Traveling a few hours by road from Belgium to Italy or Germany is one thing, but when Pierre-Philippe Hauteclair of the Porsche Club of Belgium decided to invest in a six-hour flight to Dubai, his wife thought he was mad.
But once he arrived in the United Arab Emirates and began to immerse himself in the week-long festivities of Icons of Porsche, he knew he had made a wise decision.
“My wife was already saying that I spend more time abroad than in my own country attending Porsche events, but I like to connect with people and learn new cultures. This is what I like about Porsche because it's not only the cars, it is the community that is really important and from this you build connections,” said Hauteclair.
“Car culture is not only ‘boys and their toys’, it's more like joining people together, learning their culture and exchanging topics. So coming to Dubai has been a fantastic experience.”
In the lead up to Icons of Porsche, a series of community events ensured that each day there was a different gathering of like-minded ‘Porsche people’.
The Wednesday prior to the festival featured a ‘track night’ at the Dubai Autodrome, with more than 150 cars present.
On the Friday morning, over 200 cars drove the winding road up to Jebel Jais, the highest peak in the UAE. The spectacular scenery and enormous turn-out has Hauteclair already planning an even earlier arrival for 2025.
“We decided to come over a day early when in fact we should have come over two days before because there was a drive through the mountains that looked magnificent, so next time we will arrive even earlier to make the most of the week.”
Hauteclair first learned about Icons of Porsche through Instagram. After arriving to see it for himself, he confirmed that it was as good as the social media posts suggested.
“Looking around at Icons of Porsche, as soon as I walked in, I loved it,” said Hauteclair.
“Seeing the Carrera GT, which is still a wonderful car, and to see so many features like the Performance Paddock, the Turbo Yard, the Style Yard, Electric Avenue, I mean it’s mind blowing really.”
With a collection that includes a 964, a 996, a 991 and a Taycan, it was the front engined Porsches that initially drew him to the marque.
“When I was at school, I had a cool doctor who owned a green 928 GTS and I was always attracted to the pop-up headlights, which for a child was mesmerising. So I eventually owned a 944 Turbo and a 968 before moving onto my 911s."
“I never thought this passion would bring me here to Dubai, but here I am for the first time and I hope to come back again next year.”
Held for the fourth year in Dubai, Icons of Porsche was a sell-out with over 28,000 people attending over two days at the 44,000 square metre site in the Dubai Design District.
