KEY POINTS:
Sally Carrera, the blue Porsche from the 2006 animated movie Cars, will tour Porsche centres in this country over the next four weeks.
"We are delighted to bring Sally Carrera to New Zealand," said Grant Smith, general manager of Porsche NZ. "Sally is truly one of a kind and we're fortunate she has accepted our invitation to visit us here in New Zealand."
Sally's road to stardom began in 2002 when a Porsche 911 was cast for the leading role alongside Lightning McQueen in Cars, the story of a hotshot rookie race car who discovers life is more about the journey than the finish line.
Cars director John Lasseter liked the idea of pairing Lightning McQueen with a performance car that was tough and strong, yet also sweet, attractive and had a "nice silhouette".
"Having one of our most beloved models featured in Cars gave us a unique opportunity to reach today's customers and tomorrow's aspiring owners in a new and compelling way," said Smith.
Bringing Sally to life involved virtual road testing to get her to perform in a mechanically believable way. Sally Carrera is a real car based on a Porsche 996 Carrera especially modified for the movie.
She will be at the Taupo A1GP until tomorrow and in Auckland from February 1-4.
