Porschist 71 - New York

NEW YORK

It was bound to happen at some point: Porschist visiting the largest and most prominent city in the US. However, if you thought that New York’s streets would be awash with Porsches, you would be wrong. New York is not like Dubai, Monaco, or Brunei, where you see one Porsche after another fly by. If you consider yourself a New Yorker even the slightest bit, you’ll travel by subway or order an Uber. Nevertheless, even within this metropolis are some die-hard fans who cannot resist the siren song of the world’s most beautiful car. We visit the Porsche dealership in Manhattan and hit the road with Wilson Tang and Patricia Sollitto, both avid Porsche enthusiasts. Along the way, we get acquainted with this city that never sleeps and take a few big bites from the apple.

text: kathleen van bremdt - photos: sven hoyaux

The flight from Brussels to JFK with Brussels Airlines was splendid. Getting upgraded to premium economy is always a welcome surprise. We take the taxi to Manhattan, and after some 15 minutes, a vast wall of towering buildings starts to emerge before our eyes. We can’t help but be reminded of the sketch by stand-up comedian Alex Agnew, in which he wipes the floor with what true Antwerpers call their ‘skyline’. "The skyline of Antwerp? Don't make me laugh: the cathedral, the Boerentoren, tada!" he says with a booming voice and a theatrical hand gesture. It’s true, if you see the spectacle that is New York architecture, you'll admit that Antwerp pales in comparison.

THE BEST FIVE-STAR HOTEL IN NEW YORK

As far as accommodation goes, the options are infinite in New York. We are going for the cream of the crop and check in at the Peninsula Hotel New York . We can’t help but have a soft spot for this small Asian luxury hotel group. In the past, we already stayed at the Peninsulas in Hong Kong, Paris, and Bangkok, and were delighted each time. The hotel chain – founded in Hong Kong in 1866 – comprises only 10 hotels, but that smallness of scale is inversely proportional to the absolute superiority of the hotels. It is the only hotel group in the world that can boast the highest possible fivestar status in all its hotels. The reason for that is its unique cocktail of tradition, grandeur and glamour combined with unparalleled service. What’s more, each hotel is housed in the city’s most beautiful and exclusive property. In New York, we find it in the neo-classical building of the former Gotham Hotel, built in 1905 and fully restored by Peninsula Hotels in 1988. With its grandiose Beaux-Arts façade, glorious marble entrance and top-class suites, it truly is a grande dame in the Midtown Manhattan cityscape. The hotel is ideally located on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street, close to the main attractions.

With its grandiose Beaux-Arts façade, glorious marble entrance and top-class suites, the Peninsula New York truly is a grande dame in the Midtown Manhattan cityscape.

MEETING WILSON TANG: PORSCHE ENTHUSIAST OF THE PUREST KIND

Wilson Tang is the first New York Porsche owner we meet. When he walks into the bar of our hotel, we are admittedly slightly surprised. Wilson is an American with Chinese origins and most Chinese are on the shorter side – but the man walking towards us is at least two metres tall. Wilson notices our confusion and immediately responds: "No, I never played basketball". A clear sign he has already been asked the same question countless times. "It’s a freak of nature that I’m this tall," he laughs. His disarming opening line immediately breaks the ice. Wilson is barely 43, but has already made quite the career to be proud of. He owns the oldest restaurant in Chinatown and is a successful producer of frozen dim sum. We are amazed by his drive, boundless energy and strong work ethic.

CHINATOWN: A GRATEFUL BACKDROP

At the break of dawn, we find ourselves in Chinatown . Everything is still covered in dew and the otherwise bustling district is still quiet and deserted. But that is exactly what we want; to have the city to ourselves for a while longer, with as few cars on the streets as possible. That way, Wilson’s stunning 911 can steal the show. His vanity plate reads DIMSUM, a nod to his restaurant Nom Wah Tea Parlor. With no one around to crowd the sidewalks yet, we can clearly see the large, colourful mural on the street. "It has been there for a year now, it was made by a Chilean artist who lives in New York," Wilson tells us. It's part of a project to brighten up the neighbourhood. The alley down which Wilson's restaurant is located, Doyers Street, has a colourful history. In the early 1900s, it was known as 'Murder Alley' because of all the gang violence that took place there. The bend in the alley was even nicknamed ‘The Bloody Angle’, as gangsters would hide behind it to ambush their enemies when they walked down the alley. Fortunately, that is all in the past now. Although, recently, the neighbourhood was subjected to a different kind of violence. We park the Porsche next to a

beautiful mural which reads ‘In the future our Asian community is safe’ . "During the corona pandemic, the Chinese commu nity – and by extension the entire Asian community – faced a lot of discrimination in New York,” Wilson explains. "We were targeted because the virus originated in Wuhan. When President Trump started openly referring to it as ‘the China virus', it opened up all manner of hatred. Asians weren’t safe in the city anymore. We were stigmatised and discriminated against. People everywhere in the city would go out of their way to avoid us and aggression against the Chinese increased dramati cally." We are very saddened by Wilson’s recount of what happened. Would Asians back home in Belgium have faced the same during that time? We don’t know.

