Thread: Heading to Stuttgart/Nuremberg & secured 1 of 5 slots for Porsche 911/718 Factory Tour

Having lived in Germany for 6 years over the course of two 3-year tours; the first in Worms (remember Martin Luther??) and the second outside Stuttgart/Ludwigsburg.

The 2d tour was my favorite simply because we lived in a small town and were the only Americans living in that area. Our complex comprised two units on the 1st floor, 2 on the 2d and the wife and I occupied the 3d floor which encompassed the length of the two units below us. We had 2 balconies: one overlooking the bakery shoppe on the corner & the other a courtyard. An underground single car garage was a nice 'wintery' comfort.

We became good friends with those 4 families below us -- in fact, in 1998 two couples came for a 4-day visit after their western US National Park vacation. Over the years we've maintained the usual Christmas card and occasional email and phone calls to stay in touch.

After nearly 3 years of Covid restrictions & cautions, the wife and I began traveling beginning with a 10-day Greece Cruise (Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Ephesus (Turkey), Rhodes, Santorini, Hydra & Athens return) in October.

An opportunity came about and so we are heading back to Stuttgart & after staying with our friends for 2 days, we have secured hotel arrangements in Nuremburg to enjoy the city & its massive Christmas Market (largest in world) & hope it will be cold & snowy to enjoy walks sipping hot & steamy "gluhwein."

Have secured other sightseeing tickets in/around the Nuremberg area & will return to the Stuttgart area, again staying with our friends.

In doing so, I thought to check the Porsche Factory in Zuffenhausen for Museum & possibly a factory tour where the remaining 911 & 718's are built. No such luck on the factory tours -- booked years in advance. However, secured Museum tour tickets for the wife and I. Cool Beans.

The next day after making flight/hotel arrangements, I thought to revisit the Porsche website for factory tours -- but instead of searching dates for an English-speaking tour; try German. Sure, enough there was 1 slot available on a day in which we'll be in the area. Damn!! (I could care less it's in German -- may understand a smidgen -- but to actually see the guts of the factory is my highlight). Talk about being lucky.

I called Porsche in Zuffenhausen and obtained a confirmation number and was informed someone cancelled their tour for that day which opened the slot (5 slots are allocated per day and I had one).

I recall my previous tour there, the wife and I would drive to the town of Zuffenhausen and grab a pastry & coffee & sit in the Pathfinder and watch the 911's roll through the barn doors (yes, barn doors) out to the staging area. We'd sip our coffee and try n' guess what color would come out next. Things have changed quite a bit since those days, but it will be a bucket list checked item that I thought would never happen. Too bad no cameras allowed & the wife won't be alongside, but we do have the English-speaking Museum tour confirmed the next day.

Woohoo

Best to all,

Bob

Congratulations. Just an awesome event.

I spent quite a bit of time in Schoenaich last we had a factory and degign group there. Got to the museum but never had a chance to go on a factory tour. Full report on return please! It would be fun to see where my 911 was made.

That Christmas Market at Nuremburg is awesome!
Such a great time to visit that area with Christmas around the corner.

Enjoy your travels!



.

Originally Posted by W9TR

I spent quite a bit of time in Schoenaich last we had a factory and degign group there. Got to the museum but never had a chance to go on a factory tour. Full report on return please! It would be fun to see where my 911 was made.

Absolutely Tom. My neighbor gave me a video pen to video the tour. I don’t think I’ll chance it – I’m sure they have detectors and won’t do something stupid to jeopardize my last in a lifetime opportunity.

Originally Posted by Nikhil

That Christmas Market at Nuremburg is awesome! Such a great time to visit that area with Christmas around the corner. Enjoy your travels!.

Thank you Nikhil – we wish so too. This will be our 2d visit to the market. 1st time quite a few years ago, it was lightly snowing and the wife and I walked around for hours enjoying the offerings of vendors & sipping hot, steamy yet delicious & warm feeling Glühwein.

Best to all,

Bob

Well, to start off, I've returned from the Germany trip and took in various sights over 2 days in Stuttgart & surrounding areas, a 3-day trip to the Nuremberg Christmas Market and tour of the Neuswainstein Castle (aka Disney - if you will) and 4 day return to Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen area.

I mentioned, I had a confirmed Porsche 911/718 Factory tour, in German language, scheduled for Wednesday, 13 December at 1PM. It wasn't a Friday, but the 13th nevertheless had a similar superstition. Upon checking in at the Porsche Museum for the 2-hour tour I was informed I could not attend the tour because it was for those who could converse fluently in German. I was informed though, to show up well before 1PM on Thursday, and if there were any no shows/cancellations for the English tour; I would be assigned one of those vacant slots.

The wife and I showed up 3 hours early Thursday & spoke with the same individual at the front desk & let him know we were there to be considered for any no-shows at 1PM. As time ticked to 1pm, there were 5 no shows (of 15 allocated) & at 1:05PM, the wife and I were logged in, given earphones & lanyards and grouped in with the others & met the factory guide. Off we went -- for 2 hours backstage & into the bowels of the 911/718 factory.

