At first, the passengers aren’t sure they are supposed to get in the car when it shows up. The driver assures them he’s their driver and when they said they were expecting another vehicle he tells them he swapped cars. The driver is Romain Dumas, whose day job is driving for the Porsche factory team. He’s also the 2016 World Endurance Championship winner and a two-time winner of the 24-hours of Le Mans. To top off those wins, Dumas won the 2016 Pikes Peak Run. The passengers don’t appear to recognize him, which is a bit suspicious because he’s a national hero.
So the passengers hop in the car, buckle up, and comment on the car’s infotainment features. All’s going well on the trip to Paris when the onboard navigation system announces a traffic jam 1 kilometer ahead. Brushing off questions, Dumas tells them he knows a shortcut.
It turns out the shortcut is by way of the Le Mans race track, where Porsche runs driving experience events when the track isn’t being used for real racing. So without demur the passengers put on the required helmets and Dumas takes them on a hot lap. The passenger reactions vary from wild enthusiasm to uncomprehending shock.
In the end, we see Dumas in Paris almost at their destination when the navigation system informs them of a traffic jam 200 meters ahead. Dumas again says he knows a shortcut but the remaining two passengers have mixed feelings about it so the ride and the video both end.
It’s a predictable but nonetheless enjoyable spoof on other German brands announcing their car sharing services. Porsche likely doesn’t see itself ever playing in that space.
And just for fun, if you’d like to watch Romain Dumas’ 2016 King of the Hill championship run up Pike’s Peak from the driver’s view, here it is.
