New Slant for 2023 Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge

The Porsche Classic Restoration Challenge is a competition aimed at American dealerships restoring cars from Stuttgart. Now in its third year, the competition is introducing some changes that include three different categories for dealers in which to compete.

Imagine this: a Porsche-trained technician with the ability and know-how to navigate the brand’s vehicles has access to a portfolio of over 80,000 genuine parts at his/her disposal. Who else would be best qualified to restore a Porsche?

“The response from the Porsche community and our participating dealerships for the past two years has been tremendous. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch a classic Porsche vehicle go through a well-documented, step-by-step restoration that the challenge expects, and the results certainly show,” says Jonathan Sieber, Senior Manager of Porsche Classic at Porsche Cars North America. “We’ve added new elements to the competition this year, which we believe will really resonate and capture the full range of capabilities and creativity from our dealers.”

The changes for 2023 include the introduction of three different categories in which for dealers to compete.

• Preservation is for cars we generally characterize as “survivor,” so the idea is to maintain originality yet enhancing the vehicle “to improve its overall function while not restoring it to like-new condition.”
• Restoration is exactly what it sounds like: for projects to be returned to like-new condition per the original specifications.
• Think of Individualization as “rectification” — restoration and modification via creative use of the Porsche parts bin. This category is based on the Porsche Sonderwunsch (“special request”) program.

Judging is handled by a panel of experts from Porsche Cars North America “based on criteria that include quality of the finished vehicle — such as engine, suspension and interior — but also marketing and documentation.”

Scoring for the competition has already begun and will run through mid-August, upon which entries from three regions in the U.S. (East, South-Central and West) will be judged at one of three regional events. One winner per category per region will be decided, with all nine winners being on display during Rennsport Reunion 7, the world’s largest Porsche fan gathering.

Also new for 2023 is the inclusion of the Porsche Type 987 Boxster and Cayman, and 911 Type 997 models. They follow a lineage that includes street-going 356, 914, six generations of the 911, 944, 928, Boxter, Cayman and first-generation Cayenne models.

As this is Porsche’s 75^th year, and the 60^th anniversary since the introduction of the 911, the gathering at Rennsport Reunion 7 is bound to be an event for the ages. You’ll be able to see all nine winners from September 28 to October 1 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.