When Audi finally brought their RS 3 to the US, enthusiast forums were littered with posts about what color their cars would be ordered in. In speaking with a few Dealer friends at the time, this online chatter proved to be more than just posturing, as the queue for special paint was long enough to span well beyond the current model year. But since those days, Audi exclusive-painted RS 3 models are admittedly (and somewhat surprisingly) scarce.
With all that in mind, we were incredibly excited to see this 2018 Audi exclusive Cumulus Blue RS 3 (VIN: WUABWGFF5J1905196) pop up on Cars and Bids. Not just because it’s an Audi exclusive build, but also because of the color itself- Cumulus Blue (Color Code: X5A). It’s a shade we here at Tailored Driver are big fans of, and are lucky enough to have an example of in our fleet. Incredibly tough to capture in photos, it’s a bit like Porsche’s Chalk Grey with a hint of blue, or a much less saturated version of Audi’s Kemora Grey. For those who really know their colors, it’s also incredibly comparable to Vapor, a rare shade that was briefly available on Volkswagen’s New Beetle.
While this RS 3 may be a bit rough around the edges and perhaps modified beyond your wishes, we think the scarcity is worth the minor items that need to be addressed. Get all the details of this Tailored Driver on Cars and Bids, here.
In recent months it seems Aston Martin’s Racing Green is just as common on Porsche models as it is on Astons. Potentially a result of sheer volume, but we frankly dig the color and if you squint hard enough, you can see a clear parallel between Racing Green (racinggrünmetallic; metallic UNI; Y68; Porsche) and Porsche’s Wimbeldon Green which was commonly found on the 964-era 911. Call it a win-win.
Found on Bring a Trailer, this 2023 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo (VIN: WP0CD2Y16PSA90170) features the aforementioned Racing Green paint to sample finish (Color Code: Y68) over Chalk leather, resulting an incredibly handsome combination.
If you’re as smitten as we are, act fast- this auction ends in just a few short hours. Get all the details in teh full Bring a Trailer listing, here.
Always nice to find something a bit off-menu at daily special pricing isn’t it? Currently on offer at West Chester, Pennsylvania’s Sky Motor Cars, this Audi exclusive Corsa Red SQ5 (VIN: WA1B4AFY7M2055565) has covered just over 11,000 miles since new, yet is priced similarly to your run of the mill Grey, Black and White versions. With an asking price of $44,980, this might just be the Tailored Driver you’ve been looking for.
The combination of Corsa Red with Black Optic package is no doubt a stunner, although our more heavy footed fans may need to exercise some restraint. The bright shade could also prove to be a VIP invite to meet and greet your local traffic patrol. Moving past the exterior hue, this SQ5 is all business on the inside with Black leather and deviated white stitching throughout. We wouldn’t kick it out of bed.
It’s not all rosy, however- this SQ5 does have a minor on the CarFax. If that’s a deal breaker, no sweat. But we do think this one might be worth looking the other way. Get all the details about this Tailored Driver, here.
There’s no term more subjective than “value” when it comes to the used Porsche market, but this Tailored Driver could be used to illustrate a fairly interesting proposition. The 997-generation Turbo needs little introduction, giving purists and enthusiasts something to rally around with it’s nearly indestructible Metzger engine, return to round headlights, and being the last time Porsche would offer a three-pedal option in the Turbo model. All the makings of a future classic, right?
Not so fast. While they are finally starting to trend north, 997 Turbos regularly trade in the high 5 figure range, with the best-of-the-best and the last-of-the-last 997.2 Turbo stick cars fetching closer to $200k. This particular Tailored Driver currently on offer at Porsche South Orlando is somewhat of an also-ran. Paint to Sample USA Orange (code: W18) 911 Turbo (VIN: WP0CD29948S789834) is the clear highlight here, with condition (minor on the CarFax, curbed wheels, tired leather) and options (Cabriolet, pre-PDK tiptronic trans, non-sport seats) driving the price into good value territory. The current ask for this Tailored Driver is $69,999, which nowadays is 996 Turbo money.
So if you’re into a diamond in the rough, and wanting PTS cred, here’s your chance. Find more details on this Tailored Driver, here.
We’re pushing the boundaries with this particular market find. We suspect it’s a specification straight out of the 1981 order book. We can’t confirm the color name or code. And, it’s in Europe, meaning our primarily North American audience would have to import it. Luckily enough, its 1981 model year makes it an easy import. Its excellent specification and remarkably preserved condition also makes it easy on the eyes.
