Das Treffen is Southeast Asia’s largest Porsche sports car gathering and its 8th edition just celebrated the automaker’s numerous milestones in 2023. Themed “Feiertag”, the event brought recognition to Porsche’s 75 year anniversary, the iconic 911 model’s 60th year and Porsche’s 30-year presence in Thailand. Attendees gathered at the IMPACT Lakeside in Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok to take part in multiple activations and see some celebratory and custom models for the first time. Additionally, more than 600 classic and modern Porsche sports cars were also on view for guests to look at and experience.
One of Porsche’s biggest anniversaries in 2023 was its 30-year presence in Thailand. The “Dreams in Colors” campaign celebrated this momentous milestone with Porsche introducing seven limited-edition 911 Carerra GTS – 30 Years Porsche Thailand Edition sports cars. Each one featured seven Paint to Sample colors reflecting each day of the week in Thai culture: Monday (Yellow) – Signalyellow, Tuesday (Pink) – Rubystar, Wednesday (Green) – Signalgreen, Thursday (Orange) – Pastelorange, Friday (Blue) – Rivierablue, Saturday (Purple) – Ultraviolet and Sunday (Red) – Firered. Those in attendance at the 8th edition of Das Treffen had the chance to see all seven cars together for the first time ever.
Another first for attendees was getting to see the 718 Spyder ‘000,’ also known as the ‘Triple Zero.’ Pete Stout and Alex Palevsky, the creative duo behind 000 Magazine for Porsche fanatics, collaborated with Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur to produce the stunning custom design which was inspired by the Carrera GT. With the guidance of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur’s skilled artisans and engineers, ‘Triple Zero’ showcased exterior and interior features that were meant for an “unfiltered, open-top winding road driving” experience.
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Additionally, the evening also spotlighted a 992-generation 911 GT3 with Manthey Racing performance parts, and an AAS Motorsport section highlighting its 911 GT3 R racing in the 2023 Thailand Super Series.
Attendees were also able to enjoy and experience the “Trailer Living Room” which was held in an Airstream Caravan. The section was inspired by Stevan Bogner’s Curves magazine, also known to car fanatics as the “car magazine without cars.” The activation brought the feeling of adventure on road trips alongside Porsche.
“Throughout this marvelous 30th anniversary year, we are proud to have shown that Porsche has found its way into the hearts of the Thai people, and likewise, Thailand has found its way into the heart of Porsche,” Peter Rohwer, Managing Director of Porsche Thailand said. “The celebrations wrap up at the largest-ever Das Treffen – a perfect reflection of the growing community of Porsche fans here in Thailand.”
“As we celebrate 75 years of Porsche sports cars, we put our cars in the spotlight – like the 60 years of our icon, the 911 – but we also tell the stories of the people and connections forged with the passion of Porsche,” Yannick Ott, Director of Marketing Porsche Asia Pacific added.
Hypebeast also caught up with the event’s founder, Shiabutr “Tenn” Xoomsai, the EIC of GT Porsche Thailand. He shared that the event originally started as a small get-together with friends and fellow enthusiasts from the Renndrive and Porsche Thailand groups and that he would have not anticipated what it has become today.
“I wasn’t planning for the event to be ‘the biggest in Asia’ – that was never my intention – my intention was to have one cool event per year where everyone comes and enjoys themselves but the event just got bigger and bigger by itself,” he shared.
Despite the event’s rapid growth, it’s maintained its roots of being a casual and open event – something Xoomsai takes pride in, stating “As long as you have a passion for Porsche, you can join.” Of the 600-plus cars in attendance this year, he explained that he and his team, with assistance from Porsche Thailand, only organized positions for about 50, with the rest rolling in and parking as they pleased during the event. In the same vein of open access, Xoomsai also prided himself on the event’s ability to have the vehicles be on display free of protective barriers, creating a true enthusiast environment.
Xoomsai highlighted the importance of the “connection between people, cars and the event,” something that was uniquely observed during this year’s show via a large LED screen with various DAS TREFFEN 8 graphics that provided an interactive photo opportunity.
“The end goal is always the same. I want people to have fun, to go home happy, having had a cool day with their friends, driving their favorite cars and enjoying themselves,” Xoomsai shared, adding “I just hope everybody had as much fun as I did.”
Visit Porsche Thailand’s official site for more info on current models, special campaigns and events.
