• by Tanya Gazdik , April 27, 2022

Porsche Cars North America has created a new leadership role that focuses on giving consumers opportunities to to create emotional connections with the automotive brand.

Taking on the position of director, Porsche Experience, Michelle Rainey will oversee U.S. Porsche Experience Centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles, and the Porsche Track Experience and Porsche Travel Experience.

Rainey has been the manager of the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta, and has led its growth from its opening in 2015 to the addition of a second customer track due to open next year, says Ayesha Coker, vice president, marketing of PCNA.

“Even before it was built, Michelle was part of the original team that helped define what the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta should be,” Coker says in a release.

Rainey is charged with bringing new programs to guests, like the recently launched 911 GT3 v. 718 Cayman GT4 90-minute driving experience and the PEC Atlanta’s Overdrive offering, which is designed to give drivers an additional 30 minutes behind the wheel of a Porsche sports car.

The two U.S. Porsche Experience Centers offer brand immersion where current owners and new fans can drive on the track, dine, and shop for accessories, while also taking in Porsche heritage or grabbing a coffee by the track. The sites can also be rented for weddings, corporate outings, birthday parties and other large events.

Together both centers have tracked more than half a million visitors since opening in 2015 in Atlanta and 2016 in LA. More than half are new to the brand and do not currently own a Porsche. Yet getting behind the wheel of a Porsche is sometimes a catalyst to prompt a purchase. After driving the centers’ tracks, 80% of non-owners say they are likely to buy one.

For many guests, their first visit to the PTX piques their interest, according to the automaker. Returning customers make up nearly 30% of entry-level participants, and of those drivers, about 90% return for advanced level programs.

For curated driving programs, the automaker offers its Porsche Travel Experience, an all-inclusive vacation that allows participants to drive hundreds of miles on some of the most scenic roads in a Porsche 911.