For those not familiar with the Maserati Merak, it’s a mid-engine Italian sportscar from the 1970s and into the 1980s, a halcyon era of that genre. Penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it has all of the exotic feel of more known 70s/80s mid-engine Italian offerings from Ferrari or Lamborghini, but we’d argue it’s just as exotic a look… especially when built to an exquisite specification.
Regarding specification, drivetrain may be arguably not exotic in 2000 GT form. Maserati launched the 2000 GT in 1977 almost exclusively for the Italian market. The Merak 2000 GT was built to avoid Italian customers from being penalized with a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 19% for any cars over 2-liters of displacement. That tax was deflating enough to Italian car manufacturer sales that brands began to specially make 2-liter examples of their entry-level models. Ferrari launched its 208 GTB, Lamborghini introduced the Urraco P200 and Maserati added the Merak 2000 GT.
Unlike today where Maserati and Ferrari can largely pull from the same corporate parts bin, the brand was owned by Citroën at that time. In as much, Maserati developers turned to the French manufacturer to source a workable engine, and for this it replaced the Merak SS’s 2.9-liter V6 derived from Citroën SM’s 2.7-liter V6 with a smaller 2.0-liter V6 also from the SM.
Visually, the 2000 GT is most easily identified for its black side stripes that run horizontally down the mid-section of the body. Over time, a lot of 2000 GTs had their stripes removed to look higher dollar, though its likely that cars still sporting the original stripes as this one does are probably worth more today.
The Merak 2000 GT was offered in just two colors, a metallic blue or this other metallic that is often referred to as “gold”, though we’d argue is a bit more of a light brown. We’re not 100% sure of the name though as we were unable to dig up any confirmation of the paint colors or codes, despite ample searching and the dealer’s own detailed listing. If you know the color or code, drop us a note in the comments below.
Whatever the case of the name, the look of the color is very unique. Browns were popular in that time period though typically fell out of vogue, and certainly weren’t the more usual reds or blues the mass market tends to prefer. In our eyes, that makes it more unique, and it also makes it incredibly paired with the particular highly preserved tartan interior of this car.
Inside, brown leather helps elevate the feel of quality of an era of dashboard and center console that’s not always the most robust. Here, it looks well-kept and well-paired with tan fabric seats and brown and tan tartan seat centers. Whereas the 2000 GT may not be the most preferable drivetrain, this interior makes this car incredibly attractive despite its power deficiencies.
This Merak 200 GT is listed for sale at Gallery Aaldering in Brummen, NL. Yes, that means you’ll have to import it if you want it. It’s logged just 14,925 km (9,273 miles), so it’s practically new by that count.
If you’re interested in seeing more of the car, you can check it out HERE.
Another day, another tailored German car painted Porsche Smyrna Green (smyrnagrün; non-metallic UNI; Z33; Porsche). This time around, the car in question is a 2024 Paint to Sample 911 GT3 RS (Vin: WP0AF2A91RS272361) with just 91 miles on the odometer in the used inventory over at Aston Martin Boston.
Anyone following along with the Porsche market right now will know that unless you’ve logged a big back catalogue of Porsches purchased new, not to mention likely a watch or two, you probably won’t be getting an allotment for a car as sought after as the 911 GT3 RS, much less an allotment with Paint to Sample attached. Picking one up on the used market, albeit with a healthy markup, is probably the easiest way to procure a car right now. So, when a clearly thought-out example like this Paint to Sample Smyrna Green GT3 RS hits a dealer’s inventory, much less with effectively delivery miles on it, we definitely think it’s worth a second look if you have the means.
We found this car freshly dropped on AutoTrader, and reached out to the associated dealer – Aston Martin Boston. Their sales manager Jamie Ramirez got back to us almost immediately, confirming the color was Smyrna Green. Her team also confirmed the car is one of two Smyrna Green 992 GT3 RS sold to North America, and one of one with a Canadian VIN. Given it’s Canadian and for sale in the USA, we she also confirmed the car’s warranty has been transferred to the States. We sincerely appreciated the fast and thorough turnaround, so would suggest you seek her out should you reach out to them to inquire about the car. To that end, HERE is a link to the listing.