It was awesome and very interesting. The factory is pristine -- nothing out of place, robot trollies everywhere, moving parts & engines & bodies silently. We weren't able to see the "marriage" of bodies to chassis as the factory at the time of our tour they were building prototypes amongst that line. I inquired further but the guide - Alex - said he could not discuss anything. Top Secret stuff.

As we strolled through the factory, complete twin turbo engines were within 1 foot of our walking tour and bodies a bit further but well presented & lovely. It takes 5 hours to build the motor alone through 78 stages. We watched workers wiring, preparing door panels & leather works, some drivetrain assemblies, placing windshields/rear windows on 911's and saw two 911 GT3 RS's being built -- one black and one very pretty yellow. That wing is huge. Damn.

A new 911 or 718 is built every 3 minutes and the factory does shut down for a few hours for maintenance. A day and swing shift of 8 or 9 hours is in full swing and mid shift operates for only a few hours.

The final stage before a car hits the streets, it is placed on a carousel and turned for a photo/video for the new owner. They do test drive a percentage of completed cars per day - if a new car has around 25 or so miles on the odometer before dealer delivery; that car was factory test driven.

After the tour, the wife and I spent another 2 hours in the museum for a total for 4 3/4 hours -- I could actually have spent a whole day walking about the cars. It's that interesting and so well presented.

A bucket list item I thought I'd never have an opportunity for.

Enjoy the photos.

Best to all,

Bob

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Originally Posted by Vintage_Tube

Well, to start off, I've returned from the Germany trip and took in various sights over 2 days in Stuttgart & surrounding areas, a 3-day trip to the Nuremberg Christmas Market and tour of the Neuswainstein Castle (aka Disney - if you will) and 4 day return to Stuttgart/Zuffenhausen area.

I mentioned, I had a confirmed Porsche 911/718 Factory tour, in German language, scheduled for Wednesday, 13 December at 1PM. It wasn't a Friday, but the 13th nevertheless had a similar superstition. Upon checking in at the Porsche Museum for the 2-hour tour I was informed I could not attend the tour because it was for those who could converse fluently in German. I was informed though, to show up well before 1PM on Thursday, and if there were any no shows/cancellations for the English tour; I would be assigned one of those vacant slots.

The wife and I showed up 3 hours early Thursday & spoke with the same individual at the front desk & let him know we were there to be considered for any no-shows at 1PM. As time ticked to 1pm, there were 5 no shows (of 15 allocated) & at 1:05PM, the wife and I were logged in, given earphones & lanyards and grouped in with the others & met the factory guide. Off we went -- for 2 hours backstage & into the bowels of the 911/718 factory.

It was awesome and very interesting. The factory is pristine -- nothing out of place, robot trollies everywhere, moving parts & engines & bodies silently. We weren't able to see the "marriage" of bodies to chassis as the factory at the time of our tour were building prototypes amongst that line. I inquired further but the guide - Alex - said he could not discuss anything. Top Secret stuff.

As we strolled through the factory, complete twin turbo engines were within 1 foot of our walking tour and bodies a bit further but well presented & lovely. It takes 5 hours to build the motor alone through 78 stages. We watched workers wiring, preparing door panels & leather works, some drivetrain assemblies, placing windshields/rear windows on 911's and saw two 911 GT3 RS's being built -- one black and one very pretty yellow. That wing is huge. Damn.

A new 911 or 718 is built every 3 minutes and the factory does shut down for a few hours for maintenance. A day and swing shift of 8 or 9 hours is in full swing and mid shift operates for only a few hours.

The final stage before a car hits the streets, it is placed on a carousel and turned for a photo/video for the new owner. They do test drive a percentage of completed cars per day - if a new car has around 25 or so miles on the odometer before dealer delivery; that car was factory test driven.

After the tour, the wife and I spent another 2 hours in the museum for a total for 4 3/4 hours -- I could actually have spent a whole day walking about the cars. It's that interesting and so well presented.

A bucket list item I thought I'd never have an opportunity for.

Enjoy the photos.

Best to all,

Bob

Sounds like a great time!

Glad they were able to get you in for a tour.

I wonder why they care though if you couldn't understand German?

Originally Posted by MichaelsMinute

Sounds like a great time!

Glad they were able to get you in for a tour.

I wonder why they care though if you couldn't understand German?

I speculate for 2 reasons - (1) - liability -- "I never understood the guide when he/she said not to walk in front of the moving robot carts" and (2) it would be disruptive to others if the non-speaking person kept interrupting the tour asking questions not native to that tour.

I'll throw in another photo -- the joy of cruising the unregulated speed areas of the autobahn. They are few and far between -- most are regulated at 100 or 120 kmph's these days (or even slower in busy areas). The rental, a brand-new Audi A3 had a sticker highlighting a limit of not over 210 kmph (I complied -- .)

Best to all,

Bob
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What a fantastic opportunity and it's great they managed to work you into the other session. Thanks for sharing, very cool stuff!

Originally Posted by Vintage_Tube

I speculate for 2 reasons - (1) - liability -- "I never understood the guide when he/she said not to walk in front of the moving robot carts"

Makes sense. Being in Texas I guess I'm just used to 30% of the people not speaking any English.

Great pictures BTW!

Sounds like a fantastic time was had , congrats ..!