Patrick Long Shares the Story Behind Luftgekühlt and the New Era of Porsche Culture at Race Industry
Former Porsche factory driver and two-time Le Mans winner Patrick Long joined Race Industry Week to share the evolution of Luftgekühlt, the globally celebrated air-cooled Porsche gathering he co-founded, and to reflect on the broader moment that car culture and motorsport are enjoying around the world.
Fresh off the success of Luftgekühlt 11 in Durham, North Carolina, Long described the event as his favorite edition yet.
“It was amazing to finally be on the proper East Coast,” Long said. “To get back to Durham, to the same venue, and to have what I will consider my favorite event to date of the 11 years we’ve been doing this.”
From Tobacco Warehouse to Porsche Wonderland
Luftgekühlt 11 was staged at the American Tobacco Campus, a redeveloped Lucky Strike factory complex that now anchors downtown Durham around the Durham Bulls baseball stadium.
Long explained that Luft’s signature venues are the result of relationships and racing life on the road.
“I’ve spent a lot of time flying in and out of Raleigh–Durham to go to VIR,” he said. “The Ingram family, major Porsche collectors from Durham, suggested the venue. Their connection to the site and the town’s walkable, creative vibe made it a perfect fit.”
Luftgekühlt has become known for transforming unexpected industrial and cultural spaces into Porsche playgrounds — from lumber yards and loading docks in Southern California to soundstages at Universal Studios. Every location is chosen not just for logistics, but for atmosphere, photography, and storytelling.
Long credited co-founder and renowned photographer Jeff Zwart as a key force in the visual experience.
“We’ve always wanted people to be able to walk in with a phone and walk out with epic photos,” Long said. “The setting and layout do a lot of the heavy lifting so that every attendee can create great content.”
Reinventing the Car Show for a New Generation
Luftgekühlt was born from Long’s sense that traditional car shows weren’t keeping up with how younger audiences consume culture and experiences.
He contrasted Luft’s evolving, curated format with the static events he grew up with:
“We went to the same local show every year. It was the same layout, same venue, same cars, same people. There was something charming about that — but it was predictable.”
Luftgekühlt, by design, is never the same show twice. The team changes the venue, themes, and car mix every year to keep discovery at the heart of the experience. The event blends:
- Air-cooled Porsches from 1948–1998
- Factory race cars and hot-rodded builds
- Survivor cars, restored icons, and “oddballs”
- Music, food, design, fashion, kids, and dogs
“I wanted a place where a hardcore Porsche nerd and someone who doesn’t know anything about cars could both feel welcome and inspired,” Long said. “It has to be part education, part visual, part social — with a little edge that knocks you out of your comfort zone so you don’t want to miss the next one.”
Remarkably, Long estimates that only about 10% of attendees are actually showing a car.
“The other 90% are there for the experience,” he said. “Our show doesn’t cater to the millionaire collector with ten cars on display. They’re welcome — and they do come — but we’re just as focused on the person who shows up with a camera and a dream.”
Car Culture’s “Moment” in Pop Culture
Long also reflected on why motorsport and performance cars feel more culturally relevant than ever, pointing to:
- The global success of Formula 1: Drive to Survive
- The box office explosion of the F1 movie
- The rise of YouTube and creator-driven content
- Social media giving young fans direct access to drivers, teams, and events
“For years people said, ‘Kids don’t care about cars anymore,’” Long noted. “But I go to Pebble Beach and see teenagers being dropped off with cameras, making content. The passion is absolutely there — they just consume it differently.”
He described streaming and social platforms as both overwhelming and empowering.
“Now all you need is a GoPro or a phone,” he said. “If you have a story to tell and you understand the algorithm, you can build an audience. The access and visibility around racing and car culture are on a completely different level than when I was a kid watching whatever came on ESPN Speedworld.”
Porsche: From Product to Culture
As a Porsche factory driver from 2003 onward, and now a brand ambassador, Long has had a front-row seat to the brand’s transformation from carmaker to full-blown cultural ecosystem.
He believes Porsche’s strength comes from the intersection of engineering, aesthetics, and heritage.
“When you have a true brand, you’re more than a product,” Long said. “You give people a community and a story to plug into.”
Key pillars Long highlighted:
- A continuous 911 lineage from 1964 to today
- A deep, authentic commitment to motorsport, not just as marketing but as DNA
- A culture where cars are used, modified, raced, and shared, not locked away
He pointed to the Porsche family’s ongoing involvement — from Wolfgang Porsche attending the Night of Champions to the next generation driving and organizing events like FAT Ice Race in Montana — as proof that the brand’s roots still drive decisions.
“Porsche has never really left racing,” Long said. “That continuity means something. It’s why somebody in Tokyo, Stuttgart, or North Carolina can feel like they’re part of the same story.”
Life After Factory Racing: Coaching, Content, and What’s Next
Though no longer racing full-time, Long hasn’t stepped far from the cockpit. He now splits his time between:
- Steering Luftgekühlt and Air | Water events
- Acting as an ambassador and consultant for Porsche
- Coaching and driving in select projects and vintage races
- Collaborating on high-profile film and content work
He recently spent weeks at Daytona coaching Brad Pitt in a Porsche 911 GT3 R for the F1 movie, helped create a race-focused content series with Patrick Dempsey, and continues to develop road and motorsport-related projects.
“It’s all about saying yes to things I never had time for during the full-time racing years,” Long said. “As long as I can weave my passion for driving into the business and storytelling, I can’t complain.”
Looking ahead, Long teased a packed calendar:
- A “super secret” desert shoot in the immediate future
- Air | Water returning to Orange County in late April
- Luftgekühlt’s first-ever Tokyo event in 2026
- A “few tricks up our sleeve” for Luftgekühlt 12
Whiteboards around Luft’s modest HQ are, as Long put it, “completely full.”
About Luftgekühlt
Luftgekühlt is a roaming, highly curated celebration of air-cooled Porsches (1948–1998), founded by Patrick Long and Howie Idelson. Each edition is staged in a unique, visually striking venue and blends art, architecture, motorsport heritage, and community to create one-of-a-kind experiences for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
