Porsche Centre Melbourne Workshop Evening Wednesday 25th May Story: Justin Reed Photos: Linley Baxter and Porsche Centre Melbourne
PCM GM Piero Pellegrini welcomes the PCV throng. The invitation to explore a Porsche workshop as large and diverse as Porsche Centre Melbourne comes into my inbox rarely. Consequently, my response to the invitation took about a nano-second to accept.
First stop was an immaculately clean, white late 80s 930 Turbo SE. The 930 SE was not sold in Australia when new, but the specification of this UK market car, and last of the G series 930s was truly impressive.
Upon arrival we gathered around the Classic Corner of the dealership near a freshly restored and gleaming 993 RS. Beyond the large glass doors into the workshop, a variety of classic Porsches on hoists awaited us.
From here we moved down to the engine room, where Peter Bowen, Porsche Classic Master Technician took us through the engines that were currently being re-built. I asked what other engines Peter had done throughout his long career, and he reeled off every significant Porsche model from the Porsche back catalogue – 4 cam Carrera 356s, the high revving 906 derived engine from the original 911 R, 2.7 RS, 2.8 RSR, 3.0 RSR, 964 RSR, and more Cup Car engines than both he and Karl could remember.
After the introductions by PCM General Manager Piero Pellegrini, Peter Bowen and Cameron McConville, with over 70 years of combined experience between them, started the tour.
Following the engine room tour, it was over to a Taycan Cross Turismo in a specially equipped and isolated part of the workshop. As the car was lifted on the hoist, we could easily see the massive skateboard like battery pack, and the extensive cooling systems. Fun fact for the evening was that cooling of the battery in EV’s is one of the key determinants in extending range.
Plenty of interest in the 930 SE 18
PORSCHE PARADE
After we finished looking at the Cross Turismo – it was off to the food truck (parked conveniently near one of the workshop doors) for dinner. As we ate a Carrera GT (the race car derived Porsche hyper car from the early 2000s) idled close to the tables that had been set up for us.
The engine room The revving of the V10 signalled that we needed to be on the move again – through an Aladdin’s cave of back lanes and one-way streets around Collingwood to the Porsche Centre Melbourne Pre- Delivery Department, and then from there to the newly established dedicated PCM Motorsport facility. As we were welcomed by recently appointed PCM Motorsport Commercial Manager and credentialled GT, super touring, sports car and V8 Supercar driver Cameron McConville – our eyes were drawn to an amphitheatre of Cup Cars – ranging from the very first 996, right through to the newly introduced 992 variant. Taking centre stage was the Porsche Centre Melbourne entry driven in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship by Nick McBride.