"During the corona pandemic, the Asian community faced a lot of discrimination in New York. We were targeted and stigmatised because the virus originated in Wuhan."

Wilson Tang

Chinatown, New York

GROUND ZERO

From Chinatown, we drive to the 9/11 Memorial . The number combination of the Porsche and the memorial pull at each other like magnets, even though they are otherwise completely unrelated. Where once the Twin Towers stood, there are now two huge water basins. The Reflecting Pools are the shape and exact dimensions of the old towers. In the edges, the names of all the victims have been engraved. White roses are placed with the names of those whose birthdays would have been celebrated on that day. While Ground Zero itself is a serene place, life goes on right beside it. Intentionally. The horrific attacks did not manage to break New York’s spirit. Replacing the metro station that was destroyed in the attacks is now the Oculus Train Station , an impressive building that serves as a metro station and shopping centre. It was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who also designed the train station in Liège. The white ribs of the structure symbolise a dove, rising off from the ground. The slightly peculiar sounding name is in fact derived from Latin. 'Oculus' means eye and refers to the round opening in the roof. Every year on September 11th, at exactly 10:28 a.m., the sun shines through this opening – the time at which the second building collapsed. The Oculus Beer Garden , a 5,000-square-metre outdoor café, has not opened its doors yet, but the colourful murals offer the perfect backdrop for some more photos. "Hey man, can I take a ride?" a passer-by asks, laughing. "Love your car!" A firefighter joins on the photo. The twinkle in his eye says it all. By now we have enough shots, and we let Wilson leave to get back to his work. As we watch him go, it occurs to us that a Porsche in the New York cityscape is just an unbeatable sight.

9/11 Memorial with the white Oculus Train Station in the background.

NIEUWE LOCATIE LEYSSTRAAT 1, 2000 ANTWERPEN - 03/213 50 80 SCHUTTERSHOFSTRAAT 30, 2000 ANTWERPEN - 03/226 41 44

Exclusieve SLAETS-creatie met een prachtige muntgroene toermalijn en natuurlijke diamanten, handgemaakt in 18kt witgoud.

The number combination of the Porsche and the 9/11 Memorial pull at each other like magnets, even though they are otherwise completely unrelated.

9/11 MUSEUM: TANGIBLE GRIEF

While we are there, we decide to visit the 9/11 Museum . The images of that horrible September day in 2001 are haunting our minds now anyway. The planes purposefully crashing into the towers, the people jumping out the windows in desperation, the towers collapsing... millions of people watched it happen live on television. So did we. By the entrance to the museum hangs a giant photograph of the Twin Towers. It was taken by an amateur photog rapher mere minutes before the first plane flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center at a speed of 790 kilometres per hour and with a tank full of kerosene. It is perhaps the last ever photo taken of the Twin Towers. We see that it was a bright day with clear blue skies. A greater contrast to the apocalypse that would follow shortly is hard to imagine. The museum is huge and consists of multiple spaces. It is located largely underground, between the old foundations of the towers. That fact alone is enough to

give us goosebumps. We see countless photos, newspaper clippings, video footage and news fragments from around the world. There are dented firefighter helmets, twisted pieces of metal, parts of a police car that was destroyed… There are also everyday objects like a pair of glasses, a shoe, a paperclip – all once belonging to a person who didn’t come home after that tragic day. The final column removed during the many weeks of clearing the sites stands in a large atrium, like a token. Many who helped have written their name or a message on the column. A visit to this museum hits home. Disheartened, we leave. So much horror, so much pain, so much loss.

The 9/11 museum is located largely underground, between the old foundations of the towers. That fact alone is enough to give us goosebumps.

SKY-HIGH

For those who want to have a panoramic view of the city, there are plenty of options. Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, the One World Observatory, The Edge at 30 Hudson Yards, Summit One Vanderbilt, and so on. But we decide to go to the Empire State Building, partly because of its iconic status and partly because of King Kong – regardless of whether it’s the one holding Fay Wray (1933 original) or Jessica Lange (2005 remake) in his immense fist. We zoom up to the 86th floor. While in the elevator, the ceiling transforms into a display. Suddenly, we are transported to the 1930s, to the construction of the gigantic tower. Once on the observation deck, the 360-degree view is breath-taking. We look out over Lower Manhattan and the many iconic buildings that give the city its unique character. We take countless photos but already know that none will match this one by Luc Dratwa, the Belgian art photographer who knows how to capture the New York skyline like no other. After paying a small surcharge, we can go higher still, up to floor 102 at the top of the building. This floor was originally intended as a check-in area for passengers travelling by zeppelin, but in the end was never used for this purpose. By the way – there is even one floor more: floor 103, which is accessible by stairs. But to enter it, your name must be Tom Cruise, Rihanna, or George Clooney. For us mere mortals, this door will stay firmly closed.

