Fuori Concorso 2022 – Sonderwunsch
NOT ‘JUST’ TWO, BUT THREE VILLAS
It was not long since its last Turbo edition organised in October and we meet again at the premises of Fuori Concorso. Guglielmo Miani, who leads the Larusmiani brand, engaged three and not ‘just’ two Villas by the beautiful Lago di Como coast. This year’s event welcomed its visitors at the usual Villa del Grumello and Villa Sucota, but also added the very famous Villa Olmo. The exhibition in the latter was accessible for everyone at all times bringing the exclusive event another step closer to the general public.
What was slightly missing last time was back again. But what could have been the missing puzzle? Obviously – the weather! Lago di Como is beautiful all year round but its true colours are fully revealed in late spring and the end of May seems to be the sweet spot for La Dolce Vita celebrations. Sipping some bubbles, admiring beautiful and very special automobiles with Italian fashion around is what Fuori Concorso exercises to perfection. But wait… did anyone say special automobiles?
YOUR SPECIAL WISH
Each Fuori Concorso has a theme to it. The very first one started with Bentleys, the second one spun around Turbocharged vehicles of all kinds and this year it was time for Sonderwunsch. Sonder…what? Directly translated from German it means a ‘Special Wish’ or a ‘Special Request’ but the insiders will immediately connect the name with Porsche’s customisation programme.
The original offering from Zuffenhausen dates back to 1970s when the vehicle could be designed with the client to one-off level. Thanks to joined forces of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur and Porsche Classic, the programme is now back in a very similar form. It allows individuals to co-create their automobiles with the final product quality ensured by Porsche’s manufacturing. Quintessence of such a process was well shown at this year’s event.
VILLA DEL GRUMELLO AND SONDERWUNSCH
Those who ever had the chance to visit Villa del Grumello, either for Fuori or to sightsee the beautiful garden know the approach to the building. It is a relatively steep driveway all the way from the winding road leading to Cernobbio. This time it was filled with nicely spaced 911s all the way to the top. In a breathtaking row one could admire special editions of both 997, 991 and 992 editions of the most popular model from Zuffenhausen.
My favourite out of the array were the Sport Classic editions. Yes, editions, as Porsche has brought the very recently announced 911 (992) Sport Classic 2022 model – the second out of four planned collector’s items. Featuring a classic ducktail rear wing and double-bubble roof it makes for a worthy successor to the 997 Sport Classic, which… was parked just a couple cars away. I will never forget admiring the car when it was announced, then seeing it driving past the winding roads north of Cernobbio in 2018 just to be able to carefully examine its lines now.
At the top of the ‘mountain’ parked was probably the oldest car of the bunch – an F-model 911 T. Produced in 1973 it draws directly from the origins of the Porsche 901 and features an iconic Pepita pattern for its seats. As such, it served as an inspiration for the newest Sport Classic which shows that the Heritage Design strategy is not just an empty claim. Contrasting with silver paint was a striking yellow 911 (964) Turbo S Leichtbau produced only in 86 units. Very rare and very fast units.
Potentially the pinnacle of Sonderwunsch, hardly surpassable in terms of exclusiveness are the two Porsche 959 standing in front of the villas. Given the 959 was only ever produced 292 times, it is hard to believe a Qatari sheikh ordered and individualised seven of them. Yes, you read it right. Seven. Not only were they painted in a very unique colour combinations but had some bespoke touches done to them. Every car had its Porsche logos replaced with 24-carat gold family crescent. Speaking of gold, it was used to plate the exhaust tailpipes, too.
There were many more Sonderwunsch cars around – Turbos, Coupes and even Speedsters. Some were modified in more obvious way than the others, some wore just subtle touches difficult to distinguish without an expert’s eye. How can you tell if a logo is painted from a stencil or hand painted by an artist? What was certain though was that every Porsche lover would find something to their taste. Cars even paved the way to Villa Sucota where…
VILLA SUCOTA AND PORSCHE-OWNED GEMS
Following Villa del Grumello, Villa Sucota gathered special Porsche factory models. After a short walk through a beautiful park the visitor could jump from the world of personalisation to a fascinating territory full of factory specials. Oh boy, was Porsche experimenting a lot in the 1980s and 90s.
