Porsche Centre Lebanon s.a.l set the stage for the farewell of two bold local drivers taking part in one of the most gruelling motor races in the world. Charbel Habib and Walid Samaha will be driving a classic Porsche 356 C in the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2016, taking place from June 12th to July 17th.
Passionate Porsche owners and members of the Porsche Classic Club, the team will fly the Lebanese flag as the only Middle East representatives taking part in the 2016 edition of the rally. Starting from the Great Wall outside Beijing the 13,695 km race concludes with a drive into Paris and the finish line at Place Vendome.
Transporting the duo across Asia, Russia and Europe will be a car forever remembered as an era-defining model for automobiles, the Porsche 356. As the company’s first production sports car, the 356 made its mark by showcasing a range of attributes including agile handling, comfort and reliability.
With the first units produced in 1956, the 356 set new motoring standards and would go on to become the foundation for Porsche’s segment leading 911. The particular model Habib and Samaha will be driving was originally produced in 1964 and has since been gradually restored, following its purchase at a police auction in California three years ago.
Speaking ahead of the car being shipped to the start line, Assaad Raphael, Chairman of Porsche Centre Lebanon, said: “We are delighted to set the stage for Charbel Habib’s and Walid Samaha’s farewell, as they embark on what would be a dream trip for anyone. While the event carries its own history, our two drivers representing Lebanon, will traverse almost half the Earth in one of the most legendary cars ever built – the Porsche 356 C. As members of the Porsche Classic Club, Charbel and Walid are well aware of the Porsche legacy and it is exciting to see them extend the unique history of this legendary car. We wish them all the best in what is sure to be a tough endurance racing challenge.”
Originally transported to its first owner in January 21st 1964, the Porsche 356 C, in which the duo will race, is powered by a 1600C engine with manual transmission and an output of 75 hp (55 kW). At the time of delivery, the car had a top speed of 175 km/h, produced a maximum torque of 123 Nm at 3600 rpm and achieved a 0-100 kp/h time of 14 seconds.
The Porsche 356 C will now be part of the 120 cars registered for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, which features drivers from more than 25 countries. 46-year old civil engineer Charbel Habib and 38-year old mechanical engineer Walid Samaha are the only Middle Eastern participants competing in the sixth edition of the rally since its inception in 1907.
For the 2016 outing, participants will travel a course which encompasses the most adventurous region of Mongolia, after their start point in the Chinese capital. The racers will then cross into Russia and on to the Republic of Belarus, before taking an exciting new route across Europe with closed-road mountain climbs into the Alps, with a finale at Place Vendome, Paris.