For a panoramic view of the city we decide to go to the Empire State Building, partly because of its iconic status and partly because of King Kong.

Leonhard's Gallery • Luc Dratwa • WINDOWS 2.0 - Moment II - 120x200 cm - 135x225 cm - 150x250 cm

EVER IN MOTION

You love it or you hate it , is what they say about Times Square and now that we are standing here, we completely understand. New York’s most famous square is so intense, so excessive and so theatrical, that it forms a little universe unto itself. Times Square is a genuine assault on the senses. Flickering billboards, massive neon signs, honking cars and a sea of people. On average, 300,000 people pass through this square every day. For many of them, standing out is the norm. A gang of extravagantly dressed models is posing on the famous red steps. The designer offers us an elaborate explanation about how his fashion show supports Ukraine, but if you ask us, he is mainly looking to put himself in the spotlight. A cowboy in white undies, a woman dressed like a scarecrow and people dressed as heroes from cartoons are all trying to entice us to take a picture with them – for a small fee, of course. A little further down, a group of people is protesting Daniel Ortega’s regime. After we share with them that we were in Nicaragua a few years ago and totally share their opinion, they are delighted.

On our way back to the hotel, we spot a yellow Porsche 911. A pleasant riff on the more than ten thousand yellow taxis occupying the streets of New York. When we explain to the driver what we are doing in the city, he is more than happy to drive another lap around the block so we can take a photo of his gorgeous car.

Times square is so intense, so excessive and so theatrical, that it forms a little universe unto itself.

CENTRAL PARK: A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN ANY SEASON

From our hotel, it’s not far to the world’s most famous park. Central Park , with its rolling meadows, elm-lined trails, well-kept greenery and large water fea tures, offers New Yorkers a verdant oasis in the concrete jungle. They come there for their exercise, to have a chat with a friend, go for a stroll, or simply to laze around. In winter – when New York is buried under a thick blanket of snow – people come here to ice skate and ride their toboggan. Totalling 341 hect ares, the immense park was designed in 1857 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a recreational space for all New Yorkers, regardless of colour, class or creed. A noble initiative. How cynical, then, that the park was planned to be built on the northern edge of the city where the less affluent classes lived; the Irish and German immigrants and the African Americans. About 1,600 poor families were unceremoniously evicted from their homes to make way for the green zone where the rich could go to see and be seen in their carriages and dressed in their Sunday clothes. It wasn’t until much later that the park became the ‘park for the people’ that everyone could enjoy. Nowadays, it is a pleasantly bustling place. Strolling across one of the meadows, colourful balloons draw our attention. Lucy is celebrating her wedding anniversary with a couple of friends; she has set up a small buffet. A glass of champagne to go with it – what more does a person need?

Central Park, with its rolling meadows, elm-lined trails, well-kept greenery and large water features, offers New Yorkers a verdant oasis in the concrete jungle.

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM: GROUNDBREAKING BOTH INSIDE AND OUT

Of all the museums in New York, the Guggenheim Museum is our favourite. The curved lines of the building offer a welcome change from the rectangular high-rises on Fifth Avenue. Its distinct round shape in all white has earned the building the nickname 'the tea cup'. American architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the building in 1943, throwing overboard all contem porary accepted standards. We take the elevator to the top of the building, pass underneath a large skylight, and follow the spiralling floor plan from top to bottom. It leads us past the many exhibition rooms dedicated to modern and contemporary art and we see works by Kandinsky, Picasso, Karel Appel, Paul Cézanne, Monet, Van Gogh, Degas and many others. It’s always a special moment when you get to stand in front of an artwork that you might have known from photos, but never had the chance to behold in real life.

Its distinct round shape in all white has earned the Guggenheim Museum the nickname 'the tea cup'.

A LOVELY TRIO

Three bridges connect iconic Manhattan with today's hip and happening Brooklyn. Of those three, the Brooklyn Bridge is the oldest and, in our eyes, still the most beautiful. In 1883, it was the world's first steel suspension bridge. A true feat! The structure comprises an ingenious web of steel wires with two stately neo-Gothic towers in the middle. Some twenty years later, the Williamsburg Bridge followed. At 2,227 metres long, it was 400 metres longer than the Brooklyn Bridge. The Manhattan Bridge completes the list and is located exactly between the other two bridges. Its design was later used as an example for the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and many other suspension bridges. The Manhattan Bridge is the ideal place to capture the Manhattan skyline and include the Brooklyn Bridge.

