Icons of Porsche in Dubai Unites Heritage and a Rapidly Modernizing Future
In its fifth consecutive year in the running, “Icons of Porsche,” held recently in Dubai, has evolved into one of the Middle East’s premier automotive cultural festivals. The GCC region, and the United Arab Emirates in particular, has some of the highest concentrations of exotic and luxury cars globally, and the nation continues to cement its status as a critical arbiter of collector taste and a strategic launchpad for global brands like Porsche.
Set in the heart of Dubai’s Design District (D3) against the spectacular skyline of the desert metropolis, this year’s event was bigger and more significant than ever, marking a milestone not only in growth and attendance, but also in the strategic value the event now holds for Porsche. Over two days, nearly 30,000 people, including enthusiasts, collectors, and fans of the brand, passed through the gates, with tickets sold out well before the event opened.
The German marque is also increasingly using this platform as a launchpad for both global and regional model premieres, major heritage celebrations, and direct engagement with fans of the brand. This year was no exception, and the atmosphere was charged even before you entered the venue, with a spectacular lineup of cars in the parking lot, with a dedicated section for Porsches.
Walking through the entrance, a brightly colored timeline structure chronicling every year of the festival since 2021, you were greeted with a vast industrial-style plaza filled with carefully curated exhibits (400+ cars) laid out across a sprawling expanse comprising some of Stuttgart’s finest creations in every shape, size, and form imaginable. We were on-site to capture the action as it unfolded.
Cayenne Electric Takes Center Stage
The long-awaited and highly anticipated 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric, unveiled earlier this month, made its first public appearance, occupying the most prominent position in ‘Icons Plaza.’ A Turbo model with 1,140 horsepower, 387 miles of driving range, and active aero elements, including extendable blades in the rear bumper, was presented in pale sage green with contrasting Turbonite finish wheels and badges.
Sitting on a raised platform, the all-new Cayenne EV was surrounded by classics like a 356 coupe, an air-cooled 911, a blue 918 Spyder, and a period Rothmans liveried 959 Dakar; hence the name ‘Icons Plaza.’
Apart from the Cayenne Electric, the Macan Electric GTS made its Middle East debut, and we had not one but four examples of the Macan EV on display, with three cars stacked atop containers. Behind Icons Plaza, a short distance away, the 992.2 Turbo S coupe and Turbo S Cabriolet featuring Porsche’s latest T Hybrid system made their first regional appearances.
The Targa at 60
‘Targa Park’ celebrated 60 years of the 911 Targa with a large structural installation featuring generational model identifiers. Early short wheelbase air-cooled Targas and modern Targa 911s appeared sitting alongside 993, 996 examples, two of three generations that didn’t feature the iconic roll-over Targa bar and had a glass roof instead. A dedicated feature on a collaboration between artist Kasing Lung and Porsche, celebrating 60 years of Targa, saw a monster character seated behind the wheel of a 992.2 Targa T-Hybrid featuring in a themed livery.
25 Years of the Carrera GT: One of the Largest Gatherings of CGTs Ever
Another past icon celebrating a major milestone this year is the Porsche Carrera GT. Renowned for its evocative soundtrack and widely regarded as the ultimate analog supercar, we have covered 25 years of the Carrera GT extensively here on duPont REGISTRY. Porsche had a Paris-themed installation complete with a makeshift Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées, referencing the CGT’s concept’s first public appearance in 2000 in the French capital.
Avenue des Carrera GT showcased one of the most significant gatherings of Porsche’s celebrated V10 manual halo supercar ever assembled for public viewing, most likely since the cars left the Leipzig production facility over two decades ago. Nearly 20 examples from across the region, in several iconic colors, PTS colors, and bespoke specifications, were present.
Besides the cars themselves, there were some photographs from the CGT’s pre-production days displayed on some makeshift lamp posts, with some shots even featuring legendary two-time World Rally Champion and Porsche works driver Walter Röhrl, who was a key player in the GT’s development. Arthur Kar’s exclusive CGT 25th-anniversary Time Capsule-themed merch was available on site.
A Fayence Yellow example, 1-of-44, owned by Porsche collector Yousef Fittiani, and founder of the Porsche Club, Kuwait, was the show stopper here and was immensely popular with the crowds both at the installation itself and on stage.
Motorsport Icons in Close Proximity
The ‘Mission Future Heritage’ and ‘Raceborn zone’ contained several historically significant Porsche race cars.
Kicking things off with a vibrant pairing in a turquoise, orange, and magenta palette: a Valliant-liveried 917/30 Spyder sitting next to a Taycan Turbo GT equipped with a Weissach Package. The single-seater 917/30, ofcourse, is one of Porsche’s racing giants from the early 1970s that dominated in the Can-Am series. Watching its 5.4-liter, 1,100-horsepower Mezger-developed flat-12 come to life was something else, and it almost instantly drew a crowd. A small area dedicated to Porsche’s trans-axle era models, like the 928 and 944, was just present not too far away.