Let us start with Porsche 928 Concept with a shooting-brake kind of body. It was envisioned by Ferry Porsche as a vehicle in which four people can travel in great comfort on the highway and move faster that with a light aircraft. That is hell of a brief, if you ask me! Few steps away was another one-off, this time on the other end of a car body spectrum – a 968 Roadster Study. Following in the footsteps of the very famous Speedsters, it has a cut-down windscreen, small side window and a soft-top hiding in lowered boot. What. A. Concept!
There were a few more specials but another couple caught my attention at Villa Sucota – the 911 Carrera 3.2 Speedster Study Concept and… Porsche Cayenne Cabriolet. Let’s start with the more conventional, yet exceptional 911. It was a white, open-top single-seater with no windscreen but a small deflector. If it draws connection to the very famous 550 Spyder you are correct – it is right to do so! The Cayenne though was like nothing else you have ever seen from Zuffenhausen. Even though this was a limited drive-ability concept, it shows the far-sightedness of the brand evaluating potential versions of their cars… here with two versions of the rear!
A DAY FULL OF ATTRACTIONS
Fuori Concorso was always thrilling, but mostly because of the amazing automotive display. This time the event was packed with additional programme points. Visitors could sign up for experiences such as Balvenie vintage whisky tasting, Bvlgari watch presentation, Faemina coffee tasting and obviously – experiencing Larusmiani clothing in a beautiful showroom.
I have decided to partake in two of the proposals – a motorboat trip to various villas put for sale and managed by La Reale Domus – Knight Frank, as well as listened to the panel led by Ted Gushue. The former commenced from the Como Yacht Club and led all the way past Torno. We have glanced over rather spectacular real estate, some measuring as much as 750 square metres with huge terrace and accessible through… an elevator from much higher street level. On the way back we stopped by Villa d’Este to watch the Concours from the waterfront as well as passed by the Fuori Concorso villas to see the event from a little bit different angle.
Straight from the boat I ran to the conversation programme. Ted Gushue led the discussion between Michael Mauer, Alexander Fabig and Luca Trazzi. Who else is better placed to speak about personalisation and craftsmanship matching client’s desires other than Chief Designer accompanied by Chief Vice President for Individualisation and Classic at Porsche with another designer and collector? The discussion was interesting and full of curiosity-filling information about the visions of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. Well worth listening!
DAI CHE È VENERDI
After the programme the event slowly converted into a cocktail party. Some bars popped-up out of nowhere and waiters began to serve snacks. The chatter started vigorously and the Italian atmosphere was ever so present. New connections formed, old have grown stronger and the only thing that stopped it was a great concert.
Featuring on the event was Alessandro Ristori with his band. Working on his own songs since early 2000s, he is known for heavy inspirations from Italian music from the 60s and 70s, American legends from the 50s and British pop-rock. Famous hits such as Blondie’s Heart of Glass not only got the crowd dancing, but also… singing!
A BEAUTIFUL STORY – WHAT IS THE NEXT CHAPTER?
It is my second Fuori Concorso as I have missed the Bentley edition, but hands down, the event organised by Larusmiani is one of the most enjoyable automotive enthusiasts gathering. It is very relaxed yet meticulously prepared and of top quality. It bridges the distance between people - you can share your passion with other enthusiasts and moments later you will find yourself speaking with Mark Webber about his early days automotive experiences.
The third edition was doubtlessly the best and the bar is raised year by year. One thing is for sure – Fuori Concorso is already well established on the automotive map. Here’s to the next editions! Grazie Fuori Concorso, grazie Guglielmo!
You can read about the exhibition at Villa Olmo here.
Text & Photos: Adam Pekala ©