A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Our idea about New York was that it felt like a distant acquaintance. Someone whom we had met occasionally, but had never really gotten to know. Having seen it so many times on photos and in movies and TV shows, we had become familiar with the city. Now that we have been there, we have come to know not only the face but also the character of the city, and it’s as diverse as the 200+ nationalities living there. New York is not just a city. It's a concept, a mentality, an energy, a perpetuum mobile. Only a true New Yorker like Billy Joel knows what he means when he sings about 'A New York State of Mind' , but we think we've managed to get a good glimpse of it. ♦

Thanks go out to:

Wencke Lemmens and Hind Hameurlaine, Brussels Airlines!

Wai Lin Yip, Director of Digital & Brand Marketing Peninsula Hotel New York

Samir Ibrahim, Hotel Manager Peninsula Hotel New York

Wilson Tang, Porsche owner

Mister ‘Yes’!

Conversation with Wilson Tang.

he likeable New Yorker is a self-made man of the purest kind. Despite his young age, he has already had an impressive career.

As a survivor of 9/11, he learned early on what is important in life. Wilson Tang is a man who sees an opportunity in every problem and can turn every obstacle into a success story. From banker to owner of the oldest restaurant in Chinatown and from cooking classes via Zoom to manufacturer of frozen dim sum: he always manages to reinvent himself. The word "no" has no place in his dictionary. Meet this driven young fortysomething man.

text: kathleen van bremdt - photos: sven hoyaux

Who is Wilson Tang?

I am Chinese American and the first generation of my family to be born here. My parents emigrated from China to New York in the 1970s. I am 43 years old, married to my lovely wife Mae and have two children: Ryan who is ten and Lucy who just turned eight. I live and work in downtown Manhattan and am a real city boy.

What was life like growing up?

I've always seen how hard my parents worked. My father was out of the house at six every day and never returned home before eight at night. My parents wanted me to get a good education and sent me to private schools. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized how much money that must have cost them. My parents dreamed that I would become a doctor, lawyer, pharmacist or businessman. I studied economics on the advice of my father. In 2000, I started working for Morgan Stanley. I wore a suit and tie, worked in the World Trade Centre, and my parents were happy. Until Tuesday, 11th September 2001, a day that went down in history as a pitch-black day.

Were you in the building at the time of the attacks?

Yes, I remember that day as if it were yes terday, down to the smallest detail. The day started like any other. I took the subway to work, entered the World Trade Centre, took the express lift to the 44th floor, walked into the corporate cafeteria for a coffee and a bagel, took another lift to the 74th floor where my desk was and sat down. I turned on my computer, drank my coffee and changed my shoes. As I did that, I turned my head to the window and saw lots of snippets of paper fluttering down. I won dered if maybe there was a parade going on. Because that's what it looked like to me. Like when the Yankees win the World Series, when there's confetti everywhere.

Which tower were you in?

In the South Tower. What I thought was confetti was all the paper that flew out through the immense impact of the North Tower crash. But I didn't know that then. When the fire alarm sounded, my colleagues and I calmly took the lift from the 74th to the 44th floor. At the transfer point of the lifts there were firefighters who said that we could no longer take the lift and had to continue on foot. So I went to the stairs and started walking.

Was there no panic?

None at all. We had absolutely no idea what had happened. I even thought: Great, I'm clocked in, I’ll just be chatting outside with my colleagues on the company’s time for a bit and then we’ll go back upstairs. I was a young guy then, that’s the way you think. I got out without any problem. Standing outside and looking up, I saw a small hole in the North Tower. Because the building is so high, it seemed really small. I thought a small plane, a Cessna or a two-seater, had taken a wrong turn and hit the building. You should not forget that at that time there was no information at all. I really had no idea. I decided to walk home and stopped by my parents to let them know I was okay. Along the way I heard snatches of disturbing news from living rooms where the radio or television was playing, and I noticed that something serious was going on. I was already in Chinatown when the second plane hit the South Tower. I've been extremely lucky to have followed my intuition to immediately walk away from the WTC building and not just stand there and watch.

“If you want to move forward in life you have to keep reinventing yourself and always look for new possibilities.” Wilson Tang

So you completely escaped the catastrophe?

