¡La Vida Rapida! - Porsche World Road Show races through Puerto Rico

The fast life!

That is certainly one way to sum up my experience at the recent Porsche World Road Show, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

But first, let me apologise to the citizens of San Juan, especially motorists, as their streets were invaded by more than a dozen Porsche vehicles roaring through the highways and byways, driven by journalists and other participants from around the world.

Let’s just say, if you are into fast cars, then this experience would count among your top five.

Andrea Lopez, marketing and press manager for Porsche Center in Puerto Rico, described the road show as “an international event, which originates from the factory (Porsche in Germany) and travels around the world. These same cars that arrived in Puerto Rico have been travelling around the world. So they were at the Porsche Road Show in Colombia, and before that, they were in Argentina, and so on ... . so think of it like a circus that travels around the world”.

This year marked the third time that the Porsche Road Show went Puerto Rico, Lopez confirming that “the first time was in 2012 and the second in 2014”.

So for this trip, journalists from around the world (including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and, of course, Puerto Rico) had the opportunity to experience first-hand what it was like to drive various Porsche models, among them the new 911, the 718 Cayman GTS, the Carrera, the Panamera GTS, the Macan S Hybrid, Cayenne turbo, Cayenne S, and the Cayenne Hybrid.

Raw horsepower

Three convoys, two occupants to each Porsche, and at various intervals, participants taking turns at the wheel and hopping aboard, a different vehicles at each stop ultimately allowed drivers to get a feel of the different Porsche models as they tried out the various features, handling, and power.

Be warned, however: If you are not a driver, do not sit in a Porsche. if you are not a speedster, do not sit in a Porsche. If you have a weak heart, DO NOT sit in a Porsche! The raw horsepower galloping beneath the hood is no joke!

For Lopez, the Porsche Road Show was “a great experience with all these different personalities ... . The 911 is obviously the benchmark, but you have like the 718s, which are like the mid-level and are great in terms of handling.”

Luis Jarcia, from Puerto Rico, says the experience for him, “definately beats being in the office”.

For Jarcia, “Driving a car like this (the 911 Turbo all-wheel drive) on the island is great,” and he rated it as his favourite over other Porsche models that he had already driven, like the Macan S (sport) and the Panamera Hybrid.

It was indeed a day well spent on the road, and a lunch stop at El Meson in Cayey, and a final stop back at the Porsche Center (Garage Europa) brought the adventurous experience to an end.

See video footage from the experience on Instagram @jamaicagleaner.

Email” teino.evans@gleanerjm.com.IG @teino_evans_media