LUFT 8 Articles

ELANA SCHERR | CAR AND DRIVER

At the Porsche Luftgekühlt 8 Gathering, Hanging with the (Air) Cool(ed) Kids

The ongoing celebration of Porsche’s airy brilliance revisits the Port of Los Angeles.

BY ELANA SCHERR

Picture your favorite kind of car, and imagine gathering variants of it in every rare color and engine combination, some modified and modernized, others stock as the day they left the factory. Add in some rare prototypes and winning race versions, and place them with an artistic eye around a picturesque location, then invite all your friends to stroll around and admire your work. If your favorite car happens to be an air-cooled Porsche, then we've just described Luftgekühlt.

Mark Vaughn - autoweek

Luftgekühlt 8 Was A Porsche Paradise In Southern California

Hundreds of air-cooled Porsches and thousands of Porschephiles enjoyed a glorious day with no liquid cooling anywhere.

BY MARK VAUGHN

Is there a more perfect Porsche Paradise than Luftgekühlt 8? Nein! Or rather, 911. Ha ha ha. Luftgekühlt means, of course, "air cooled" in German, and this was a celebration of all air-cooled Porsches, held at the Port of Los Angeles. That meant mostly 911s of many different vintages, but also 914s, 356s, and some rare and delightful items like 906s, 904s and 908s. Sure there were no 917s, but you can't have everything. Thanks to the organizers for yet another powerful Porsche parade of air-cooled excellence!

Conner Golden - Hagerty

Luftgekühlt 8: Air-cooled Porsche revelry meets California clout

BY Conner Golden

Luftgekühlt 8 has come and gone, proving once more that there’s no other automotive event quite like Luft. This air-cooled sports car gathering is, according to Porsche fans perhaps, the finest automotive event in the United States. (Don’t shoot the messenger.) Of course, the image of a bunch of pretentious hipsters gallivanting around with Porsches in the shadow of palm trees doesn’t necessarily scream “big tent.” But if you parse this “cool” with some context, Luft is a fascinating conflux of influencers, engineering, design, hype, personalities, and setting.

Petrolicious by Petrolicious Productions

GALLERY: Luftgekühlt 8 And The Perennial Popularity Of Air-Cooled Porsches

BY Petrolicious Productions

Since its first edition in 2014, Luftgekühlt has become the de facto template against which all other “elevated” car shows are judged. Accessible, laid back, and open-minded, it can be thought of as an antithesis to the stodgy concours circuit and the lazily strung-together “Luft” imitators alike. 

Motortrend BY Rodrez Writer / William Walker Photographer

Luftgekuhlt 8: Los Angeles Becomes an Air-Cooled Porsche Promised Land

The most anticipated Porsche gathering on earth is a breath of fresh air-cooled excellence.

BY Rodrez Writer / William Walker Photographer

It can't be easy for Luftgekuhlt founders Patrick Long (two time Le Mans winner), creative director extraordinaire Howie Idelson, and their team to come up with interesting locations and layouts to satisfy a rapidly growing fan base for their one-of-a-kind air-cooled Porsche experience. With a kick-off gathering in 2014 followed by seven highly anticipated events, the pressure to come up with eye catching backdrops while maintaining the sort of upscale (without being snooty) atmosphere that they've become so appreciated for, has to weigh heavily.

Speedhunters BY Naveed Yousufzai

Porsche Heaven At Luftgekühlt 8

I’ll be honest, prior to last weekend I hadn’t been to a brand-specific car show since the pre-pandemic ages.

BY 

It’s not that I have anything against them, actually quite the opposite of that. I find these events to be rather interesting as they’re a great source of encouragement, inspiration and approach for myself as well as many other enthusiasts looking to modify or restore their cars. And If you’re reading this post, it’s likely that you’ve seen or heard of something obscure, interesting or artsy from the Luftgekühlt name in previous years. All of this is totally fair mind you, because that’s literally the point of the Luft show and why I love it so much.

newsroom by Julian B. Hoffman

Luftgekühlt 8: Enthusiasts enjoy homecoming to Los Angeles

Another edition of the famous air-cooled series attracted tens of thousands of visitors last weekend.