It's surreal. I didn't experience the fear, chaos and human dramas on the spot at all. Of course the shock came afterwards and like all other people I was completely devastated, and I could not understand that such a thing could happen. What happened on 9/11 taught me a lot about making decisions and how important it is to listen to your gut feelings. Shortly after, my company moved to New Jersey, and I began to wonder what I was actually doing. Basically that was just transferring paper from one pile to another, and I decided to stop. A traditional 9-to-5 job was not for me. I wanted to do something that suited me better. The parents of one of my colleagues at Morgan Stanley had a coffee house in San Francisco—a kind of small Starbucks—where they also sold pastries and bread, and I asked if I could work there for free for a while. For someone like me who had never been outside of New York it was an amazing experience.

And that’s how you got to the restaurant business?

In 2010, my uncle asked me to take over his dim sum restaurant Nom Wah Tea Parlor in Chinatown. He wanted to retire and knew that I already had some experience in the restaurant world. The restaurant had been around for 90 years and could seat 70 guests. I asked my wife: What do you think? Are we ready for a new chapter? She knew my true calling was in the hospi tality industry and said yes.

Quite a challenge again.

Absolutely. The restaurant was well known because it had been there so long, but it was no lon ger up to date. My uncle didn’t like spending money and hadn't done anything to it. The kitchen and the interior had to be renewed. In recent years, the restaurant had been used more as a film set than as a dining venue. It was as if time had stood still there since the 1950s. I posted on Facebook about the long history of the restaurant and documented the progress of the reno vation. One day I received a message from a woman who worked for the New York Daily News “Wow,” she wrote, “I used to eat at your restaurant with my grandfather. It's great that you're breathing new life into it now. Let me know when the works are done.” Shortly before the opening, I messaged her and she replied, “Great, I'll send a reporter and photographer tomorrow.” A week before the opening, I was featured in the Sunday edition with a full-page photo. And one thing led to another. Journalists picked up on the story and I even appeared in the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. It was incredible. The restaurant received good reviews and we were already making a profit in the first year.

What is so special about the restaurant that makes it such a success?

I have turned it into a traditional Chinese restaurant friendly to the American market. We mainly serve dim sum, fried and steamed snacks filled with vegetables, meat, fish and rice. Dim sum literally means “touching the heart”. Since we’re talking about small snacks’, you can perfectly compare dim sum with tapas and that is a concept that the Americans are familiar with. Just like tapas, you eat dim sum mainly in company, with family and friends and it is shared. So I told everyone that dim sum is just Chinese tapas. And that worked. I also had a menu made with

“I'm someone who says “yes” to everything, even before I know what it's about.” Wilson Tang

photos of the various dishes with explanations and information about the ingredi ents. Because a non-Chinese does not understand a word of Chinese names. I sys tematically changed things to make dim sum more accessible to a wider audience. Another aspect was the time at which dim sum is eaten. In Chinese culture, dim sum is eaten for breakfast or lunch. My uncle's restaurant was open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. After that he played cards with his friends. I kept the restaurant open all day and served dim sum also in the evening. That fits much better with American culture. From that moment on, the restaurant really ran with a solid profit. After three years I started to think further. Why not automate the preparation process so that I can make many more products? That also worked, and as a result I was able to open more restaurants: four in New York and even one in Philadelphia. From then on, I was not only a catering manager, but also an entrepreneur. I started buying the buildings in which I established the shops. I invested my profits directly in real estate, building equity.

What impact did the covid-19 crisis have on you? That was on the one hand a difficult period, but on the other hand a period that also created opportunities. When covid-19 became a real pandemic and also struck in the States, I had to close most my restaurants due to the many measures. I quickly understood that - if I wanted to survive - I had to be creative. My team and I came up with the idea of giving cooking classes via Zoom. Many people were locked down at home and had time to cook. Thanks to the power of the internet, I quickly reached quite a few people and the lessons were a huge hit. However, I didn't just wanted to keep my chef working but all my staff, so I decided to offer takeaways. I set my sights on the many apartment buildings in Manhattan where the wealthy live and went door to door. My team and I asked for the building manager and said, Listen, you actually have a problem. Your tenants must continue to pay the rent, but they can no longer use the facilities of the building. They can no longer go to the gym, to the swimming pool, etc. You should be able to offer them something instead. What do you think of Zoom lessons so that they learn to make dim sum?

We can also deliver the products. And most thought that was a good idea. That brought in quite a bit of money. At the same time, I also started making frozen dim sum and dumplings. My staff was busy anyway. Making some more dim sum was a piece of cake. All those elements together have pulled me through the pandemic. The sale of the frozen dim sum was such a success that I have now almost com pletely concentrated on this. Through a partnership with Goldbelly I now sell my dim sum in every state in America. I'm pretty proud of that.

