Fairly base spec, incredibly low miles, Paint to Sample color- this Macan is a bit of a head scratcher. While there is no denying Aetna Blue as a special color, the choices made (or not made) on this Tailored Driver have us wondering why not. Agate Grey partial leather is pretty middle of the road although it does work well here, and the standard 18″ rollers do little to help this Macan stand out from the crowd. Having covered just 13,000 miles in four years of service, there is certainly no shortage of potential here, though. Perhaps you can use depreciation to your advantage, because at $41,000, it sure leaves plenty of room in the budget to further Tailor this future daily driver.
What: 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder Color: Paint to Sample Gulf Blue(golfblau; non-metallic UNI; 328; Porsche) VIN: WP0CC2A85GS152908 Mileage: 413 miles Price: $149,979 CarFax: Link Window Sticker: See Gallery Location: Atlanta, GA Listing: Gas Motor Cars
It seems that especially when it comes to the Porsche side of Tailored Driver, some are more adamant about getting ‘the spec’ as opposed to something they can realistically use. Take this Porsche Boxster Spyder in Paint to Sample Gulf Blue, paired with carbon buckets, carbon ceramic brakes, and a 6 speed manual. Pretty tasteful spec all in- but train your eyes on the center console. That hole you see is where the radio and air conditioning controls should reside. Now, we’ll admit that in Silicon Valley where this Driver was initially delivered, A/C may not be quite as important as you’d think and songs or navigation can be handled with any phone from the past decade. But the car wasn’t driven. Just 48 miles were on the odometer when owner 2 registered the car in South Carolina- where A/C is a must. Perhaps it makes sense then, that just under 350 miles later we find the car for sale in Georgia. Is that a bridge too far, or could you live with a heater-only, radio-less Boxster Spyder?
What: 2021 Porsche Macan GTS Color: Porsche Paint to Sample Maritime Blue(maritimblau; non-metallic UNI; 5MB; Porsche) VIN: WP1AG2A57MLB53533 Mileage: 32,766 miles Price: $69,999 CarFax: Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Pittsburgh, PA Listing:Porsche of Pittsburgh
One of our favorite current Porsche models in one of our favorite all-time Porsche Paint to Sample hues? Well alrighty then. The Macan GTS has been praised here before, and our Head of Social calls upon his for daily driver duties. In fact, it’s likely only a matter of time until we add another to the fleet, and we can only hope that second Macan GTS is this cool. Maritime’s history was covered here, and while the 964 Carrera RS is a better home for the color, we think this is an incredible way to stand out in the School pick-up line.
What: 2024 Porsche Taycan GTS Sport Turismo Color: Paint to Sample Black Olive (schwarzolive; non-metallic UNI; 2A7; Porsche) VIN: WP0CD2Y1XRSA84035 Mileage: 4,055 miles Price: $136,990 CarFax: N/A Location: Car Concierge, Alpharetta, GA Dealer listing:Link
There’s a term “buy it built”. The idea is to let someone else build a car that you then swoop in and purchase once it’s resold as cars inevitably do. Case in point is this Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, ordered in a very unique specification, slightly modified and now for sale with not even 5,000 miles on the odometer.
The build itself from Porsche is Paint to Sample Nato Olive paired with Olea Club Leather in Truffle Brown. That’s already handsome, and is said to have run $167,200 on the original window sticker.
In addition to that, the car also has PPF and a ceramic window tint in order to help protect it. Also, it’s got a supposedly one-off set of ANRKY wheels with color-matched accents. And while an aftermarket wheel set might be hit or miss in the tailored market space, these are worth noting for their rear turbofan look that seems to mimic the Manthey Racing look being applied to many Porsche GT cars.
What: 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 Color: Paint to Sample Signal Yellow (signalgelb; non-metallic UNI; R1007 / 6823 / 114 / 7272; Porsche) VIN: WP0AC2A98JS175624 Mileage: 18,776 Price: $345,991 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Porsche San Francisco Dealer listing:Link
Some of us a are more, well, thorough than others when it comes to the Tailored Driver ethos. Paint to Sample colors are incredibly prevalent, so if you really want to set yourself apart from the others at your local Cars and Coffee (especially in the Bay Area), you have to bring it. The former owner of this Tailored Driver sure as hell got that memo, as they took their Signal Green GT3 and went nearly full Cup car by curating tasteful items from BBS Motorsport (E88 Wheels), Manthey Racing (3-way Clubsport suspension), Dundon Motorsport (D3 Engine package) and Porsche Motorsport (Fenders, Liners, Splitter) to arrive at the result seen above. For good measure, it’s also got a few OEM+ touches as well, specifically a carbon hood from a 911R, GT3 RS Side Skirts, and brake cooling ducts from the GT4 RS. If this is your idea of perfection, head to Porsche San Francisco to achieve Platinum-level Tailored Driver status.
As an expansion of the Porsche-focused Luftgekühlt, the Air|Water spinoff event continues to grow. This year, auction house Broad Arrow is in on the action with a Porsche-exclusive auction that certainly won’t disappoint.
Porsche being Porsche, and Porsche owners being Porsche owners, you can also bet that Paint to Sample will be a highlight. Take for example this well-maintained and low milage factory special featuring paint-to-sample Light Yellow paint with color-matched Fuchs wheels. It’s also got Mahogany partial leather interior with matching top that make it truly unique, even amongst a run of just 825 speedsters built only in 1989.
