It's a driver's dream date: the chance to test all manner of Porsches on a race track. Michael McAleer reports from Mondello, where he got to choose from ten gleaming models lined up in the pit lanes
Ten gleaming Porsches lined up on the pit lane at Mondello like athletes on the start blocks. Keys in the ignition, welcoming hosts inviting us to take the cars around the track and "don't be afraid to push them". Quick pinch on the wrist - is this for real?
Grey, yellow, red, black. Boxsters and 911s, convertibles, hard-tops, six-speed manuals and tiptronic automatics. An assortment of roadworthy racers that can cause cool calculating men and women to salivate.
Porsche has the racing pedigree married to the German reliability that allows them to be usable supercars, not requiring the mollycoddling of others. These can take you through the Dublin traffic and then let loose on the racetrack.
Mondello played host to the ultimate sales pitch, where 32 invited potential buyers - referred to as prospects - witnessed the Porsche range being put through its paces in the hands of a group of professional drivers.
Then, after seeing what could be done from the comfort of the passenger seat, they got the chance to try it out for themselves, under the expert tutelage of the professionals, all of whom seemed to be called Rob.
Porsche has created a bevy of head-turners that retain their ability to attract a crowd. But the day was about far more than eyeing up the sleek lines.
The initially deep spinning sound from the engine and racy exhaust note enthuse us to tease out more performance. With a clear track and a Porsche 911 C4 Coupé, 3.6-litre, 320 bhp under our right foot we were caught in the moment.
One turn of the key and engine springs to life, a ticking wheezing sound: look left, clear. Pedal down and feel the torque. Within seconds are we're at 90 mph, and the first corner bears down upon us.
We throw it in too fast every time. Some people never learn. Tyres scream and the rear seems to take flight. Power on and in the midst of the rapidly moving landscape and flashes of grass, road, grass, a bright light flashes from the dashboard.
The light signals all is well. It signals the driver to remain calm, Porsche's engineers are now taking over, if only for a second. Powering on and straight out of the corner, foot on the floor. Thank God for traction control. Or, to put it in its proper title, the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system.
The shortened Mondello track we used for the day was tight and weaving; no long straight to test flat out speeds. Clearly they wanted us to work. No sooner had you exited a 90 degree left than you were flinging the roaring motor into a 180 degree right.
Every degree of corner conquered meant another degree of confidence in the car and its handling. Two or three laps in and we were beginning to know the limits of our potential. Having travelled with the professionals we soon realised it was far from the limits of the car.
The ride and responsiveness of the handling were amazing. The mid-mounted engine in the Boxster gives near-perfect balance. The muscular reassuring brakes let us push even harder on the accelerator.
The response was electric each time we came upon anything resembling a straight line. These are after all cars that manages 0-60mph in under six seconds and with top speeds in excess of 160 mph.
It's hard to think past your next track ride when standing alongside the line of Porsches awaiting your attention. But while all eyes were on the Boxsters and the 911s, Cayenne, Porsche's luxury Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), found a mention in everyone's conversation.
Despite mixed reviews in the media and from loyal Porsche owners, four orders have already been received in Ireland, sight unseen. The luxury off-roader - set to be the world's fastest 4x4 with a top speed of 165mph - will go on sale here next April. Prices have not been finalised here, but in Britain it will sell for between £42,000 and £44,000 sterling.
Irish distributor Belgard Autoplatz, sells around 50 Porsches a year, with waiting lists of between six and eight months for delivery.
But for those who attended and decided to part with between €70,000 and €206,000, memories of an October Saturday in the company of the German supercars should whet their appetites during the dark months between order and arrival.