But then you’re really working on a large scale. You almost need a factory. I am building one, and it is almost ready. (laughs).

What an evolution: from banker, to catering operator, to real estate investor, to frozen food manufacturer...

If you want to move forward in life you have to keep reinventing yourself and always look for new possibilities. However, the past ten years have been so intense that I have decided to slow down in 2022. I want to spend more time with my kids and wife. Now that I have focused on the production of frozen products, I can free up much more time. I no longer have to be in the office or restaurant every day.

And now you have more time for your Porsche. Exactly.

Why Porsche?

I've always had a weakness for cars. I remember when I was 16 and begged my dad to be allowed to get my driver's license. Because a driver's license meant freedom. My parents had a Volvo 240, you know, one of those indestructible boxes. I drove around in that a lot. Cars fascinated me enormously and I went to a lot of car shows with my father. Porsche was the brand that fascinated me the most. I remember the moment the Porsche 993 Turbo came out very well. That was in 1995. I fell in love instantly. The marketing slogan "Kills bugs fast" has always stuck with me. When I turned 35, I bought my first Porsche. And it had to be that air-cooled 933 in the same Arena Red Metallic as in the commercial.

I found the car of my dreams in Texas. It had approximately 96,000 kilometres on the clock, and it was completely original. Other than normal maintenance, I still haven't had to change anything. I bought the car for $50,000 and that turned out to be a very good investment because since the covid crisis the prices for classic cars have skyrocketed. If I put it up for sale now, I could easily get $90,000 for it. But I don't plan on doing that yet.

“Cars fascinate me enormously and Porsche happens to be the brand I fell in love with.” Wilson Tang

Metallic Arena Red Porsche 911 Targa • @wheels_of_nyc

And that was it?

No. For my fortieth, I really wanted another Porsche. It became a 911 Turbo S in chalk with all the trimmings. I would have liked a GT3 even more, but I wanted a back seat for the kids. The logical next step will be an electric Porsche, but I'm also still on the lookout for a Porsche from my birth year 1978. Now, I have to admit that spending money on your own car is about the dumbest thing you can do when you're living in New York City. Hardly anyone has a car here. Why would you? You order an Uber via the app on your smartphone, and you can also get anywhere in the city with the metro in no time. That's what New Yorkers do. I pay $2,000 a month in garage fees. That's crazy. But I can’t help being a car fanatic and just looking at my Porsches makes me already happy.

What is your next project?

I'm thinking of moving out of town. To Queens or Long Island. I would have thought that idea impossible a few years ago because I'm a real city person, but I now live in an apartment and I'm ready to live somewhere with more space, especially with the children in mind. And then I will also have room for my own garage. The $2,000 that I now spend per month I can then use for the mortgage.

You get a lot of attention on social media. There are videos, interviews and so on. How did that happen?

I'm still trying to figure that out myself. (laughs) I think that for many, I'm pretty much the personification of the American Dream. I am a son of Chinese immi grants. I am Chinese on the one hand and very American at the same time. And I made it - whatever that means. I am a well-known restaurant owner, a business man and I have a great love for Porsche. I do everything with a lot of passion, and I think people feel that. And I'm someone who says “yes” to everything, even before I know what it's about. The past few years have been like a rollercoaster for me. I received offers for the most diverse collaborations from clothing to cookware. All those things come my way. It's not that I go looking for them. It all just happens. I have to admit that sometimes it gets a little too much. I have resolved to say “no” every now and then, but whether I will succeed is still the question. ♦

We could carry on talking to Wilson for hours, but there are still pictures to be taken. Wilson has brought his beautiful 911 Turbo S and we head to Chinatown and the 9/11 Memorial Museum. It produces strong images.

Thanks for the great collaboration, Wilson.

“I'm pretty much the personification of the American Dream.

I am a son of Chinese immigrants, a well-known restaurant owner and businessman.”

Wilson Tang

nbelievable how after only half an hour of driving we leave the hustle and bustle of New York behind us and we end up in an oasis of peace and greenery. Patricia lives in New Jersey, in a beautiful house in a residential neighbourhood. We settle on the terrace that overlooks a lush garden with swimming pool. We soon learn that Pat is an all-rounder and is busy with everyone and everything.

Patricia Sollitto

Patricia Sollitto: a busy bee with a soft spot for Porsche.

"I like the control I have when I ride a horse and I also have that feeling when I drive a Porsche."

text: kathleen van bremdt - photos: sven hoyaux

Can you briefly introduce yourself?

