Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) today announced it is joining Lollipop Racing, a new streaming series and interactive game created by entertainment technology studio, Feature.io, and written and executive-produced by critically acclaimed filmmaker, David Ayer.
Fans can experience Lollipop in three ways: watching the series, engaging in reward-driven quests, and competing in the Lollipop fantasy sports experience. Those engaged in the interactive fantasy motorsport game must tune in to each episode to discover clues woven into the story and adapt their strategies to improve their chances of reaching the podium at the end of the season.
All of this reminds me of a Porsche racing festival I went to last year, where there were real Porsche races happening alongside a Gran Turismo esports tournament and racing esports fan events.
The series, which consists of 10 fictional episodes and 10 motorsport races set in digital recreations of global cities, will integrate Porsche’s most advanced high-performance vehicles, including the track-focused 911 GT3 RS and the dedicated race car 911 GT3 R.
Porsche will be alongside two other yet-to-be named automotive brands and the Mobil 1 brand, which recently announced its participation as the Official Presenting Sponsor of the Lollipop Racing series.
Fans engaged in the interactive fantasy motorsport game must tune in to each episode to discover clues woven into the story and adapt their strategies to improve their chances of succeeding in the next race. Audiences can sign-up via to receive the latest updates and have an opportunity to participate.
With the pilot experience set to launch in late 2024, Lollipop Racing will unite novel technology like Feature’s proprietary Smart Content, virtual production, and episodic storytelling to deliver a streaming series that integrates Porsche in real life and through gaming.
Powered by Feature’s technology, the interactive experience offers a unique opportunity to be part of one of 15 teams that will race each other in 10 cities. Of those 15 teams, five teams will be allocated two Porsche models to race, for a total of 10 Porsche vehicles on the racing grid. Those that employ the best race strategy will have the best chance of reaching the podium.
“Porsche is excited to be part of ‘Lollipop Racing’, a first-of-its kind streaming series and interactive game that showcases performance-bred cars from the track-focused 911 GT3 RS to the dedicated race car, the 911 GT3 R,” said Ayesha Coker, vice president of marketing of Porsche Cars North America, in a statement. “Integrating a scripted episodic series with interactive gaming in Lollipop Racing will provide an innovative and fun way for racing fans, gamers and newcomers alike, to compete and understand motorsports like never before.”
“Feature is incredibly proud to collaborate with a global motorsport leader like Porsche, whose legendary vehicles are synonymous with superior automotive performance,” said Steven Ilous, CEO of Feature, in a statement. “We’re honored to feature the iconic 911 in the Lollipop series as we strive to deliver a fan experience that echoes Porsche’s artful fusion of design, innovation, and performance.”
Audiences can experience Lollipop Racing in three ways: watching via traditional episodic streaming, engaging in reward-driven quests, and competing within the Lollipop Racing fantasy sports experience. The first three announced race destinations will be AI ‘simulated’ in Los Angeles, Miami and London.
I asked what AI simulated means. In an email to GamesBeat, Ilous said, “For the interactive portion of the series, the races are driven by an AI engine, utilizing technology similar to self-driving vehicle models. However, the outcomes are determined by the strategies and parts selected by each team, ensuring that performance is directly influenced by human decision-making. Strategy sports, simulated results.”
Additional races will take place across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America and will be announced with the full schedule release, which will be available here.
Last month, the Lollipop Racing teaser was shot in collaboration with the Mobil 1 brand, Feature, and Narwhal Studios. The teaser marries the world’s most advanced virtual production technology with Porsche’s revered racing heritage.
The background
Lollipop Racing is a new racing series from the creator of The Fast and the Furious, David Ayer, that places fans in the driver’s seat. Featuring 10 narrative episodes, 10 interactive races, and one global story. Lollipop Racing combines high-octane racing with episodic storytelling and interactivity.
Lollipop Racing was created by entertainment technology company Feature in collaboration with critically acclaimed filmmaker, David Ayer (The Beekeeper, Training Day, Suicide Squad) – who is the writer and executive producer of the series. Ayer is joined by writer and producer Marisha Mukerjee (Halo, Snowpiercer) and Academy Award-nominated VFX supervisor Jerome Chen (The Amazing Spider-Man, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle).
Lollipop Racing’s partnership with Orbital Studios and Narwhal Studios (Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania) allows the series to fully harness the power of virtual production and Unreal Engine, streamlining the creative process from pre-production to final visual effects.
Orbital Studios, with its advanced LED volume technology and real-time in-camera visual effects (ICVFX), enables the team to film immersive environments live on set, reducing post-production efforts and enhancing creative flexibility.
Simultaneously, Narwhal Studios’ expertise in virtual art department workflows provides cutting-edge previsualization and virtual set design, ensuring seamless integration of digital assets into the storytelling process. Together, these partners empower Lollipop Racing to produce highly dynamic and visually stunning content and bring the racing franchise of the future to life.
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