Armenia sits in the South Caucasus. Landlocked between Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the newly independent nation lost half its population to emigration within five years. War with Azerbaijan. Energy shortages. Economic collapse.
Artem Simonyan remembers what that meant.
"Within short period of time we lost whatever we had. That lifestyle, that way of existence. Everything was like beginning from nothing, from zero."
The automotive landscape reflected that erasure. Soviet-era Ladas and Moskvitches sat in driveways without gasoline. Dealerships didn't exist. Parts networks didn't exist. What arrived came through unofficial channels. Smuggled Mercedes from Germany. Right-hand-drive Japanese imports. Cars became barter currency in a cash-starved economy. The concept of a sports car, of driving for pleasure rather than survival, belonged to a different reality entirely.
"Possibility of having a real sports car at that time was out of even any kind of imagination. This could have been only unreachable fantasy."
Twenty years ago, Simonyan opened the first Porsche dealership in Yerevan. The timing was deliberate. Porsche had just launched the Cayenne. Armenia's road conditions and market dynamics made SUVs more practical than sports cars. The Cayenne offered an entry point that made sense.
The business grew. As Armenia's infrastructure improved and roads developed, the dealership began importing more exotic models. Today, GT3 RS and 718 Spyder RS cars sit in the showroom. The Armenian market operates differently than larger markets. No allocation waiting lists. You order a GT3 RS, the car arrives. That's it. The cost structure reflects different market realities, but the customer experience is more straightforward. The progression from Cayenne to GT3 RS reflects Armenia's own evolution over two decades.
But the Guards Red 964 Simonyan drives remains singular. He imported it from Germany years ago. Then Armenia passed new import regulations. Older vehicles now face significantly higher tax rates. The law effectively closed the door on classic car imports.
His 964 is the only one in Armenia. Not by choice. By timing.
The 964, produced from 1989 to 1994, bridges eras in Porsche's history. It retains the classic 911 silhouette. Simonyan calls it the "frog eyes design." But underneath, Porsche introduced coil springs, power steering, ABS. The 964 offered the first automatic transmission in a 911.
Simonyan chose the automatic deliberately.
"I mostly drive this car not for race purposes, but for leisure purposes. I feel enormous comfort driving a sports car with automatic transmission."
That choice matters in Yerevan's daily traffic. But he especially values the car on Armenia's mountain roads.
"You feel the power, you feel the potential, even the speed this car reach. You feel how strong it is, how easy you can go with this car to any road. You feel the real potential of the Porsche despite the age of the car."
The air-cooled flat-six delivers that signature mechanical sound. The door closes with a particular weight. He's added modern PCM navigation. The dashboard retains its period layout. The cabin feels both historical and forward-looking. He doesn't experience the 964 as thirty years old. The 964's transitional position gives it something earlier and later models lack. Classic shape with modern capability.
"For me, there is no any better other option than the Porsche."
The statement carries weight. From Soviet collapse to Porsche dealership in fifteen years. From Cayenne to GT3 RS. From unreachable fantasy to daily driver. The 964 isn't just Simonyan's personal car. It's evidence of what became possible.
Even if the import law ensures it will remain the only one.
