Porsche will open its North American headquarters near the new international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2013, the automaker announced Wednesday.
Porsche will break ground early next year on the headquarters, centerpiece to a commercial development to be known as Aerotropolis Atlanta, for a total of $80 million to $100 million. The automaker's North American administration, technical, and training operatiosn would be consolidated into one facility, including a Customer and Driver Experience Center. The center will include a restaurant, test track and gift shop for Porsche goods and services, according to The New York Times.
“We have designed a building with the same high-energy feel and performance as Porsche automobiles,” Todd Bertsch, vice president and design director at HOK Atlanta, which won the commission for the facility, told the Times.
The company also plants to build a West Coast customer experience center, along with specialized track on a 53-acre site in Carson, Calif., close to the Interstate 405 and 110 freeway junction. A computer-controlled surface called Ice Hill will imitate rain- and snow-slicked conditions. The center will include amenities similar to the Atlanta complex, as well as an automotive-themed athletic training facility.
