Every year, the Porsche museum has an event unlike any other. Sound Nacht. On this special night they actually start the museum cars, let them run, and rev them for those in attendance to hear. Porsche knows that their cars, more than most, incorporate an aural quality to the experience, and they are more than happy to show that off.
Bringing round some cars from the display floor and firing them up is quite an endeavor, and Porsche rolls out the red carpet to do it. Some of the most significant Porsche racing cars were brought to the event this year, including the Dreikantschaber (wedge blade) 1963 356B 2000 GS Carrera GT, a 904 with a flat-8 wedged in it, one of the twenty-some 911R, the Can Am 917/30, an RSR, Moby Dick, the Le Mans winning GT1-98, and the Le Mans winning 2013 991 RSR. Of the videos displayed, the 904 and the 917 have two of the most distinctive sounds, and I imagine these engines would make excellent music together.
Presented in a large open room with each car rolled onto the main stage one at a time, Porsche surrounds each car with technicians, microphones, and videographers to capture the event. It is certainly a big to-do, and for obvious reasons. Outside of vintage racing events (which these Porsches almost never attend), this is the only way you’ll really hear them run, and because of this it has become a popular event. A couple thousand people turned out to see their favorites run, and luckily for us (and ironically, too), FerrariChat.com member Elsi captured some great video right from the front row. At just over a minute each, these videos are well worth the watch. In fact, I would probably build a YouTube playlist and have these playing in the background all day, just to add a little cheer to your Monday.
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 911 RSR 2013
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 911 GT1 1998
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 935/78 Moby Dick 1978
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 917/30 Spyder 1973
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : Porsche 911 R 1967-1968
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 904/8 Carrera GTS 1964
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 356 B 2000 GS Carrera GT 1963
Porsche Sound Nacht 2013 : 961 1986
Porsche Sound Night 2013: 924 GTP Le Mans 1981
Other Porsche Blog Posts You Will Enjoy
You Have To Love A Sport You Can Hear Before You Can See It
This Book About Porsche Sounds great!
Porsche Sound Nacht 2012
Porsche 917K Flat-12 Pure Engine Sound – In Action on Track
View Comments (3)
Good to hear them idle and rev a little, but next year strap them to a dyno and run them under load, so the world can hear them at full song!
Frank
What a great demonstration! The flat 8 in the 904 is absolutely marvelous!
That was one of my favorites, too.