Originally available on the 356, Porsche’s Smyrna Green (smyrnagrün; non-metallic UNI; Z33; Porsche) is one of the more underutilized shades of Stuttgart’s rainbow. But for me, it represents somewhat of a generational conversation. Much like asking “what show is Uncle Jessie from?” to folks of differing ages will get an answer which varies between Full House and Dukes of Hazzard, you wouldn’t be shocked to hear Millennials and Gen X swear this is actually Evergreen from BMW’s M roadster and coupe.
Whichever way you lean, this Porsche GT3 RS (VIN: WP0AF2A91RS272361) represents a display for forceful restraint. Beyond the obvious, you’ll find a long list of options including the Weissach Package, yellow deviated stitching throughout, numerous surfaces covered in Race-Tex, and the extended range fuel tank among others.
Currently on offer at Merit Partners, this GT3 RS has covered just 92(!) miles since new, and pricing is available upon request. If you have the means, we highly recommend picking this Tailored Driver up.
The Tailored Driver Car Week trip kicked off at the Bonhams | Cars Quail Auction. As we searched for bespoke options, limited colors, and tailored interiors, auctions like this were the perfect place to start. The online previews provided a solid idea of what to expect, and Bonhams certainly delivered.
As always, Bonhams | Cars showcased a fantastic selection, but we focused on three specific cars: the 2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione, the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach, and the 1998 Porsche 911 Type 993 Turbo XLC Coupe. We’ll dive into these in detail in a future post.
For now, enjoy the coverage curated by our team, and let us know what you think! Don’t forget to join our groups and forums at Tailored Driver Registration.
With so many 964 era Porsche 911s getting snapped up for bespoke builds from the likes of Singer, RWB and more, clean examples of coupes are becoming harder and harder to find. Make them later production years (1992-1994) when Porsche was on the ropes, low mileage or laden with exclusive paint or interior trim and you have something extra special. You have cars like this Marble Grey example found over at Ryan Friedman Motor Cars in Glen Cove, NY.
This is a one-owner Carrera 4 (all-wheel drive) example (VIN# WP0AB2969NS420563), with desirable 5-speed manual transmission and with just 38,149 miles logged. It’s the further specification from the factory though that really grabs our attention.
That Paint to Sample Marble Grey almost seems to harken more modern Porsche uber light grey colors like Chalk, Crayon or Fashion Grey. It’s reportedly the only car of its kind to leave the factory in this shade.
The original owner didn’t just stop at a unique paint color though. Subtle touches enrich the cabin, including matching Marble Grey piping around the black leather seats. It also gets additional leather trreatment on the doors, dashboard and center console, plus a wooden shift knob and e-brake handle that would have otherwise been leather as standard from the factory.
Ryan Friedman Motorcars shares the full build list, so we’ve included it here:
Featured equipment/factory-ordered options: L998 – paint to sample (Marble Grey); VD – black; C02 – US Standard Emissions; XC9 – Dark Rootwood Shift Knob; XD4 – Wheel caps with colored Porsche crest; XF6 – Leather covered panel of the center console (under handbrake lever); XF7 – Leather covered tray behind parking brake; X09 – Special center console; X32 – Dark Rootwood parking brake lever; 331 – Cassette-radio Becker Porsche CR-1; 383 – Sports seat, left, electrical height adjustment; 387 – Sports seat, right, electrical height adjustment; 454 – Automatic speed control; 494 Amplifier; 650 – Sun-moon-roof.
Want to learn more about the car or see more photos? Check out the listing on the dealer’s website HERE.
Porsche enthusiast and horse breeder Jorge Carnicero will soon have a new unique specimen in his stable. As part of the Porsche Sonderwunsch program, a comprehensively customized 911 S/T in Dani Blue has been created. The Kentucky-based sports car collector named the color after Color & Trim designer Daniela Milošević, who developed the shade of paint special for this car. One striking feature of the interior is the tricolor pepita pattern on the seat centers. Like the extensive leather upholstery in Graphite Blue, the pattern complements the blue color of the exterior paintwork. The 911 S/T in Dani Blue will be a featured highlight for Porsche this year at Monterey Car Week.
The sports car collector from the US state of Kentucky named the colour exclusively developed for him after Colour & Trim designer Daniela Milošević. One striking feature of the interior is the tricoloured pepita houndstooth pattern on the seat centres. Like the extensive leather upholstery in Graphite Blue, the pattern runs with the blue colour of the exterior paintwork. The 911 S/T in Dani Blue will be one of the highlights of the Monterey Car Week (15 to 17 August 2024) before Porsche hands the car over to its long-standing customer.
