A RATHER SPORTY “TRAINEE DAY”

The day started at 7 AM when we met at the entrance of the KWD plant in Radeberg. And we didn’t need to wait long for our minibus with 19 comfortable seats and our nice driver. Many of us took the opportunity to gather a bit more strength before the day really got going.

At 8:30 AM we reached the Porsche plant in Leipzig. It was formidable. Porsches passed by all around us, the customer center was built in the shape of a diamond, and you could already hear the engines on the test track. One glance at the test track, and we were all infected by the “Porsche virus”. During the plant tour, we were allowed an exclusive look behind the scenes. We accompanied the Panamera and the Macan from body construction to the paint shop to assembly. The decisive moment in the construction of an automobile is the “wedding”: when the body is united with the powertrain and the chassis. The customer’s wishes and expectations are the most important factor in the assembly process. The baptism by fire for every Porsche is a test drive on the plant’s own circular track. Porsche Leipzig manufactures about 600 vehicles every day. A vehicle passes through the production lines in 2 - 3 days.

After the successful tour, we made our way to lunch. At 1 PM we arrived in the city center and renewed our strength with a delicious burger and fries with an ice-cold lemonade.

Then we had a leisurely drive to the “Kanupark” in Markkleeberg. Once we arrived, we still had a little time to drink a coffee or eat an ice cream. At around 4 PM we were given a wetsuit, proper shoes, a life jacket, and a helmet. There was a short safety briefing after that, and then it was already almost time to go. First, we had to “jump in at the deep end”. We lined up in rank and file and were then pushed one-by-one into the water. Then we were divided into two boats, and each boat was assigned a cool guide. During the ride, every helping hand was needed to maintain control over the boat. We had to depend each other and trust that everyone was doing what the guide said so that we all made headway. The highlight was the intentional submersion of the boat. Everyone was purposely positioned in the rear of the boat, and when the guide jumped off, the boat tipped over with us in it. The rides were so fun that we completely forgot the time. Before we knew it, our ride was over and we ”peeled” ourselves out of the wetsuits, which looked pretty funny. With wet hair, completely washed-out, but with smiles on our faces, we climbed into the bus at about 6:30 PM and drove home.

(Emily Drowatzky)