BY Julian B. Hoffman

PUBLISHED: OCT 11, 2022

When it comes to car culture, Southern California offers diversity and passion in equal measure. From low riders to hot rods to puristic sports cars, the region has something to offer for all tastes. Last weekend, "Luftcooled 8" served as further proof of this. The world's most famous meeting of air-cooled Porsche sports cars is organized by Pikes Peak legend Jeff Zwart, Le Mans winner Patrick Long and Howie Idelson.

Marqued by Shayan Bokaie

All the air-cooled madness of Luftgekühlt 8

After seven editions of mic-dropping Porsche gatherings, Luftgekühlt’s only competition is, well, Luftgekühlt itself.

Written by Marqued Staff, Photography by Shayan Bokaie

PUBLISHED: OCT 13, 2022

After a pandemic hiatus – and their 2021 event in Indianapolis – the annual celebration of Porsche’s air-cooled heritage returned to its original Los Angeles stomping grounds for yet another gathering of iconic cars and devoted crowds, proving once again why it is the biggest event on the annual Porsche calendar, even as the event organizers must constantly strive to keep the event fresh, new, and surprising. 

Mens Journal by Michael Teo Van Runkle

Air-Cooled Porsches Adapt to the Times at Luftgekühlt 8

Luftgekühlt returns to Los Angeles for its eighth gathering of the world’s best air-cooled Porsches. Here's an inside look.

BY Michael Teo Van Runkle

PUBLISHED: OCT 14, 2022

The ranks of air-cooled Porsches in Los Angeles swelled noticeably in the week leading up to Luftgekühlt this year, as enthusiasts from all across the country converged on San Pedro for an eighth outing of the exclusive automotive gathering. In reality, though, the festivities began much earlier with events lined up across town including the Petersen Automotive Museum’s “Air Meets Coffee” celebration of the RS, a Porsche-themed “Rise and Shine” at Race Service, a revived “LAG” at AutoKennel, and more.

Motor 1  By: Chris Bruce

Porsche Celebrates Air-Cooled Models At Luftgekuhlt 8 In Los Angeles

BY Chris Bruce

PUBLISHED: OCT 12, 2022

Air-cooled engines helped create Porsche's sports car reputation thanks to the success of the 356, 911, and Le-Mans winning race cars. The company loves to celebrate this portion of this history. For example, Luftgekühlt 8 in Los Angeles recently brought together owners and fans of these special vehicles. Racers Jeff Zwart and Patrick Long were among the notable folks at the event.

Stuttcars by Rex McAfee

Luftgekühlt 8: Praise the Air-Cooled

PUBLISHED: OCT, 2022

8 & Counting… San Pedro, CA. It’s hard to believe Luftgekühlt, the preeminent celebration of air-cooled Porsches, just concluded its 8th show. I use the word “show” lightly; this isn’t a group of classic German sportscars carefully placed on grass, waiting to be inspected by a team of self-appointed white-gloved “gurus.” Instead, attend Luft, and realize it’s a uniquely woven tapestry combining the history, people, and air-cooled machinery from the global “Classic Porsche” community. The resulting fabric is an “experience” surpassing what we have all grown up to know as a classic car show or Concours.
Stuttcars by Rex McAfee

Luftgekühlt 8 - Port of Los Angeles


PUBLISHED: OCT 9, 2022

Attended Luft 8 this morning - my first Luft, and one of the most impressive car displays I’ve seen. Selecting a few pictures, but so many tremendous cars to choose from (somewhat overwhelming). The exposed carbon Singer was unreal, a couple Gunther Werks, a 959, 550, numerous RS’s… the list goes on. Would recommended this to any Porsche enthusiast.