“Blue has always been my colour. I was never a fan of green,” Jorge Carnicero already revealed during one of his previous projects with Porsche. That highly individual 911 GT3 Touring was based on the millionth 911, which had rolled off the line in Irish Green in 2017. Despite Carnicero’s preference, this model from four years ago ended up green after all – British Racing Green.
[source: Porsche]
Atlanta. During the configuration of a 911 S/T, the sports car collector Jorge Carnicero asked the color experts at Porsche to create a special blue that would suit the sporty, pure character of the limited anniversary model. With its ‘Paint to Sample Plus’ program, Porsche lets customers develop colors based entirely on their own ideas. It is rare for the designers at Style Porsche to be involved in the configuration process of a single vehicle, but they were in this case.
Elaborate development of Dani Blue in ‘Paint to Sample Plus’
“Before getting started, we had four “paint frogs” painted in iconic blue colors,” Color & Trim designer Daniela Milošević said, recalling the beginning of this Sonderwunsch project. Paint frogs are miniature cars in the form of a current 911 that enable the effect of colors on a larger 3D body to be better assessed. Enamel Blue soon emerged as the general favorite. This was the color of the Porsche 901 sports coupé from 1964.
Milošević and her colleagues further developed Enamel Blue, adapting it to the current era. During this process, the tone became “a little more colorful, more intense and darker, but not too loud”, she said. She interpreted Carnicero’s taste perfectly, leading him to name the color after her; ‘Dani Blue.’
Even the Gurney flap on the rear and the PORSCHE script are painted in this exclusive color on Carnicero’s 911 S/T. Dani Blue’s exceptional brilliance, particularly in daylight, is a result of its sophisticated coating cycle. Of the four coats of clear lacquer in total, the first was additionally sanded. This also enabled the 911 S/T logos painted in contrasting Brilliant Silver to be embedded flush with the surface.
The customer as a member of the Sonderwunsch family
“Giving the paint my nickname is an overwhelming sign of gratitude for me and my work,” says Daniela Milošević. It’s also the highlight of the customer’s very appreciative attitude towards the Porsche employees, who found working with him very inspiring and motivating.
Carnicero happily returns the compliment: “Porsche doesn’t just create unique cars in the Sonderwunsch program. What’s special for me is the journey itself, the extraordinary team feeling, the people behind it all. Everyone is committed to making a personal dream come true, and for this I cannot thank Porsche enough.” With its Sonderwunsch program, Porsche offers its customers individualizations of the highest quality.
“Jorge Carnicero is a highly valued Porsche customer of many years’ standing and a member of the Sonderwunsch family. We’re so happy that he really appreciates the Manufaktur philosophy,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualization and Classic. “For some reason, a Porsche in his dream color has never worked out until now. Probably the 911 S/T had to come along, the car that this new color suits so perfectly.”
Harmonious overall concept with attention to detail
The classic look that is a feature of all of Jorge Carnicero’s Porsche cars is created by the combination of Dani Blue with Brilliant Silver on the lightweight magnesium wheels, the borders of the side windows (Daylight Opening), and the 911 S/T logos painted in Brilliant Silver behind the front wheel arches. The high-quality overall impression is also underlined by the mirror attachment pieces and the frame of the engine cover around the air intake grille being painted in high-gloss Black.
There’s also a special Easter egg on the exterior: the motto ‘Simply the Best’ on the underside of the rear bumper. Befitting for the derivative, the letters S and T in this motto are typographically emphasized using the design of the model logo.
Comprehensive leather interior upholstery and seats with exclusive pepita pattern
The exterior color concept carries over to the interior. The most striking feature is the tricolor pepita pattern on the seat centers. The iconic check pattern, which first adorned the seats of the Porsche 356 at the start of the 1960s, is composed in this case of threads in Graphite Blue, Chalk and Blue.
The interior also decorated with cross-stitching in GT Silver along the dashboard trim and the upper door panel trim. Each cross stitch is done carefully by hand by the experts at the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur saddlery. The interior of this special 911 S/T is generously upholstered in leather in Graphite Blue, with the natural material also being used for the knee pad and the trim on the A-pillars. Even the air vents are bordered in Graphite Blue leather, which is also used for the door opening loops. The entire roof lining is in Race-Tex of the same color. An eye for high-quality details is also evident in the high-gloss Black belt passages of the carbon fiber full bucket seats. The headrests feature the 911 S/T logo in GT Silver.
