After soccer, come cars

German luxury carmaker Porsche has entered into a framework agreement with Hong Kong property development and media group Lai Fung Holdings and an investment holding arm of the group, eSun Holdings Limited, to develop and operate an auto experience theme centre in the Hengqin New Area, Zhuhai, according to The Standard.
Lai Sun said it plans to launch the centre during the second phase of the Novotown complex it is currently developing in Hengqin, for which construction started in 2015.
The Hong Kong company said in previous reports that it expects the second phase to open in 2021.
The Standard also reported that Lai Fung and eSun said in a joint announcement that discussions between the group and the Hengqin government on the matter of land concessions relating to the second phase of Novotown are ongoing.
The announced automobile centre will be a first for Porsche worldwide, featuring interactive racing experiences and exclusive Porsche sports car exhibits, according to the Hong Kong media.
Also to be launched during Novotown Phase II is an interactive football experience centre to be developed in partnership with Spanish football club Real Madrid, which the project developer announced last month.
Both the soccer and the auto ‘experience’ theme centres are said to be adjacent low-rise buildings, according to information released by the Administrative Committee of the Hengqin New Area.
Novotown’s head, Larry Leung, previously told Business Daily that the group had concluded nearly 70 per cent of the construction of Phase I of Novotown, with main construction works to be concluded by the end of this year.
According to Leung, the group expects to pour some RMB5 billion (US$751.71 million/MOP6.04 billion) into Phase I, with the five planned phases of the project amounting to a total investment of RMB18 billion.