Originally published August 7, 2023 9:30 am PDT
Porsche, the renowned luxury sports car manufacturer, has found itself at the center of controversy.
The German brand issued an apology following a public backlash after it was discovered that a notable Christian landmark, the Cristo Rei, was conspicuously missing from an advertisement that it had released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its iconic model, the Porsche 911.
The Cristo Rei, a towering 92-feet-tall statue of Jesus Christ, stands sentinel on a 269-feet-tall concrete pedestal and is a notable feature in the skyline of Lisbon, Portugal.
The sculpture, overlooking the Tagus River, which separates Almada from Lisbon, was constructed in 1959 as an expression of Portugal’s gratitude for having been spared during the devastations of World War II, owing to its neutrality.
In the initial version of the ad, approximately 44 seconds in, viewers saw a Porsche 911 streaking across the screen against the picturesque backdrop of the Lisbon bridge and river, but the towering statue of Jesus was noticeably missing, Fox Business reports.
The omission was pointed out by a vigilant social media user on platform X, whose post quickly went viral.
Addressing the controversy, Porsche made a statement to FOX Business: “In an early version of a film created in Europe, the Cristo Rei Statue does not appear. We are truly sorry and can fully understand the hurt this has caused. This film has been removed.”
Porsche swiftly rectified the error.
On Sunday afternoon, it uploaded a revised edition of the anniversary film on its YouTube channel, this time with the Cristo Rei statue appropriately placed in the backdrop.
The car celebrated in the ad, the 2024 Porsche 911 S/T, represents the culmination of 60 “very fast years” of the Porsche 911 lineage.
The brand presents this special edition model as a vehicle that encapsulates the essence of the iconic Porsche 911.
The vehicle, available from a starting price of $290,000, boasts an impressive 518 horsepower, Fox Business notes.
It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 186 mph on a track when equipped with summer tires.
The car is described on the Porsche website as a “911 in its purest form.”
It is said to integrate “the essence of 60 years of the 911 with its puristic lightweight design, its breathtaking GT high performance and significantly reduced sound insulation. The result is an unprecedented combination of purism, agility and unique driving dynamics.”
The Porsche 911 made its debut in September 1963 and has been an industry icon ever since.