Several members of the project team have signed the collector model on the passenger-side dashboard trim. Another Easter egg is to be found in the interior. The lateral ends of the dashboard, which can only be seen when the doors are open, bear an embossed ‘Dani’ signature from Daniela Milošević – a surprise and acknowledgement from the customer to the designer.
One further detail with a personal note: a logo designed especially for Carnicero’s one-off car is embossed on the cover of the center console and on the vehicle document folder. It combines the 911 S/T logo with the current World Champion titles from Porsche. Everything comes full circle here, as a Metallic Silver 911 S from 1971 that carried the iconic ‘Porsche Manufacturers’ World Champion 69, 70, 71’ sticker in the side window was Carnicero’s first Porsche. Thus, with the support of Sonderwunsch Manufaktur, he also had a memento of his first great Porsche love attached to this latest Sonderwunsch project.
As with the car, the luggage compartment has also been extensively customized. It is upholstered in Graphite Blue leather, and the exclusive pepita houndstooth pattern is also used here. The trunk mat and the bag for the roadside warning triangle are made of the tricolor textile that is a hallmark of Porsche.
A special blue car cover with the 911 S/T logo and the 60th anniversary logo in contrasting grey round off the car’s exclusive look. And finally, the vehicle key is painted in Dani Blue.
About the Porsche 911 S/T
The Sonderwunsch model is based on the 911 S/T with which Porsche celebrates the 60th anniversary of the 911. This special edition, limited to 1,963 units, offers a one-of-a-kind combination of agility and driving dynamics. It combines the naturally aspirated, 518 hp 4.0-liter flat-six engine from the 911 GT3 RS with a close-ratio manual transmission. This is complemented by resolutely lightweight construction down to the tiniest detail and a running-gear setup optimized for agility and drivability. The name identifies the new 911 S/T as the descendant of a particularly performance-focused version of the first 911 generation. Starting in 1969, Porsche offered a special racing version of the 911 S. Internally, these vehicles were called 911 ST.
About the Porsche Sonderwunsch program
In the spirit of truly luxury, the Porsche Sonderwunsch program provides bespoke customization services for unique sports cars with a combination of skilled craftsmanship and attention to detail. The sports car manufacturer thus reinterprets its legendary Sonderwunsch program from the late 1970s to enable individualized, one-off cars – co-created by the customer and professionally produced by Porsche.
The range of services encompasses individual customer color and material requests directly in production, as well as subsequent modification after the car is delivered to the customer. Practically speaking, everything complying with local regulatory requirements is possible, from new colors and equipment for existing cars to the creation of individual one-off cars at the customer’s request.
Taking direct inspiration from the incredibly sought-after 997.2 GT3 RS, this Porsche Paint to Sample Grey Black 992 gen GT3 Touring is simply wild.
Currently on offer at Graham Rahal Performance, this GT3 Touring merges the subtle with the flashy by pairing the decidedly understated Grey Black paint with exposed carbon on the mirrors and roof, with wheels finished in Riviera Blue.
The blue accents continue into the cabin with bright blue leather on the bottom of the dashboard, the door cards, and bucket seats, as well as in the deviated stitching featured throughout.
This Paint to Sample 992 GT3 Touring is currently available at Graham Rahal Performance for $329,999. See additional info, here.
Slate Grey first popped on my radar when a former employer ordered a then-new 2015 Porsche 991 Turbo S in “the Steve McQueen color.” Variants of Grey were fairly hot back in 2015 thanks to Lamborghini’s Grigio Telesto and Audi’s Nardo Grey, and McQueen’s Slate Grey 930 was being prepped for auction in Monterey, so the choice was timely.
Positioned firmly on the ‘subtle’ side of the Tailored spectrum, Slate Grey proves itself to be fairly dynamic in the right lighting. For it’s future owner, we recommend heading straight to Mulholland where the color, and the connection to McQueen himself can be brought full circle.
This PTS Slate Grey 991 Turbo S is currently offered on AutoTrader for $174,900. Check out the full listing, here.
Colors are dynamic and full of depth, influenced significantly by lighting. While pictures can serve as a useful reference, they can’t capture the full spectrum of color. Beyond the naked eye, video offers the next best way to appreciate the true nuances of color.
Urban Werks has recently posted a new video on their YouTube channel featuring a PTS British Racing Green Macan GTS. UW is known as the premier detail shop in Lancaster, PA, focused on vehicle protection and detailing. While they work on any vehicle make or model, a lot of their clientele tends to be higher-end, bringing in cars like this. After applying full-body PPF (a great idea for a color like this) and ceramic coating, the team also lowered the car using lowering links and installed wheel spacers to give the GTS a more aggressive stance.
