Four Cool Things About the New Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles

Big plots of vacant land are rare in Los Angeles, but Porsche somehow managed to lay claim 53 acres of dirt in the city to create its newest playground—the Porsche Experience Center (PEC). After years of planning and construction, the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles finally opened its doors, making it the fifth of its kind after Atlanta, Le Mans, Silverstone, and Leipzig. Here are just a few tidbits we discovered from our first (and hopefully not our last) visit to the #PECLA.

Read about the2017 Porsche Panamerain the First Drive reviewHERE, and don't miss our review of the 2017 718 CaymanHERE.

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The main attractions of the PEC Los Angeles are the eight driving courses totaling 4.1 miles, the most of all the PEC locations. And there's something for every Porsche model, including the Cayenne and Macan, which get their own dedicated off-road course complete with teeter totter and steep hill descent. Perhaps the most addicting sections of the PEC are the low friction circle and handling course, which are optimized to help you master your drifting skills in a 911, Boxster, or Cayman.

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PECLA includes a 1.3-mile handling circuit that Porsche emphasizes is not a race track, but rather a "challenging country road." That said, Porsche's idea of a country road is one where triple digit speeds are reachable on multiple straights and where one enjoyable section mimics the famous Corkscrew turn at Mazda Speedway Laguna Seca. If that weren't enough, the three-quarter mile acceleration straight (separate from the handling circuit) spills into a replica of the banked "Carousel" curve at the Nürburgring.

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PECLA is also the new home of Porsche Motorsports North America as it relocates from its previous location in Santa Ana, Calif. The PEC's lobby provides a full view of Porsche Motorsports' workshop where they repair and service race cars old and new, including the 911 GT3 Cup and Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

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If you'd rather skip the driver's seat, there's a cafe, a fancy restaurant, and a driving simulator room to keep you busy. Additionally, the PEC is open to everyone, regardless if you're a Porsche owner or are still aspiring to become one. And you won't find any pressure to make any big-ticket purchases here. "We're not selling cars, we're selling experiences," said Detlev von Platen, Porsche AG Board Member. "We want to deliver a memory and get people in touch with the brand."