What: 2008 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet Color: Paint to Sample Linen Grey Metallic (leinenmetallic; metallic UNI; 55; Porsche) VIN: WP0CB29918S777288 Mileage: 65,920 miles Price: $55,950 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: Pictured Below Location: Bellevue, WA Listing:Park Place Limited
Perhaps in current times a C4S cab with a $126k sticker price wouldn’t be a shock (they now start at $159k), but back in 2008 it was nearly unheard of. Yet here we find ourselves, featuring this Linen-on-Linen sporting both Paint and Leather to Sample from the factory. Due to the beauty of depreciation and a minor on the CarFax from 2018, this frankly impressive build can be had for less than half the cost it was new- before inflation. We’d be remiss if we didn’t admit this spec isn’t one that would normally get such a big reaction in our offices, but the level of taste displayed is tough to match. The subtlety of its paint matched center console that ever-so-slightly contrasts the miles of Linen leather is just spectacular, as is the choice of Carbon accents over a more theme-appropriate wood grain. Our only edit would be to toss the aftermarket for a Porsche Classic unit.
As the space for tailored vehicles continues to grow, we’re always happy to see celebrations of and gatherings for special factory built cars. Of course the Porsche community is a leader in this, and we have news today of some majorly influential parties in that space creating a tailored party of their own.
Who are those players?
Will Lee (a.k.a. @PTSRS on Instagram) has been cataloguing Paint to Sample and Sonderwunsch specification cars for years, and collaborated in the past on events like 000 Magazine’s Rare Shades event during Monterey Car Week, or holds his own cars and coffee gatherings in New York’s trendy meatpacking district. Even for those who haven’t attended one of these gatherings though, @PTSRS’ wake of meticulous coverage of special Porsche cars is hard to miss.
Then there’s Air | Water. Initially a second day to the long-running Luftgekühlt car show series, Air|Water was set up as a way to inject some wasser into that magical yet luft-only formula. Luft’s events, managed by Jeff Zwart and Patrick Long, have set the bar for events of this nature, highly curated and often in amazing backdrops. With Air | Water, now owners of newer Porsche models can also get in on the fun.
These two are now coming together in order to celebrate the specials with Colors of Air|Water, a show within a show. Here’s what Will shared on Facebook (embedded above).
“I am very thrilled to announce that I will be partnering with Jeff @zwart to curate “Colors of Air|Water”, a brand new exhibit at @air__water taking place on Saturday, April 26th, 2025 in Orange County, California. This is truly a dream come true.
“Colors of Air|Water will celebrate a wide spectrum of legendary Porsche colors that have graced both classic air-cooled and modern water-cooled generations of Porsches. Colors that have graced *both*, not either old or new, is the key here.
“Through carefully curated pairings of the same colors on air- and water-cooled Porsches, Colors of Air|Water is a literal interpretation of the namesake goal of Air|Water to celebrate both old and new eras of Porsche.
“For example, visitors will be able to see and experience the historic Porsche color Tangerine (also called Blood Orange) on both an air-cooled Porsche from the ‘60s and a modern water-cooled Porsche from nearly 60 years later—the latter made possible by the Paint to Sample (PTS) Plus program.
“With such pairings, visitors will see first-hand how the “same” color can appear either similar or remarkably different between classic and modern applications due to differences in shape and substance over time.
“And we are not done yet. Colors of Air|Water will feature a second curation elsewhere. This second exhibit celebrates my favorite modern Porsche GT cars in Paint to Sample colors. Think the number 4.0 and letters R, S, and T—in the true, original spirit of @ptsrs.
“In collaboration with @bramoapp, we also want to tell the stories behind each and every car at Colors of Air|Water. There is more than meets the eye with every car. Stay tuned for this soon.
“Air|Water will take place at the Orange County Fair Grounds in Costa Mesa, California on Saturday, April 26th, 2025 from 9am to 3pm. Colors of Air|Water will be curated at the Plaza Pacifica Lobby by the Pacific Amphitheater within the Fair Grounds. Tickets for @air__water are now live at www.air-water.com.
“Grateful to @plmotorsport, @zwart, and the @air__water team for this dream opportunity. I hope to see many of you there.
What: 2023 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Color: Paint to Sample Racing Green Metallic(racinggrünmetallic; metallic UNI; Y68; Porsche) VIN: WP0AE2A82PS280816 Mileage: 632 miles Price: $239,991 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Warrington, PA Dealer Listing:Porsche Warrington
To those Tailored Driver fans who see this 718 Cayman GT4 RS and immediately think “Aston”- you’re not wrong. Porsche’s Racing Green Metallic is “Ice Ice Baby” to Aston’s “Under Pressure”, which is to say it’s nearly the same, and for good reason. It’s clear to us that Racing Green is a hue with no edits required, and in this case transforming the stiff, no-nonsense weapon that is a GT4 RS into a weekend cruiser that may warrant brown leather driving gloves. Best described as incredibly tasteful, this Tailored Driver will continue to command the right kind of attention regardless of where colors trend in the future. Is that kind of staying power worth the $239,991 price of admission? We think it just may be.
What: 1998 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Color: Pastel Yellow (non-metallic UNI; Q1; Porsche) VIN: WP0AA2991WS321041 Mileage: 29,206 miles Price: $275,000 CarFax:Link Window Sticker: N/A Location: Holt Motorsports, West Chester, PA Dealer Listing:PCarMarket
Green on yellow was a thing for a hot minute amongst some cars in the 1970s. Outside of that moment in history, it is a unique and acquired taste sort of decision. No doubt polarizing, we have equally no doubt that such a combination on a rare and low mileage 993-generation Porsche 911 Carrera 4S would be treasured by the right buyer.
If you’re that right buyer, you’re definitely going to want to take a closer look at this.