Check it out for yourself and give some love to Urban Werks’ social channels!
A staple at Monterey Car Week is the temporary Porsche Zentrum brand display that’s been a tradition on the peninsula for as long as we can remember. Over the last several years, the Zentrum has taken a location at the Barns at Cooper Molera in downtown Monterey, where panel discussions, special build cars and new models are part of the formula. For 2024, the tradition at The Barns continues. It’s been named “Porsche Full Service” and includes a panel discussion on building the car of your dreams via Sonderwunsch is of particular note.
Here’s what we know of the panel:
WHAT: “Where your dream car becomes reality” Panel
WHEN: Saturday, August 17th: 2:30 – 3:30 PM
WHERE: Porsche Full Service, Monterey Car Week, The Barns at Cooper Molera, 535 Polk St, Monterey, CA 93940
BRIEF: Through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program, dreams really do come true. Hear from Milanese product designer Luca Trazzi about how he realised his own Factory One-Off together with the experts from Porsche. Discover from our panelists how deep the well of creativity runs with master designers, engineers, and, of course, dreamers at the helm. Listen to the stakeholders as they share the challenges and victories behind this unique Sonderwunsch Factory One-Off project.
You can register for Porsche Zentrum access and find more on Porsche Full Service programming at Monterey Car Week HERE.
There’s a fairly fine line between tasteful and outlandish in the Tailored Driver world, but for me, this straddles it perfectly.
Featuring a relatively tame Paint to Sample Polar Silver exterior juxtaposed spectacularly by the Agave Green leather interior, this Targa 4 GTS demands a second, third, and potentially fourth look from passers by. The longer you stare, the more the claimed $249k sticker price makes sense.
If you’re looking to hit a home run in the secondhand bespoke world, look no further than Ferrari of San Diego, where this Targa 4 GTS currently is for sale at an undisclosed sum.
To mark its 40th anniversary, the subsidiary Porsche Ibérica has unveiled the Cuarenta Edition. It features a unique combination of exterior and interior colours and finishes, as well as exclusive logos inspired by Iberian history and culture. The creation of this 911 edition brought together experts from the market Porsche Ibérica, Style Porsche and the Sonderwunsch Team in Zuffenhausen.
[source: Porsche]
In 1984, Porsche transitioned from being represented in Spain by an importer to being a subsidiary, initially called Porsche España, S.A. This milestone not only reflects the brand’s strong bond with its Iberian enthusiasts but also marks the beginning of a new chapter in the company’s history. To commemorate these four decades and to honour the customers who have made them possible, Porsche is presenting an exclusive and highly individualised edition of the iconic 911. The limited market edition is distinguished by its meticulously crafted design and the exclusivity that defines contemporary Porsche luxury. With carefully selected colours, materials, and finishes, each car in this collection is a work of art in motion, compiled by Porsche Ibérica to fulfil the dreams of a small group of future owners.
“The arrival of Porsche as a subsidiary in Spain and Portugal, taking over from the importer at the time, was a turning point for the brand,” says Tomás Villén, Managing Director of Porsche Ibérica. “We are very proud of the work we have done in these forty years, and what better way to celebrate than with an exclusive model of the company’s icon, the 911, for our market. At Porsche Ibérica, we will keep one unit, which we will use and preserve as a jewel to showcase our heritage.”
Inspired by the Iberian culture and tradition
The idea behind the Cuarenta Edition was to create a 911 that would have been ordered by a Spanish or Portuguese customer 40 years ago and that is still fashionable and desirable today,” says Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualisation & Classic at Porsche. “In this Sonderwunsch project, the collaboration with our Spanish and Portuguese colleagues was very creative. We learnt a lot about Iberian culture and tradition as well as anecdotes from the founding period of Porsche Ibérica in the 1980s.”
In addition to the various anniversary activities planned throughout the year, Porsche Ibérica wanted to create a special version based on the iconic 911 that would be reminiscent of the founding phase in the 1980s. Porsche Ibérica turned to the Sonderwunsch programme to begin the creation process, together with the specialists of this department. The Sonderwunsch programme takes individualisation, attention to detail and skilled craftmanship to the next level. The result is the integration of Individual design elements that go far beyond the existing catalogue for the 911.
A team travelled to Porsche’s headquarter in Zuffenhausen to create together the details for this market edition. The entire process was undertaken ahead of the launch of the new evolution of the 911. The base version chosen was the new Carrera GTS Coupé, the first new model to be marketed by the Spanish subsidiary 40 years ago. The timeless sporty style and technical sophistication of the 911 GTS were refined with selected Sonderwunsch touches to create a tailor-made concept for the Spanish and Portuguese customers.
