ROBIN MEYERS
There are certain cars you notice when they pass you on the road. A Porsche is usually one of them.
Put around 120 of them in Nelson Mandela Bay at the same time and there was no way this was going unnoticed. There was also no way I was going to pass up the opportunity for a sneak peek before the festivities officially got underway.
So, when Rainer Kupper of Porsche Club Eastern Cape invited 041Online along to the Courtyard Hotel on Thursday as Porsche Club members from across the country began arriving and signing in, I didn’t need much convincing.
Registration might not sound like the most exciting part of a motoring weekend, but registration when the car park keeps filling up with Porsches is slightly different.
A car park worth paying attention to
As members arrived, the line-up outside kept growing.
Rainer took us around for a closer look and we also got to meet racing driver Dayaan Padayachey as the weekend started coming together.
Then, obviously, there were the cars.
Porsche Club Eastern Cape founder Karl Illenberger told 041Online the gathering would include everything from a 1971 Porsche 911 to a 911 GT2 RS.
With around 700 horsepower going to the rear wheels, the GT2 RS sits at the rather serious end of the 911 family and was always going to be one of the cars to look out for.
Then there were the Safari Projek builds.
Former rally driver Johan de Bruin takes Porsches and turns them into off-road machines, resulting in something very different from the low-slung sports cars most of us associate with the badge.
“These cars are an eye-catcher. Love them,” Illenberger said.
Agreed.
The big one comes to the Bay
The Porsche Club Parade takes place every two years, with a different city getting the opportunity to host members from across South Africa.
In 2026, it was Nelson Mandela Bay’s turn.
“This is the Porsche Club event for SA. It’s the top and we are very proud to have our Porsche friends from all over SA in PE,” Illenberger said.
“Normally such events take place in Joburg or Cape Town, but this year it’s PE, the hidden gem.”
Illenberger founded Porsche Club Eastern Cape in 1993 with around 20 members. Today the club has grown to 94.
And while the Porsche badge is obviously what brings everyone together, he says club life has become about much more than cars.
“It’s the Porsche ecosystem. It’s about the cars, people, social engagements for the community and having very good moments together.”
The club meets monthly and organises breakfast and lunch runs, weekend trips and outings such as the George Old Car Show. It has also supported local organisations including Cheshire Home, MTR Smit Children’s Haven and SANCCOB.
Better when they’re moving
Of course, nobody brings this many Porsches together just to leave them parked.
The weekend programme included track sessions and time trials at Aldo Scribante Race Circuit, as well as a skidpan experience.
And while seeing rows of Porsches up close is impressive, hearing them being properly driven is another thing entirely.
It’s also where Nelson Mandela Bay makes a pretty convincing case as a host for an event like this.
There are great Eastern Cape roads to drive on the way here, coastal scenery once you arrive and a proper racing circuit within easy reach.
Illenberger believes the Bay’s size is part of its charm too.
“It’s the Friendly City of SA. Everything is very close and it’s an amazing drive from Cape Town, Joburg and Durban to PE.”
Between the motoring activities were social events and entertainment, with the weekend culminating in a gala event at Tramways.
For visiting members, Illenberger hoped the four days would leave them with plenty of stories to take home.
For local petrolheads, seeing around 120 Porsches descend on Nelson Mandela Bay was a rare treat.
I went along on Thursday expecting to see some very nice cars.
I wasn’t disappointed.
And for one Heritage weekend, there was absolutely no chance of the Porsche Club slipping quietly into the metro.
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