First and foremost I want to thank you. I think it's an honour that you want to talk to me. No one has ever interviewed me, so I'm pretty overwhelmed. But to answer your question: I am a mother of three daughters and not someone who often sits still. For many years, I have worked in the corporate insurance and invest ment industry but when my second daughter was born, I decided to focus on my career in motherhood. My youngest daughter is now twenty, but my daughters still keep me busy: university, living in digs, moving again, it just keeps on going. I also take care of two properties. I have a house here and a second on the coast. I am quite picky and do a lot myself. Actually, the term “general contractor” applies perfectly to me. On the one hand I attract a lot of work because I am a perfectionist and want it to be exactly as I have in mind, on the other hand because I like to get involved myself. I bought this house in New Jersey eight years ago. It was a newbuild, but there was still a lot to be done. I took all that on myself. A house is an investment asset and I think it is important that it is in optimal condition so that I can sell it at a good price whenever I want. I completely renovated the house on the coast a year ago.

Have you always lived in New Jersey?

Yes. I grew up on a small farm among horses, cows and chickens. There was also a shop attached to our farm. My father sold the vegetables he grew himself and what he didn't grow he bought on the large farms in rural Pennsylvania. I have always loved horses. I owned several ones. I trained them, went to shows and cared for them myself: shovelling out barnes, unloading bales of hay etc. Growing up on a farm means I'm used to rolling up my sleeves. That hands-on mentality serves me well. I also do not shy away from work where I have to get my hands dirty. Recently the pool took on some dirt and mud during a storm. I decided to clean the pool all by myself, which was a big challenge. The history of this property is by the way quite interesting. In the early 1900’s it was a grist mill. People from New York City came by horse and carriage to buy wheat and have it ground and then returned to the city with their flour. The barn in the rear of the property contains the origi nal grist mill. A sluice was created from nearby stream to run the gristmill.

You live here, very quiet and rural, yet not far from New York. What do you think of New York?

One of my daughters is at university in New York and also lives there, so I visit the city regularly. I also lived in New York for a while and I remember that if I left the window open, there was immediately a layer of soot everywhere. And I hated the constant noise. There are people who love it there. For those who like to live in the middle of the action, it is a fantas tic place. There is always something to experience and do. You have the restaurants, the museums, the shows, the theatres, you name it. You can have an exciting life there if you like it. But that's not my thing. I like to go to a good restaurant or a nice show now and again, but I don't have to live in New York to do that. An hour's drive and I'm in the city. Then I like to come back to the peace here.

You have a fondness for Porsche. Where does that passion come from?

You don't have to look far: horses, power, Porsche. It's that simple. I like the control I have when I ride a horse and I also have that feeling when I drive a Porsche. As I had horses I am very familiar with the demeanor of a horse and the power and strength that it embodies. At the moment I have three Porsches: a Cayenne, a 911 and a second-hand GTS for one of my daughters. The other two girls have chosen something else. A Tesla and a Mercedes. They all have good taste. (laughs) For me, Porsche will always be top. I was looking for an SUV and the Cayenne had everything I care about: big, spacious, accessible, with a beautiful interior and very easy to use. My boot is always packed: with building mate rials, groceries, furniture, you name it. That makes it the ideal car for me.

But it is also the perfect car for a pleasure drive, as it is elegant and luxurious. It is the combination of all those elements that makes the Cayenne so special to me. I now have the hybrid version. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I absolutely love it. My previous Cayenne was a Cayenne S, but this hybrid version has a larger engine and therefore more horsepower. The car accelerates fantas tically and reacts quickly in both the low and high gears. And well, if I want to feel like a spring chicken again, I get behind the wheel of my 911. Roof down, hair in the wind, wonderful! That car is my baby.

Your Cayenne is white and the 911 is blue. Why did you choose those colours?

I like the Cayenne best in white and as for the 911, I didn't want to be too flashy – maybe that's a bit contradictory when you're driving a 911 – but let me say not super flashy. (laughs) You see 911s in yellow and orange and other eye-catching colours, and I think that's great, but I also wanted to give it a sophisticated twist, so I thought blue was the ideal colour.

We know from George Gobrial, brand ambassador at Manhattan Motorcars, that you bought the Porches from him. Yes, George is my regular contact. He is a fantastic man and knows exactly what I need. He and his wife are good friends by the way. My mantra after the whole covid pandemic is to surround myself with pos itive people and good energy and for that they are the ideal couple. ♦

Thank you very much for this nice chat!

Pat gives us a tour of the house. It's immense. An enormous entrance hall, stately staircase, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a huge typical American kitchen with dining area, a TV room, a hobby room, a music room ... it goes on and on. No wonder Pat has her hands full with it.

Conversation with George Gobrial, Brand Ambassador Porsche Manhattan.

here do New Yorkers buy the Porsche of their dreams? At Manhattan Motorcars. We head to the Porsche dealership buildings in the Chelsea neighbourhood on Manhattan's Lower West Side and chat with George Gobrial. George has been working for Porsche for nine years and as a Brand Ambassador, he is the perfect person to have a chat with.