In this second phase of the 911 series, the Carrera GTS version is equipped with the new T-Hybrid drive system. It combines an electric motor integrated into the turbocharger, a lightweight high-voltage battery, and an electric motor coupled to the eight-speed PDK gearbox. The six-cylinder boxer now has a displacement of 3.6 litres. With a system output of 398 kW (541 PS, 911 Carrera GTS: Fuel consumption* combined (WLTP) 11.0 – 10.5 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions* combined (WLTP) 251 – 239 g/km, CO2 class G ), it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 312 km/h (194 mph). Standard equipment includes rear-wheel steering, and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) with 10 millimetres lower ground clearance.
The Porsche Driver Experience control concept focuses on the driver’s axis for intuitive and faster operation. Key controls have been positioned directly on or around the steering wheel. For the first time in a 911, there is a start button, naturally to the left of the steering wheel, and the instrument panel is fully digital.
Exterior Design
For the Cuarenta Edition, a bespoke exterior colour has been created: Quercusverde reminds of the very particular shade that holm oak leaves have. This green colour is characteristic of the typical landscape of Spain and Portugal, with its fields of holm oaks, oak trees, and cork oaks. Quercusverde was developed via the Paint to Sample Plus offer. Offered through Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, the Paint to Sample Plus programme makes it possible to create individual colours based on customer specifications.
The Quercus tree is also used in the anniversary logo. It is hand-painted and placed on the rear lid grille of the car. Additionally, fidentifying elements include the nueveonce/Cuarenta (“911 40”) logo on the B-pillar in Cremewhite, the Porsche and 911 logo at the rear in Silver, the side window trims in Aluminium, the fender flares in stone guard film in Black Satin and the rear lights and strip in Red.
The stone guard film is a functional and stylistic nod to the popular option of 911s in the 80ies. The modern 911 Carrera GTS Cuarenta Edition brings this element back. A stone guard film was specially designed in the shape of the protective film used on a 911 back in the days as well. In Black Satin, it is placed on each Cuarenta Edition.
The wheels are RS Spyder Design in Black Satin with a rim painted in Brilliant Silver and wheel centre caps in Black Satin with Porsche crest monochrome. This is an homage to the colour combination to be found on the 911 wheels in the 1980’s.
Interior concept
The interior is designed in a two-tone Truffle Brown and Cohiba Brown leather combination. The darker brown shade is applied on the instrument panel and lower surfaces. The lighter is applied on the trim surfaces. The brown tones refer to the artisanal work of the guarnicioneros (the craftsmen who work in saddlery, which is considered nearly an art in the Iberian Peninsula).
Remarkable eye catcher and bespoke to this car is the Tartan textile on the seat centre inlays in a specially developed colour scheme: Truffle Brown, Cohiba Brown, Crayon and a nuance of Quercusverde appear in a checkered pattern.
For the Cuarenta Edition, an elegant cross-stitching is applied in Crayon and Truffle Brown along the dashboard trim and upper door panel. Cross-stitching is a highly manual process. Experts in the saddlery sew every stitch carefully by hand. The detail underlines the luxurious interior concept of the car. Adaptive Sports seats Plus (18-way) and rear seats are upholstered in Cohiba Brown leather with seat centres in the new Tartan textile. Elegant piping in Crayon is manufactured on front and rear, emphasizing the luxurious interior concept of this market edition. Front seats are additionally finished with Cuarenta embossing on the headrests.
In a subtle way, the passenger trim in leather Truffle Brown shows the high-quality embossing Cuarenta emphasizing the individualised interior. Further individualised is the storage lid on the centre console with “Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur” lettering embossed.
When entering the vehicle, customers will see the door sill guards in Aluminium Darksilver with customized Cuarenta lettering illuminated in Cremewhite. In addition, the individualised LED door courtesy lights display the special “Quercus tree logo” on the ground. Attention to detail can also be found on the driver’s key, which is painted in Quercusverde and features a Cuarenta lettering in Silver. It is handed over to the customer in a special two-tone Truffle Brown and Cohiba Brown leather key pouch – matching the interior. The key pouch also shows an embossing of the Quercus tree logo.
Customers will also receive an indoor car cover custom-made for the Cuarenta Edition. Executed in Quercusverde, it features a Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur logo on front, Cuarenta Edition lettering on sides in Cremewhite and badge on the rear.
