"Project: Top Secret" that will be the new Porsche display at its home museum.

Never before seen concept cars and camouflaged prototypes

From September 17, 2014 through January 11, 2015, the "Project: Top Secret!" special exhibition at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany will showcase 16 unique vehicles, most of which have never been shown to the public. The range of automobiles on display includes top-secret concept cars, camouflaged prototypes as well as one-of-a-kind record-breaking, testing and experimental vehicles.

Development, research and meticulous attention to detail make up the very core of Porsche’s success. This is reflected in the company’s name: "Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG." Currently, over 4,500 engineers work at the Porsche Development Center in Weissach, ensuring that Porsche always stays one step ahead of the competition. The path to new innovations is not always easy or straightforward.

Many great ideas and concepts never make it to production due to technical or economic reasons. However, they are often utilized in research projects or concept cars. Most of this happens behind closed doors – for good reason: great ideas are frequently copied by others. This is why many of the concept cars and experimental vehicles never leave the Weissach Development Center. After projects are completed, these vehicles are usually scrapped. However, cars used in particularly vital or exciting projects were stored in the fleet of the Porsche Museum. As part of this special exhibition, they are now being revealed to the general public for the first time.

All 16 vehicles on display perfectly illustrate the spirit of the times or the corporate context of the respective decade. For example in 1973, Porsche addressed the prevailing energy crisis with the advanced “Forschungsprojekt Langzeit Auto”, which means extended durability research vehicle – a car that was designed to operate reliably and efficiently for many decades thanks to state-of-the-art engineering paired with the use of lightweight and environmentally-friendly materials. The world-record setting Porsche 924 and the Type 995 experimental passenger car are other projects from this era.

Seven exhibition cars date back to the 1980s, including a Porsche 959 aerodynamic prototype, a 928 Cabriolet as well as the Roadster Type 984 concept car that has never been shown before. The prototype of the Porsche 965 high-performance sports car, which was powered by a water-cooled V-8 mounted in the rear, is also being revealed for the very first time.

Cars from the 1990s include vehicles that never made it past the experimental stage such as the four-door Porsche 989 "family sports car," whose design turned out to set the course for future vehicle generations. The Type 986 A4 subframe ended up being just as unique. This prototype, based on a Porsche 911 Targa (Type 964), was used to test the mid-engine concept of the Boxster model series.  

From the most recent past is a camouflaged prototype of the Porsche Panamera, which reveals a great deal of insight into the comprehensive testing of new models. Last but not least, current topics such as hybrid technology are featured in the "Project: Top Secret!" special exhibition. Visitors have the unique opportunity to view the "rolling chassis" of the 918 Spyder super sports car, serving as a technological showpiece for the future.

A special program is offered on the following Sundays from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.: Sept. 28, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 14, Dec. 28, 2014, as well as on Jan. 4, 2015. In addition to the guided tour of the special exhibition, families can participate in a scavenger hunt, and camouflage a model 918 Spyder themselves. Due to the limited number of spots, we recommend an R.S.V.P. by email with the visitor’s service at: info.museum@porsche.de. The Porsche Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission is eight euros for adults. Reduced price tickets for visitors, such as students or Porsche Classic Card cardholders, are available for four euros. Additional information is available online at: www.porsche.de/museum.