What exactly does the title “Porsche Brand Ambassador” mean? Porsche, especially in America, is very precise when it comes to who can represent their brand. To become a Brand Ambassador you have to follow a whole series of educational and training courses. These courses are provided by Porsche North America, a subsidiary of Porsche AG. When I started working at Porsche nine years ago, I was immediately sent on a five-day course, the Ambassador Training 101. There I learned the history of Porsche from A to Z, how it all started, how every thing evolved, where Porsche is now and what Porsche plans to evolve into. This was followed by technical training, each time geared to a specific model. Here too, much attention was paid to the history of the models and why they were designed. The training is also a continuous process. Every three months I have update training sessions.

text: kathleen van bremdt - photos: sven hoyaux

What do your daily tasks consist of?

My main responsibility is to represent the brand and enable sales. Our organisation prides itself on being very customer oriented. That is why I think personal contact with the customer is indispensable and I like to know what situation he or she is in. That way I can often anticipate their future needs. A classic case: someone who drives a Macan but is married and has two children might be interested in a bigger car, a Cayenne for example. Or someone who currently drives a 911 Carrera and is enthusiastic about the driving pleasure may be looking for a model with even more power. Or a wealthy customer who already has several models in his garage may want to expand his collection with a special version. Porsche used to be purely a manu facturer of sports cars, but the range has become much wider so that there is something for everyone.

Which model sells best?

The Macan. It is the most interesting in terms of price-quality.

How many people work here?

About 35 including 11 salespeople. Within this building – which is typical for Manhattan –you will also find Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini, brands that also belong to the Volkswagen group. This is a typical multi-brand garage. Due to the shortage of space in Manhattan, everyone has to be very inventive with space. The garage has been there since 1995 but was completely overhauled a few years ago. It was not an option to expand sideways, but upwards was possible. After a long construction period of 2.5 years, the renovated building opened its doors in 2015. The most important element is the ingenious lift system that effortlessly takes the cars to the different floors.

Who buys a Porsche in New York?

That is hard to define, because New York is very diverse. Of course there are a lot of wealthy people in New York who like to show off with a flashy car. New York is not a city where people drive in their own cars a lot, but those who do want to enjoy every ride. Many also use the Porsche to drive to their country house at the weekend or to visit friends and family who live outside the city.

How did Porsche get through the pandemic here in New York?

The pandemic has hit New York hard, but to our great surprise we found that people who nor mally wouldn't buy a car - in New York it is the custom to take an Uber or a taxi and when you go on holiday, you take a plane – that those people were suddenly interested in owning their own car as a means of escaping the city. Many Americans rediscovered the American road trip. People again realised how beautiful the interior of America is and how fantastic the many national parks are. People who had sworn they would never leave the city suddenly longed for open space, nature and vastness. And some of the people found life in the suburbs much more pleasant and moved, which meant that they suddenly needed two cars. One for the wife and one for the husband. All these elements together led to demand going through the roof. After

‘Many electric cars lack personality and character in my opinion. Porsche did not fall into that trap.’

George Gobrial

the pandemic, the phenomenon of the so-called “celebration car” resurfaced. People wanted to celebrate their regained freedom and did so with the purchase of luxury products. They gifted themselves a beautiful watch, a beautiful jewel, a special holiday or an exclusive car. Sales took off enormously. The other side of the coin was that there were supply problems: a shortage of parts, tyres, leather, and so on. You had demand that was much higher than expected on the one hand, and supply that was much lower than expected on the other, leaving us in an unprecedented situation. At the moment there is a huge shortage of cars on the American market, a situation that we have never experienced before.

How do the customers react to the long delivery time?

We have the best customers in the world. They all understand the situation and put the problem into perspective. A Porsche is a luxury item, not a commodity. If they have to wait a little longer for their car, then so be it.

How do you see the future for electric Porsches evolving in America?

The Taycan is quite successful in America, albeit more on the West Coast than the East Coast. This may have to do with the presence of Silicon Valley and the fact that people are more open to technological innovations. The infrastructure for electric cars is also a lot better there than in New York. But we are moving in the right direction. The next model will be the all-electric Macan, with other models to follow. What I think is so great about Porsche is that unlike other car brands that just brought “an” electric car to the market, they carefully made sure that they brought an electric “Porsche” to the market. Many electric cars lack per sonality and character in my opinion. Porsche did not fall into that trap. They have designed a car that drives and reacts like a Porsche should and that is electric on top of that. The soul and character were preserved. Challenging and exciting times await us. ♦

Thanks for the interview.