Air | Water 2026 — Gunther Werks
Orange County Fairgrounds

Air | Water 2025 returned to the Orange County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 26 (9 a.m.–3 p.m.), using an all-fairgrounds footprint that blended indoor halls, plazas, and curated feature areas. Despite a morning downpour that sent crowds under cover before skies brightened, the show delivered scale and variety: more than 1,000 Porsches on display and thousands of enthusiasts on site. The program spanned owner-driven entries and spotlight “hero” cars, with Broad Arrow’s all-Porsche auction adding momentum (US$15.3M total, 76% sell-through). Rain or shine, the format emphasized sightlines, storytelling, and access.

Front and center, the orange Turbo from the Tornado program did the heavy lifting. Early images catch the rain beading; when the light opened, the finish settled into a deep gloss that made the surfacing read cleanly. Intake geometry, rear aero, and stance come through up close; center-locks and brake hardware underscore the brief. Alongside, a 400R sat in profile; from the rear three-quarter view, the 993 GT2–inspired wing made the intent clear. A nearby 991.1 GT3 RS wore the GW9 aero as a bridge to the modern lineup, but the focus for me was the chalk 992.1 Turbo S fitted with the GW9 carbon-fiber package—front and rear aero, side treatments, and detail pieces that sharpen the factory lines without overwhelming them. Seeing it in person helped me translate the Gunther Werks vocabulary from the reimagined 993s to the 992 platform—and got me thinking about bringing those cues to my 992.1 Turbo S, Soul to Squeeze, over time.

Air | Water is Luftgekühlt’s complementary format—conceived by the same team to unite air-cooled heritage with modern, water-cooled performance. After its 2023 debut alongside Luft 9, the show stood on its own at the Orange County Fairgrounds in 2024. It returned there in 2025 with the same curatorial DNA: open, inclusive, and story-driven placement that brings visitors close to the machines. For me, the appeal is simple: one language, two lineages, shared in one space—proof that Porsche’s past and present belong in the same conversation.