Since its grand opening in May 2023, the FAT Mankei restaurant – located on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road – has quickly become a must-visit destination for automotive enthusiasts from around the globe. As the brainchild of Ferdinand Porsche, the grandson of Porsche’s founder and great-grandson of his namesake, FAT Mankei is the ultimate rest spot to take in breathtaking scenic views along one of Austria’s greatest driving roads. Between the 20th and 21st of June 2025, Ferdinand and his team celebrated the Porsche community opening by assembling multiple generations of road and race cars from Porsche’s 77-year history.
“The response we have received over the last two years has been nothing short of overwhelming,” explains Ferdinand. “When we established FAT International, the vision was to create a brand that encompasses all aspects of car culture, so when the opportunity came to establish FAT Mankei as a rest area and hang-out spot on arguably one of the world’s greatest driving roads, we could not say no. We have worked tirelessly to expand the parking and access and the frequency of events for those wanting to experience it first-hand. To welcome the Porsche community here across two days – and bring together a huge range of iconic cars from our history – is a surreal experience but one that should be embraced and shared with others.”
Ferdinand Porsche
But the Austrian Grossglockner is more than just a beautiful scenic driving road. During the formulative years of Porsche’s history, founder Ferry Porsche would use this mountain route as a testing ground to ensure no new model would suffer from any overheating issues during spirited driving especially at high altitude. Setting off from Gmünd and crossing the Grossglockner towards Zell-am-See, the latter discovery would also lead to the creation of Porsche Design established by Ferry’s son Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.
After reopening its doors from the long winter break last month, FAT Mankei would kick off its summer season with a two-day celebration of the Porsche community. With FAT Mankei being an open venue welcome to all enthusiasts, Porsche would further support this event by assembling a selection of road and race cars from its museum in Zuffenhausen to represent a wide range of racing classes in equally iconic liveries.
For the Porsche parking lot – located to the right-hand side of FAT Mankei – multiple museum cars adorned the asphalt including the no. 17 Porsche 962 C with its vibrant Shell/Dunlop livery, a Vaillant 917/30 Spyder as raced by Herbert Müller in period and the Paris Dakar 911 Carrera 3.2 4×4 finished in iconic Rothmans colours. The 944 Turbo Cup, Taycan Turbo GT and 911 RSR race car are supporting these three race cars- and displayed in bespoke matching liveries.
As a centerpiece within this area were two more incredibly special vehicles – the original road-legal Porsche 917K and the modern tribute based on the 963 RSP Le Mans Hypercar converted to road-legal application. This would be the pair’s first public appearance outside of Le Mans earlier in the month, and the last time both would be captured together before being displayed at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.
Porsche’s celebration and support of the community go even further than a static display of iconic machines at FAT Mankei. With the incredible beauty of the Grossglockner as a backdrop, Porsche also gave those in attendance the chance to get a hands-on experience with several road-going GT products alongside skilled instructions. The Taycan Turbo GT as well as the iconic 911 GT3 RS and 911 GT3 models provide an experience akin to that of a dedicated race car.
Throughout the two-day event, FAT Mankei would be attended by hundreds of Porsche enthusiasts, including members from the GT Circle program. This community allows like-minded drivers to connect, sharing advice and stories from their Porsche ownership while embarking on epic drives together to events like FAT Mankei. The GT Circle community even benefits from its own smartphone app, providing access to events and regular updates within the wider Porsche brand.
FAT Mankei is just one part of FAT International – an automotive and lifestyle brand combining passion, motorsport, and fashion with the ethos of racing for a new generation. After the re-establishment of FAT Ice Race in 2019, FAT International is now the driving force behind many exciting ventures and projects, including the FAT Karting League – a series that promises to put the focus back on raw skill and talent for younger racers without the need for substantial budgets. With FAT also embedded within top-level motorsports – including the Porsche 963 Hypercar of Proton Competition within the World Endurance Championship – the FAT family and vision provides the perfect pathway into professional racing right from a grassroots level.
For Ferdinand Porsche and his team, continuing to work closely with brands such as Porsche is one of the key areas that allows FAT International and FAT Mankei to thrive every year. “Our vision with FAT International is to create something for all automotive enthusiasts to be a part of, whether you’re a die-hard motorsport fan or you just love the fashion and culture that surrounds it,” Ferdinand adds. “The Grossglockner is a road that can be enjoyed at any speed, in any vehicle, and by any driver or rider. We love meeting the people who attend with a shared interest of cars, culture, fashion and architecture. Because if you’re passionate enough to embark on a road trip either for a few hours or the entire weekend, you’re going to find the whole experience super exciting. And when else will you get a chance to see such an iconic mix of Porsche cars against such a beautiful backdrop?”
Above content © 2025 Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
