porsche Studio, setting up our campus (office), it’s part of an entire strategy for the region. Singapore plays – as one of the pillars of the Asean growth strategy – a major role in this.
“Normally, the PEC is done in very large markets,” he acknowledged. “But if you consider the entire region, then it’s of course a different ball game.”
With passenger traffic at Changi Airport – a 20-minute drive from the PEC – back to pre-pandemic levels, tourists will be a key target demographic.
“It will be something for the regional customers and fans because of the easy accessibility through Changi Airport,” Ruoff said. He expects the facility to attract visitors, not just from South-east Asia, but also China, India and Australia.
The centre will also be served by the upcoming Aviation Park MRT station on the Cross Island Line, which is scheduled for completion in 2030.
On Friday (Mar 10), Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced the PEC as an example of a new development that will boost Singapore’s attractiveness to tourists.
“We are excited that Porsche has chosen Singapore, and we hope that the centre will dial up the fun quotient and add vibrancy to the Changi precinct,” she added, in her opening address at the annual Tourism Industry Conference.