Porsche - Berlin without traffic jams.
Berlin without traffic jams.
Real-time Berlin.
 

Real-time Berlin.

Alina Knott
She loves the combination of power, speed and aesthetics. For artist Alina Knott, no other car embodies these attributes as perfectly as a Porsche. We've collected her from the analogue world of her studio at Dianasee in a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS so that she can show us ‘her’ Berlin, and avoid the capital city's congestion thanks to navigation with real-time traffic information.
Porsche - Real-time Berlin.
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Start in the studio
Alina Knott loves colours and vibrancy. This is where her art comes from, and this is why she loves Porsche.

She holds the palette in her left hand, a large dollop of red paint sits on top of a dried-in dark blue. Today, she is putting the finishing touches to her painting of a red Porsche 911 against a blue background. “I always work on several paintings at the same time, because the individual layers of oil paint dry very slowly,” explains Alina Knott, who is dressed all in white.

Her constant companion is her 14-year-old chihuahua, Dauphine. “My ideas demand discipline and calm. When I paint, I can't listen to or think about anything else. It's like being in another dimension. I lose all sense of time when I'm standing in front of a canvas,” explains the 44-year-old, as she starts to paint the B-pillar of the 911. She creates a precise line in rich red, then mixes in a little more black. Light and shadow play a very important role in her work. Next, she takes a deep breath and paints the edge of the door without pausing. She then takes a couple of steps back – three, or perhaps four metres. She smiles.

A digitally assisted drive

She goes out onto the terrace and looks at the painting through the huge window. Taking a quick satisfied glance in the other direction, Knott breathes deeply. She looks out over Dianasee, whose surface is so still that it's as if she makes a deal with the lake to remain calm when she needs to be creative. She picks up her elderly dog and leaves the studio. Today she has a very full schedule. She first meets a friend, who wishes to be simply called Ole, at the Porsche Design Store on Kurfürstendamm. Ole drives a Porsche 911, 930 Turbo model. He has Knott's painting of his classic car on display in his business premises. Next, she has a meeting with Gregor Andréewitch, General Manager of the Hotel Waldorf Astoria, where a number of her works will be exhibited in May. In the evening, she is due to visit the Berlin State Opera with her husband Jens, but first things first. Right now, it's time to hop in and explore the digital world of Porsche.

“I know the way to my friends' house (...), but at lunchtime it's so busy that I'm glad to be able to get real-time traffic information and avoid potential traffic jams.”

Knott normally drives a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS, in which she can be found not only on the streets of Berlin, but also on race tracks. She's never driven a Boxster, so Porsche Drive has provided one for her today to give her a chance to test out some of the functions of Porsche Connect. Using the My Porsche app, she synchronises her calendar entries and destinations to the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS. “I know the way to my friends' house from Porsche Design and the Waldorf Astoria, but at lunchtime it's so busy that I'm glad to be able to get real-time traffic information and avoid potential traffic jams,” says the Ukraine-born artist. She taps the touch display and searches online for a restaurant between the Porsche Design Store and the Waldorf Astoria. Not that she has time for lunch today – this is more about discovering new locations, absorbing knowledge and getting to know the features of the My Porsche app. A few minutes later, Knott sits into the 718 Boxster GTS and connects Porsche Connect to the roadster's PCM.

Porsche as an attitude to life

“For me, Porsche Sports Cars are a unique part of Germany's cultural heritage. They represent an attitude to life that no other brand can convey,” she says, as she parks the 718 Boxster GTS in front of the Porsche Design Store on Kurfürstendamm. Thanks to the real-time traffic information provided by Porsche Connect, the journey has taken just 11 minutes. We remain seated in the car and chat for a few more minutes.

Ole greets her with an embrace. He's a man with a firm handshake and a friendly smile. His delight with the artwork is written all over his face. Some small talk, a quick look at the time and another embrace later, and the artist is now back in the 718 Boxster GTS. The General Manager of the Waldorf Astoria is waiting for her. The exhibition is opening soon and he is delighted to have her paintings in his hotel. “I love the charisma in her lines,” says Andréewitch. Knott smiles and checks the time again before taking a deep breath and sitting down to discuss the details with him and marketing manager Valeriya Fridman. The exhibition has been organised, it's five o'clock and she has just three hours before she goes to the opera with her husband. She wants to spend the rest of her free time driving a Porsche. Hearing the engine sound. Savouring the car's sheer perfection. Going with the flow. Avoiding traffic congestion. Breathing deeply.

The offer described here is for a 2017 model year 718 Boxster GTS, and indicates service availability in Germany.