From Georgia to the Festival of Dreams – 10.000 km, 10 Countries, 131 driving hours.
Lasha Narsia realized his dream, which he calls a "dream of a little Georgian boy": one day arriving in front of the museum with his own Porsche, parking the vehicle under the museum on the forecourt, watching the many people gathering around the vehicle, taking photos.
"It was a little boy's dream come true, just like my dream of being part of the Porsche world came true," the 38 years old lawyer, event and brand manager from Tbilisi in Georgia tells us as we talk in the Club tent at the Festival of Dreams at Hockenheim. "The dream of becoming a Porsche person who can share his love for the brand with others, young and old, lovers or critics, even those who have less fortune in life."
Georgia, the country at the Black Sea, is the land of his love. He proudly wears the Club logo on numerous T-shirts, polo shirts and caps. With 2.5 million inhabitants, Georgia easily has as many people as the greater Stuttgart area. "Georgia still has a lot to move in many parts and is often in poor state – in terms of living conditions, infrastructure and the economy," Lasha, who also promotes historic vehicles activities in Georgia and who is a member both of FIVA and FIA Historic Commission, explains.
„Back in the days when I told friends about the idea of founding a Porsche Club, no one believed me. We started from scratch, gathered them one by one, invested time and energy to get them involved in the Club.“ Now it's a reality, Lasha and his friends have done it. And did it with love, passion and kindness, as he tells us proudly. A family he created, "a family of honest people, true enthusiasts, and we now give them the opportunity to experience life the Porsche way: fast, strong, unforgettable, emotional and successful." Since the foundation, they have held more than 120 events, covered more than 100,000 km, with 15 to 25 events taking place every year.
Around 3,800 kilometres lie between Tbilisi in Georgia and Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen in Germany. Once along the Black Sea, via Turkey to Bulgaria, Croatia, Austria to Germany. From Asia to Central Europe so to say. Just in time for the 75th anniversary of Porsche sport cars, Lasha had started planning. He will take 6 friends, Levan Mamasakhlisi, David Robanishvili, Levan Mamulashvili, Goga Gogoberishvili, Giorgi Bezhanidze with him, the cameraman Soso Gahokia, is also along. He upgrades his Cayenne for the tour: it gets a roof rack and the stations of the entire tour as lettering. The vehicle is labelled from front to back with the sponsors. The Club logo, the 75-logo, 70 years of Porsche Clubs, Lasha leaves nothing out to get his message across: Here is someone on his way from Georgia to visit and meet the family members of the Porsche community for the anniversary. People who, like him, not only dream but live and realise the dream of owning a Porsche sports car.
10 hours a day he covers on the road to get there on time. The Cayenne is reliable and never lets him down. The first stages are on Turkish territory. Via Batumi in Georgia to Samsun and Istanbul. He will meet the Porsche Club Istanbul later in Stuttgart. In Salzburg, he meets the first signs of the anniversary. Lasha proudly places the Cayenne in front of the 75th anniversary glass bungalow at the Porsche Salzburg dealership. The first shot is in the box. The journey continues via Munich to Stuttgart. Lasha has reached his destination on time. The Cayenne is parked under the Porsche Museum forecourt. He doesn't have much time to enjoy the great moment but was lucky enough to meet his great hero Walter Röhrl. He continues on to Hockenheim for the big Festival of Dreams. Here he meets the Porsche family. The Cayenne is parked in the frontside area. No one can pass it without seeing. Lasha and his Cayenne quickly become the talk of the festival: From Georgia, from the Porsche Club, driven the whole distance?
"Meeting all the Porsche Clubs and Porsche people here in Hockenheim is another part of my dream that I have fulfilled," Lasha tells us. "We supported Boris and his Ukrainian Club, so we have been in contact with many of the European Clubs. To be able to meet them all here now is very special for him. He had an exchange with Paul Gregor from Global Community Management. With Christian Harttinger who also supports the Ukrainian Club. With friends from Kuwait, with Karl Illenberger from South Africa. "Suddenly the world becomes a very small place. Even the route Tbilisi—Stuttgart seems to become a different, manageable dimension." But still, of all the international visitors here, he can say: I am here with my own car.
After the celebrations, Lasha headed back. Via the Nürburgring, Strasbourg, Bern, Milano to Venice, and back to the route that brought him here. In the end, he had driven and passed through more than 10,000 kilometres and 10 countries. Not a strain at all for Lasha: "Every kilometre was the fulfilment of my dream. This brand triggers the strongest emotions in me, pushes me to my limits, supports me and makes me believe in what I'm doing."