A separate subsection honored the multi-generational motorsport impact of the Lechner family. A Jim Beam-sponsored Walter Lechner Racing School livery 962C took a prominent position in the motorsport corridor. Its red, white, and navy livery and open cockpit perspective drew immediate recognition. Positioned behind it, a modern Lechner Racing 911 GT3 Cup and GT3 R rensport displayed the evolution from endurance prototype to contemporary customer competition platform.
The highlight of this section, without a doubt, was the 1-of-1 963 RSP, a tribute built for Roger Penske, billionaire Founder and Chairman of Penske Corporation, while also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the road-legal 917. A unique, collaborative effort between Porsche Motorsport, Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, and Porsche Cars North America, this street-legal hypercar first broke cover at Le Mans, back in June this year, and takes visual inspiration from Count Rossi’s road-registered Porsche 917. It appeared in metallic silver over a tan leather cockpit. Witnessing the extreme aero package on this WEC giant with number plates was a sight to behold.
Behind it, another homologation special, and something equally significant from the Porsche museum. A 1-of-25, 996 GT1 Straßenversion, a hypercar homologation special from the famed GT Class of the 1990s currently valued in the millions, that has been a poster car for a generation. Ironically enough, one of Porsche’s most talked about headlight designs for the 911 appears to have aged well on one of the most extreme versions of the 911 ever. But compared to the 963 RSP, it appeared to be far less intimidating.
Porsche 911 992.2 GT3 Manthey Racing
Fresh off a Nürburgring run, the 992.2 GT3 equipped with the Manthey Racing performance kit also drew a lot of attention. I caught up with Michael Grassl, Sales Director of Manthey Racing, Porsche’s official racing partner based in Neuspath, Germany, to find out more.
When is the 992.1GT3 RS MR, that we saw last year, going for a record lap?
Grassl explained that a record attempt was originally planned for this year, but demand and production challenges shifted priorities. He said, “We originally planned to do it this year. The main background was that we have such a high demand hit. Even today, we are not able to create stock because everything we produce is sold immediately.”
Asked whether record chasing remains the objective, and whether the ultimate goal is to reclaim the production car record at the ‘Ring, Grassl confirmed the intent but clarified direction: “It is still possible there will be a lap with the RS somewhere in the future. But we will not do it with the GT3 RS.”
How many times has Manthey appeared at Icons of Porsche in Dubai?
“This is our fourth time. We had the 992 GT3, we had the GT4 RS, the GT3 RS, and now this car.”
When asked to share more details about the 992.2 GT3 Manthey Kit on display, Grassl outlined the improvements:
“It is the Manthey kit for the new 992.2 GT3. We focused on brakes, suspension, aerodynamics, lightweight parts, and now also some accessories.” He added, “You see the front splitter, which is larger than the earlier 992.1 car. There are fins underneath, big turning vanes, a closed underbody, a diffuser, a new rear wing, and aero discs.
We offer optional brake pads and an optional carbon fiber set around the area and hinges on the front hood. The rear intake cover is also carbon fiber. We have accessories like illuminated door sills, LED door projectors, and for the first time, behind the gear lever, the GT3 logo is substituted with Manthey.”
On how Manthey decides which Porsche models receive kits, the question was: Grassl stated, “We are focused on the GT models first. That is always the priority. It also depends on our cooperation with Porsche and customer demand.” He confirmed that electrification is being considered: “If there is demand for an electric car or an SUV, then we will discuss it.”
Asked whether Manthey packages influence collector value and whether provenance documents will become standard, Grassl said, “When you purchase a car with a Weissach package, it has more value than without. We see the same with Manthey kits. The value increases. During the GT2 RS era in the US, people said they might not drive the car too hard, but they wanted the sibling of the record car. They want the exact car where Lars did the hot lap.”
Michael identified the strongest market: “The US market is the strongest. Europe is also big because of all the racetracks. It is the home soil. But the US is huge because there are a lot of cars and a lot of people taking them to tracks.”
What else can we expect from Manthey Racing in the near future?
Grassl answered, “I cannot talk too much because we cooperate closely with Porsche, but we have products in the workshop, and there will be an exciting 2026.”
Collector Market Context
Close by, RM Sotheby’s exhibited a 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach (Lot 419) and a 993 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera RS (Lot 426), both coming up for sale at the upcoming Abu Dhabi sale at the inaugural Collector week in early December.
