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Luftgekühlt 8: Show Report

Luftgekühlt 8: Show Report
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Luftgekühlt 8: Show Report

It's always nice to get some extra content from our community members, and we're very grateful to Porsche owner and co-host of the 9Werks Podcast, Andy Brookes for sharing with us his recent trip to the US for the Porsche event phenomenon that is Luftgekühlt. Without further hesitation, over to you Andy...

What is the church of Luftgekühlt? Is this a religion? Somehow Patrick Long, Howie Idelson, Jeff Zwart, and the rest of the team have created a thing that nearly all Porsche enthusiasts want to support, follow, and be a disciple of.

Do any of us understand why we feel the draw? I’m not even sure Pat, Howie, and Jeff really know. Maybe it's a case that all the stars have just aligned? 

What does Luftgekühlt mean?

The word Luftgekühlt simply means 'air-cooled' in German, and is said to have been conceived to appeal to the partners and families of the car nerds like you and me, not necessarily us, very clever. 

Wouldn't be so cool if they had just called it air-cooled though, would it?

The right image

The rise of Instagram has matched the path of time that the Luft shows have been running and is a perfect match to present all those wonderful photos to the world when you get back home or at least to your hotel room. 

Jeff has created an environment where even the worst photographer can take a good photo of nearly every car that is on show, with each car positioned to make the best of backgrounds, groups, and lighting. 

Flying in for it...

My support of Luftgekühlt is strong. I took an 11-hour flight to LA, then proceeded to drag my wife around 4 supporting events within 24 hours of landing. There were probably 10 to 15 events going on in the lead-up and after the Luft show itself. That's how strong the support for this event is within the Porsche community.

I couldn't sleep due to jet lag and excitement the night before; with so much already consumed and enjoyed it almost felt like the actual main event wouldn't be able to live up to the great expectations that we have bestowed upon it. However, Sunday morning arrived, we were up early and got rolling to San Pedro in our rental Dodge Charger to see if the fuss was real, and boy was it real.

What a fantastic atmosphere and the cars really are just the backdrop to it all. As clichéd as it sounds, it's about the people. We met so many people that we knew or had met virtually online. I’m not someone to take a selfie but wish I had; it would be there to remind me of everyone we saw for years to come. If you were there as a fellow disciple, it was good to meet you. 

The Luftgekühlt team has succeeded in creating an atmosphere that is relaxed, comfortable, and enjoyable for all that visit, not just the car nerd, but also their partner, their children, their parent, their anyone. The vibe is so just right to my eye. It’s inclusive yet exclusive. It's cool, yet not too cool that only the cool kids enjoy it. Does that make sense? 

Would I recommend a visit to a future Luft event? Absolutely: Pat, Howie and Zwart sign me up for the religion that is Luftgekühlt. Check out the official video above if you need to see more now!

Andy Brookes. 

If you enjoy podcasts, then do look up Andy's work on the 9Werks Podcast - where along with Lee Sibley, and Max Newman they interview key personalities and discuss all aspects of Porsche enthusiasm on a weekly basis. Previous guests include Le Mans racers, Porsche designers, and our very own Andy Gregory! 

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