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102 103
Annual Report
Porsche AG
2014
Tradition
and Emotion
Driving cars in the last para-
dise – that’s the Ennsta-Classic,
held annually on Austria’s love-
liest alpine routes. Roughly
200 classic automobiles will
be participating, making it
as much as rolling museum
as a race. Porsche has been
the primary sponsor for this
renowned competition since
2014.
The Porsche 356 rolls slowly down
the start ramp. It’s just after eight in
the morning. Despite the early hour,
throngs of spectators line the street from
Gröbming in Styria’s Ennstal Valley as it
runs toward Stoderzinken. Andreas Kainer
listens intently to the uniform sounds from
the compact four-cylinder Boxer motor,
then casts an expert eye over the sports
car’s instrument panel – everything seems
ne. He’s giddy with anticipation about
what lies ahead, and a bit worked up as
well: the Ennstal-Classic is slated to see
his 356 Coupé make a triumphant return
to the streets after extensive restorations.
Kainer ddles a bit with the gas pedal,
checks the precision of the steering and
gets a feel for how the tires are gripping
the roadway. His co-pilot gives the thumbs
up sign from the passenger seat, followed
by a broad grin. The experienced team
approaches the start line for the rst
special review of this Ennstal-Classic –
and then his 356 passes through the light
barrier at the foot of the mountain. Their
route will take them 8,258metres in total
along the winding (and closed) road to
Stoderzinken. The goal is not to go as
fast as possible, but rather as precisely
as possible at the proscribed average
speed of 48.2km/h, all documented
through a merciless set of timing check-
points. Kainer is responsible for keeping
the car rolling smoothly and steadily,
while his colleague keeps a mechanical
stopwatch running to help get the timing
just right. They move quickly up the
2,000-metre mountain, and after roughly
tenminutes they trip the light barrier and
CHALLENGING
ROADS AND
MAJESTIC
LANDSCAPES
More than 800 kilometres along demanding
roads – the Ennstal-Classic is a challenge
and a pleasure all at once.
Ambitious special test:
the Ennstal-Classic puts strong
demands on both driver and vehicle.