 |
| Florence Ita Giwa
and Uti Nwachukwu |
German automaker, Porsche, recently launched the Porsche Centre
Lagos – one of the most modern car showrooms in Sub-Saharan Africa – and
also unveiled the most-anticipated new model of the revered Porsche
911. More photos from the launch party when you continue...
An exclusive black tie event (organized by
Teeof Media), with only the crème de la crème in attendance seemed
naturally appropriate to herald the introduction of the ace of sports
cars and announce the presence of the king of luxury car brands in the
city of Lagos, where nothing but excellence deserves a nod of approval.
With its finely chiseled and painstaking excellence in craftsmanship and
performance, the ferocious beauty was ready to meet some very important
personalities and trend-setters who have not only come to witness the
veil lifted off this historical precision machinery, but
to review, court, and possible take it home. The guests had huge
expectations, but then, Porsche was confident of their creation –the
only worry that night, if there was any would have been more of a
cosmetic concern – ‘cause it was a possibility that the guests could get
so jaw-dropping awe-struck and drop their champagne flutes on their
pristinely polished shoes. Measures had to be taken to prevent this from
happening, so, in came the prelude to main event - the delectably
talented vocalist Chidinma took to the spotlight to deliver a classy
smooth performance, just to get everyone up to speed on what was
cruising at a top speed of 330 km/hr in their direction.
While Porsche enthusiasts enjoyed the classy prelude,
savoring an endless supply of champagne and a variety of finger foods
from a gourmet kitchen - mingling and networking with their peers - the
evening’s main entertainment and headline act was warming up for its
grand entree. Like every great movie requires the skills of an
accomplished music composer, this epic automobile premiere relied on the
musical accomplishments of the highly gifted tattoo-faced DJ Sose to
lace the mood of the occasion with the magical tunes from his turn
table. Now warmed up, two incredible dancers from The Academy were
unleashed on the guests to titillate their senses with a promise of what
was to come. With cleverly and bravely executed acrobatic moves, the
dance went from the centre-stage towards the veiled new 911 – and in one
stunning routine, the dancers lifted the veil to reveal a cloud of
white smoke that dissolved slowly, as the spotlight illuminated the new
Porsche 911 – sparkling like the rock star of automobiles.
“Today is a very special day for the entire Porsche Centre
Lagos team. We are very proud to launch the Porsche brand in the
Nigerian market. From our modern facility we will be able to meet our
customer’s demand for high-quality products and services”, said Julian
Harding, General Manager of Porsche Centre Lagos.
If the new 911 were flesh and blood, I imagine that even
the celebrities and multi-millionaires at this exclusive party would
have queued up to get an autograph. Since an autograph was out of the
question, everyone wanted a picture taken. It was difficult to control
the impulse to be seen with, around, or inside the new Porsche 911 - its
black exterior and red leather interior gave it an aggressive
personality and classy presence – and when its engine purred, everyone
wanted to book a test drive – who wouldn’t want to take this 7-speed ace
of sports cars for a little spin?
At the end of the
evening, it really wasn’t just about showing off the new 911 to a
showroom-full of prospective buyers and Porsche enthusiasts – it was an
introduction of a 49-year old Porsche tradition of excellent
craftsmanship and unrivalled performance to Nigerians. It was the
beginning of a journey into a lifestyle of sophistication, class and
luxury; the testament of a global brand’s respect of our finer tastes;
the need to reward one’s own hard work; a way of making a bold lifestyle
statement, and of daring to declare your acquired taste for only the
finest precision machinery money can buy; a panache of prestige, and a
symbol of hope that one day if you find yourself in a position to make
the ultimate success statement, that you could walk into the Porsche
Centre here in Lagos, and drive out in a car that does all the talking
and bragging for you.
Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Brian Okwara,
Freeze, Uti Nwachukwu, Chidinma, Tunji Abdul, Olaotan Towry-Coker,
Ibrahim Yusuf, Emmy Collins and many other famous Lagos socialites and
celebrities who graced the occasion may as well have made history as the
first group of Nigerians to experience the classy upscale hospitality
of the multi-million dollar Porsche Centre Lagos.
-James Amuta
News flash:
On the 5th of
April, 2012 the all new Porsche 911 was named the 2012 World
Performance Car at the New York International Auto Show. The
announcement was made at a press conference hosted by Bridgestone
Corporation. The Porsche 911 was one of 34 new-for-2012 vehicles
selected for the annual awards program.
According
to Moto Authority, the World Performance Car honor is awarded each year
by an international jury panel comprised of 66 top-level automotive
journalists from 25 countries around the world. Jury members are
appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of their
expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically
drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of his or
her professional work. Through their respective outlets they
collectively reach an audience of millions of automotive consumers in
every corner of the globe.