The Realization of a Dream
At the ‘Style Gallery’, there were some truly stand-out creations from Porsche Exclusiv Manufaktur and Porsche Sonderwunsch (Special Wishes) program, known for offering an exhaustive list of customization options and endless possibilities to customers.
One of the many standout cars here was a dual-tone Panamera Turbo, where the cabin features a Cigar Humidor. Executed through direct client collaboration, the interior revealed highly customized material selection and production-level finish consistent with factory standards.
Another Sonderwunsch special worth highlighting was a 16-year-old 2009 Porsche Cayenne GTS Factory Re-Commission presented in a seventies-influenced desert palette. The build incorporated retro tones and visual detail that appeared both nostalgic and contemporary.
The Community Village, Camp Cayenne, and Art Market
Set against a giant, inflated red-911 classic (back again in 2025), the ‘Community Village’ featured one of the largest gatherings of Porsche models from across the GCC, spanning multiple generations across both air-cooled, water-cooled generations of the 911 and the 718. Vehicles were positioned across a turf surface in closely spaced formation, producing a linear visual timeline. At the other end of the venue, vintage models like 356 Speedster were found, not too far away from more modern Porsches like a rare 996 GT3 RS and a 918 Spyder with its acid green e-hybrid accents. A rare edition 918 Spyder 991 Turbo S also made an appearance.
In the Cayenne Camp, yet another all-electric Cayenne (standard trim) took center stage. The area played host to several safari-built 955s, 957s, and 911s. Beyond the pair of 911 Dakars, some of the highlights here were a rare Cayenne Transsyberia, a Marlboro liveried safari 997 build, and a teal colored Cayman featuring oversized off-road tires and raised suspension. Dubai-based adventurer Mateo Moussaoui arrived in a 2009 V6 Cayenne after traveling more than 34,000 kilometers (21,113 miles) through 28 countries to reach the event.
Art Market featured several themed installations with books, prints, and posters available for sale, from renowned regional and global artists. Noted automotive Designer Alan Derosier was on site with some truly unique wooden sculptures of iconic models like the 917.
Speaking for the Region
Chris Jordan, Media Relations lead for Porsche Middle East and Africa & India, explained the brand’s intent for the festival.
How does this year’s Icons of Porsche event reflect Porsche’s ambitions in the Middle East, both for heritage, culture, future product direction, and global positioning?
“This event really is to give a stage to all of the classic cars in the region. As the event has grown, so has our bond with the local Porsche community.” When asked whether attendance has grown from last year, Jordan said the priority is experience over scale:
“Our goal is not to grow. We want the fan experience to be great every year. The festival is a really good size right now, and all the ticket money gets reinvested back into making the festival better, not bigger.”
On collector activity in the region, I asked: What are you seeing in terms of collector activity around limited series models, heritage race cars, restorations, and how does that compare to North America?
Jordan said, “It is difficult to compare because they are very different markets. North America is enormous. For us, we are a region, not a single market. Our office covers fifteen countries. So most of your questions, I could answer fifteen different ways. We cover Africa, the Middle East, and India.
We have media from sixteen countries here this week. The event is in Dubai, but it is regional. We have cars from markets across the region. We have media from all but one of our markets. This is very much a regional effort. We definitely see growth in the classic market. Restoration quality is so good now, and because they are beautiful classic cars, we want them to be driven.”
When asked about product launches showcased at Icons, he highlighted the increasing global significance of Dubai:
“We have the all-electric Cayenne and Cayenne Turbo, the new GT3 Manthey kit world premiere on Friday, and the first regional debut of the Macan GTS.” He added, “This region is now on the radar of the global Porsche world. This is a place where more premieres and big events take place.”
What unique characteristics of this region make it attractive for collectors in the United States seeking low-mileage cars and special specifications? Jordan explained, “Dubai is now one of the biggest tourism cities in the world. We work with Dubai Tourism, so people come for two or three events. Icons are unique. People from the US coming here will see something they have never seen before.”
Asked what American enthusiasts should expect that differs from Rennsport or events like Luftgekühlt, Jordan said, “One of the unique parts of this event is that there are so many cars and a lot to do. It attracts a very diverse audience, kids and families, and people who are not just car fans.”
The Night Sequence
After sunset, the venue shifted dramatically, and attendees and media gathered around the main stage area for the evening sequence that also included live music performances besides the official previews of several Porsche models like the aforementioned Cayenne Electric and 992.2 Turbo S, electric Macan GTS, and several others driving up on stage.
Some noteworthy personalities from the Porsche world, including the likes of CEO Oliver Blume and works driver Jörg Bergmeister, were also in attendance. Icons of Porsche 2025 once again delivered big, and expect Porsche to have something equally spectacular next year.
Images: Khris Bharath