While the Paint to Sample program has enjoyed a long history at Porsche, it’s safe to say that custom colors weren’t nearly as common back in 2014 as they are in today’s private commission-all-the-things model. Over the years, and likely inspired by privately commissioned reimagineers like Singer, Porsche has found the value in making its in-house tailoring programs much more widely offered. That’s more of a recent phenomenon though, and we don’t need to go that far back to find years where a PTS Porsche was a lot less common. That relative rarity is one of the reasons cars like this 2014 911 GT3 (Vin: WP0AC2A91ES183490) painted in eye-catching Riviera Blue (rivierablau; nonmetallic UNI; 39E; Porsche) are so noteworthy.
We’d also argue cars like this 911 GT3 are a bit of a sweet spot. They’re new enough to offer modern amenities, reliability and rust-proofing, but old enough to be rare and relatively affordable ($139,900)… at least in the context of a Porsche GT car. We’d also argue the 997-era 911 hits the sweet spot in size, a little bit larger and more livable than the original air-cooled cars yet not as remarkably wide as modern ones.
Back to this particular car, it’s currently in inventory at Udrive Automobiles in West Chester, PA, has logged 55,174 miles. Its specification is made more attractive by the presence of red stitching and comfort seats, though it notably has the PDK twin-clutch automatic transmission that is less desirable than a manual. Modifications are relatively short, but they are there and include most of the original parts such as wheels and steering wheel.
Check out more details over at Udrive Automobiles HERE.
Andre Lotterer is having a pretty great month. A little over a week ago, the German racecar driver and the two teammates he shares a Porsche 963 Hypercar with nailed down the 2025 FIA WEC driver’s championship. Less than a week later, he’s posting first photos of his new 2025 Porsche 911 S/T. Not surprisingly, it’s an excellent specification.
Racing fans are likely already familiar with Lotterer. He began his sportscar career at Audi Sport before migrating to Porsche for Formula E and later the 963 Hypercar program. And though he’s relinquishing his 963 seat at the end of the season, he remains one of the top sportscar drivers in the world.
Lotterer also has exceptional automotive taste. He’s a longtime collector, often choosing cars built by the manufacturers he races. This has included an Audi Sport quattro, two 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, a Carrera GT (that he drove to the dealer for delivery of his S/T), and also an uber rare 964 3.8 RS. He’s got more, but those are the ones worth highlighting for this story.
Beyond the car habit, he also enjoys photography. As a result, his Instagram account is a worthy follow and his cars (including the new S/T) are regularly seen, often photographed in his home town of Monaco.
Lotterer shared details of his special build when he posted these photos to Instagram. He shares that it’s Paint to Sample Malachite Green (malachitgrünmetallic; metallic UNI; 2B5; Porsche) paired with custom green interior specified via Sonderwunsch. From the photos, it also looks like it’s got his name on the sills, making it extra cool given its timing of arrival along with his championship title.
We’re always fans of those creating tailored specifications electing to cross brand borders in selecting a color. Take for instance this 2025 BMW M3 Competition xDrive at Sewell BMW Plano. Ethan Ledbetter from the dealer posted it over on the BMW Individual market & discussion Group on Facebook and confirmed it’s “Smyrna Green”. Based not eh pictures, we’re next to positive it’s Porsche’s Smyrna Green (smyrnagrün; non-metallic uni; S0A; BMW).
How do we know it’s Porsche’s color? Google it and you’ll see this non-metallic green on the teal side of the green spectrum is pretty unique. While the photos in the post aren’t the greatest lighting, it’s kind of hard to mistake that color.
Here’s what else we know about the car. It’s got Orange/Black extended Merino leather, Parking Assistance Package, Executive Package, M Drive Professional, M Sport Differential, Mobility Kit, Adaptive M Suspension, M Shadowline Lights, M Carbon Bucket Seats, Drive Recorder and M Carbon Exterior Package.
We’re going to go ahead and include a link to the Facebook post along with the associated photos for reference below.
SUMMARY: When it comes to core racing colors, silver and Germany go hand-in-hand since the pre-war Silver Arrows days of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union. And though Porsche tends to lean towards the original german racing color of white in more recent years, there’s no doubt that its classic 1950s racers predominantly went silver. And one of the most popular modern Porsche silver colors is GT Silver Metallic (gtsilbermetallic; metallic UNI; M7Z / U2; Porsche).
GT Silver is a fairly ubiquitous color offered on the standard palette for a plethora of Porsche automobiles, so you’re unlikely to see it as a Paint to Sample special. Even still, it’s an excellent and classic base for special Manufaktur or Sonderwunsch builds where more bold interior colors are paired with a neutral exterior in order to grab more attention.
