Criticism of Porsche for deleting a statue of Jesus in one of its ads

German car firm Porsche has received a torrent of criticism for removing Lisbon's famous Cristo Rei monument in a video celebrating 60 years of the iconic 911 model.

The controversial ad, which shows luxury Porsche cars touring the mountains of Portugal, has been removed from the automaker's YouTube channel but remains on its website.

In the spot, a woman's red Porsche speeds across Lisbon's 25 de Abril Bridge, from where you can usually see the iconic Cristo Rei (Christ the King) statue overlooking the capital.

But the famous landmark, which was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was removed and Porsche opted to show only the 23-meter concrete plinth.

The statue dates from the 1950s and was erected to express gratitude for the Portuguese surviving World War II, as the country was officially neutral.

It represents Christ with his arms raised, blessing the city of Lisbon. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of the capital from the 75 m high observation deck.