Luftgekühlt, the world-renowned series of air-cooled Porsche events, held its first Asian edition on Tokyo’s decommissioned KK Line, the elevated expressway connecting Kyobashi and Shimbashi, on 14 March 2026.
Echoing the Tokyo Expressway circuit from the Gran Turismo series, the KK Line welcomed over 11,000 enthusiasts and provided a unique backdrop for the 220 air-cooled road and racing Porsches on display.
The KK Line partially opened in 1959 and was fully completed in 1966. Decommissioned in 2025 to make way for a public green space in central Tokyo, the dormant expressway was identified as the perfect setting for Luftgekühlt’s inaugural Asian event.
Luftgekühlt events are renowned for their interesting settings – with venues for previous editions including North Carolina’s American Tobacco Campus and the Universal Studios Backlot in California.
‘When I was racing in the WEC, I would always lay over for an extra day or two to look at different venues,’ revealed Luftgekühlt co-founder and former Porsche factory driver Patrick Long. ‘So, the discussion’s been going on for more than a decade, with our on-the-ground partner Kohey Takada.’
Luft Tokyo was the first time the show has been held in the heart of a major city and was the first to continue after sunset.
‘When people see imagery of this show, it will be something completely unique, not only to Luft’s portfolio but also to what you usually see online of Tokyo at night,’ Long continued. ‘The idea was to run the event into that photographic moment – experiencing the cars from daylight through to night.’
The cars on display certainly lived up to the specialness of the setting. Competition machines included the 1964 Porsche 904 that secured pole position and victory at the second Japan Grand Prix, Tetsu Ikuzawa’s 1967 Porsche 910, and a 1984 Porsche 956 campaigned by the Trust Racing Team.
Among the road-car contingent was a rare Porsche 964 N/GT – often referred to as the ‘Macau’ 964 – of which only 20 were built, alongside a JDM-spec 1958 Porsche 356A Cabriolet formerly owned by legendary Japanese actor Ken Takakura.
Porsche Japan contrasted air-cooled models from the Porsche Experience Center Tokyo – including the Porsche 356 and Porsche 911 Carrera RS – with modern all-electric models such as the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Porsche Macan Electric.
‘It’s not just about the best or the most expensive, it’s telling the entire story of Luftgekühlt and air-cooled enthusiasm,’ Long commented about the cars on display. ‘It’s about knocking down those barriers of exclusivity to get people together. We want to observe, admire and learn about these cars, but the human aspect of it is something that we always keep as an equal priority.’
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