Only the tenth in the world and third of its kind in North America after Atlanta and Los Angeles, the future Porsche Experience Centre Toronto will be located on a 20-acre site at the “Durham Live” development in Pickering, Ontario, which currently features a casino, and will include a concert venue, more than 400,000 square feet of retail space, and a luxury hotel with more than 300 rooms. PEC Toronto is slated to open by 2024.
“Porsche is more than just a car. Porsche is a promise for a unique brand and product experience and since the first opening in Silverstone in 2008, our Porsche Experience Centres are the best way to get this promise,” says Detlev von Platen, Member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “Nowhere else in the automotive industry, the soul of our sports cars can be lived that way. I couldn’t be happier that we can now announce the 10th location of its kind in Toronto – the fastest-growing city in North America with an ever-greater community of Porsche fans.”
“Canadians will no longer have to leave the country in order to visit a Porsche Experience Centre,” said Marc Ouayoun, President and CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “Customers and brand enthusiasts will have the chance to experience Porsche with their head, heart, and hands – all in the Greater Toronto Area where around a 500-km radius nearly 100 million people live, offering access within an hour’s flight.”
The first “urban” version of the worldwide concept, PEC Toronto will be a brand park and major tourist destination where visitors can experience vehicle dynamics, technology, and emotion first-hand with expert guidance from Porsche instructors through various driving modules all year long and within a 30-minute drive of downtown Toronto. This domestic and international tourist destination will include a driving circuit over 2 kilometres in length, designed by Tilke Engineering to highlight the technological prowess of our two- and four-door sports cars – in their ideal playground. This will allow customers and fans to immerse themselves in the world of Porsche regardless of whether they own one or not.
Open to all fans, visitors of the PEC Toronto will also be able to admire current and historic exhibition vehicles, stop by the café, and browse the Porsche shop. “Being located at the Durham Live entertainment district will offer Porsche enthusiasts a dynamic and complementary mix of excitement, gaming, culture, nightlife, cuisine and adventure which will enhance the overall experience” said Steve Apostolopoulos, Managing Partner and President of Pickering Developments, the owners of the Durham Live district.
Focus on sustainability
Aligned with Porsche’s global commitment to decarbonize the entire value chain of its vehicles, electric vehicle charging infrastructure will be incorporated in the Experience Centre’s plan, extending the brand’s Destination Charging program. Moreover, great emphasis is being placed on using the most environmentally responsible layout for the design, build, and operation. Global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK are designing the building and incorporating innovative technologies focused on sustainability. The company is known for projects such as the 2021 La Guardia Terminal B, the Dali museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as the Porsche Cars North America Atlanta Headquarters.
Porsche Experience Centers are a unique concept in the automotive industry and offer Porsche fans and customers exciting experiences with the sports car brand and its products. There are PECs in Leipzig, Silverstone, Atlanta, Le Mans, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Germany’s Hockenheimring, Franciacorta, Italy, and, since October 2021, in Tokyo.
