2016 Porsche Rennsport Festival opens its doors

Pit-lane garage doors are up at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend as the second annual Porsche Rennsport Festival shows off around 400 new, classic and race cars from the Stuttgart sports car brand.

Porsche tags the two-day event a “rolling museum” but clearly some rolling will be done quite quickly thanks to several on-track demonstrations during the event that opens to the public on Saturday April 30 and finishes Sunday May 1.

Passenger-ride highlights include the 463kW 2.85-litre twin-turbo 935-77 that in 1979 became the only rear-engined racer to win the Le Mans 24 Hour, and the LMP1-98, an evolution of 1996 and 1997 Le Mans winners.

The first Porsches to ever arrive in Australia will be reunited, a maroon 356 ‘split screen’ coupe and silver 356 Cabriolet, both of which arrived on local shores in September 1951.

A further ‘first cars in Australia’ line-up includes the first 911, 911 Cabriolet, 911 Turbo and 924 into the country, in addition to the first right-hand-drive 356 Cabriolet and the only right-hook 964 RSR 3.8 ever built. One of only 55 911 RSR 2.8 coupes will also be on display in the Porschestrasse area.

Show ‘n’ shine areas will accommodate Porsche owners and showcase pristine models including what is tagged as “Australia’s most beautiful 928”.

Between the on-track demonstrations, championship rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge, and “numerous” sports car and Group S and N races will occur on the 4.5km circuit located 35km west of Sydney’s CBD.

After you’re finished drooling at the pictures here, tickets can be purchased online at www.porsche.com.au/rennsport where the full schedule is also available.

The 2016 Porsche Rennsport Festival costs $35 per day or $55 for the weekend for adults, $20/$30 for children and concession holders, or $85/$130 for a family. Tickets are $10 to $20 more expensive if purchased at the gate.