Porsche's new museum in Germany has finally been completed, and is due to open later this month.
The distinctive new building, situated next to Porsche's HQ in Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, cost an estimated €100 million to build. For that, Porsche expects to welcome more than 200,000 visitors to the new museum each year.
The decision to build the new museum was announced back in 2004. The imposing structure you see here was the result of a worldwide competition to win the tender to design and build the site, and construction began in late 2005.
The museum is a giant Porsche timeline tracing the history of the brand, with various mini-exhibits along the way, including a transparent glass-fronted workshop allowing visitors to see classic Porsches being renovated and worked on.
Nearly all of the exhibits at the museum are real working examples, still entered into historic races and events as part of Porsche's 'Museum on Wheels' program. This also means that the museum's collection will change regularly, as cars come in and out.
The previous Porsche museum, which opened in 1976, had space for just 20 cars. The press release states brilliantly that it was loved for its 'blend of Swabian austerity, pragmatism and down-to-earth modesty'. Err... sure.
But, Porsche says, as time has passed they have come to need a more appropriate setting for the expanding company, which has of course just taken a majority share in Volkswagen AG.
The new museum has around 400 cars available, with 80 on display at any time, and will open its doors to visitors from 31st January this year.