What: 2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Color: Porsche Paint to Sample Birch Green (birkegrün; 253; Porsche) VIN: WP0AC2A88GK191175 Mileage: 17,253 Price at Time of this Writing: $139,900 CarFax: N/A MonroneyLabels.com Window Sticker: Link Location: Portland, Oregon Dealer listing:Gran Prix Motors
Why we love it:
We’ve long been fans of the Cayman GT4, and equally fans of the more ‘acidic’ greens like Lotus’s Krypton Green which was one of the less common colors applied to their Exige and Elise models. We’re also suckers for detail and theme. Here, Paint to Sample Birch Green flows from the exterior to the cabin of this Cayman GT4, with Birch applied to the cloth door pulls, seat belts, and key fob. Rounding out what we feel to be a top tier GT4 spec are Bucket seats, extended leather dash (with Race Tex on the lower half), and steel brakes.
Foresight is a gift relegated to the precocious few, but the original Tailor of this Paint to Sample Grigio Telesto 911 GT3 Touring (VIN: WP0AC2A92KS149134) certainly had it in spades. You see, Porsche’s 991-generation GT3 Touring (and the 991R that preceded it) were always going to be future classics, and ticking the Paint to Sample box proved a way to maximize that ‘investment’ and its return. But choosing a Lamborghini color, especially one that created a high that’s still being chased by OEMs across the board to this day was an incredibly prudent choice.
Found at the Tailored Driver powerhouse Merit Partners, located outside of Atlanta, Georgia, we’re struck by just how timeless this build is. We’ll concede that Grigio Telesto is a more recent hit having been introduced on the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, but non-metallic slate grey has repeatedly proven itself to be a timeless classic. The interior is much the same story, with silver stitching, seat belts and hounds tooth inserts found in Porsche’s full bucket seats.
So if you’ve got $325,794 burning a hole in your pocket and some Delta miles that are otherwise unaccounted for, we think you should take the flight to Atlanta and give this Tailored Driver a loving home. Because much like the dive watch or a pair of Converse All-Stars, it’ll never go out of style.
See additional details about this Tailored Driver, here.
It’s early 1984 in West Germany, and after a banner 1983 at the firm, your pockets are lined with Deutsche Marks. So you do the most logical thing possible, and spec out your very own brand new 911. But your colleagues all have them too, so yours must be different. You glance out the window at your wife’s 300TD wagon and think to yourself- yep, that’ll set me apart. It’ll be Mercedes Midnight Blue metallic, ordered via Porsche’s Paint to Sample program, and for a further punch to your coworkers’ gut, you’ll pair it with leather to sample in Grey. Frankie Goes to Hollywood comes on the radio. Life is good.
Fast forward to today, this Paint to Sample Midnight Blue Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe (VIN: WP0ZZZ91ZES101928) has aged pretty well- far better than the hits that once rattled its speakers. Modern touches are fairly limited here, with a Continental single-din radio with Bluetooth capability being the most obvious, and that’s just the way we’d want it.
This Paint to Sample Midnight Blue Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe is currently offered for sale by Bring a Trailer power seller 911r at an at-time-of-writing bid of $19,911 with 6 days remaining. We’d bet it’ll finish somewhere quite a bit north of that.
See the full auction for this Tailored Driver, here.
We love forums. They’re where we cut our automotive enthusiast teeth- we dreamed, we learned, we maybe embellished a little, and we met some friends along the way. Some on the Tailored Driver staff were even fortunate enough to call forums and the sites associated their employer. With all this as context, Market Finds sourced via the forums like this one almost feel like somewhat of a homecoming.
Finished in Paint to Sample Albert Blue and hiding more than $32,000 in custom tailoring approved through Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program, this 911 Speedster (VIN: WP0CF2A96KS172707) represents the level of obsession that made forums the go-to for enthusiasts like us. So far as we can tell from the photos, Sonderwunsch tailoring is mostly in the form of (but likely not limited to) deviated brown extended leather on the dash, center console, steering wheel and upper door cards. For good measure, the owner also had Justin Placek create heritage seat inserts with additional lumbar pads to complete the package.
Speaking of the photos, they’re not great. And surprisingly enough, we’re also having trouble tracking down additional images from the usual suspects on Instagram like PTSRS, but that almost adds to the allure- a Tailored Driver, built for the Tailor themselves, and not for social media. So for this example we’ll forgive the less than ideal shots, because to have the vision and the funds to secure this build, the owner is clearly talented in other areas.
This Paint to Sample Albert Blue (albertblau; 325 / 1818 / 387; Porsche) Porsche 911 Speedster is currently for sale by owner in Scarsdale, New York at an asking price of $435,000. Find more information about this Tailored Driver on Rennlist, here.
Porsche’s GT3 variants of their 911 range seem to be the frequent flyers of the Paint to Sample and Sonderwunsch world these days, with Touring seemingly having Platinum status. It’s easy to see why- the GT3 Touring’s near-perfect mix of sport and comfort makes it a compelling forever car, so you might as well make your order count.
This 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring in Paint to Sample Nordic Gold (VIN: WP0AC2A94PS270254) was configured with nearly $53,000 in optional equipment, requiring a discerning eye to really digest the scope of this build. It’s a mix of must-haves like the expanded range fuel tank (drive it!), carbon ceramic brakes and front axel lift, and some nice to haves like the carbon roof, deviated seat belts in grey, and LED-matrix headlights.
Currently offered on Bring a Trailer by power seller Northwest European (username “nweuro”) at a current bid of $229,666 at time of writing with roughly 3 days left to bid, this Paint to Sample Nordic Gold Porsche 911 GT3 Touring represents a great opportunity to own one of the least common hues of Stuttgart’s creation. Get additional details about this Tailored Driver, here.
When ordered new back in 2005, the individual who ordered this Tailored Driver couldn’t have fathomed just how special their creation would be. In just a few years the 997 Turbo S would debut sporting a mandatory transmission that had yet to be discussed publicly, and still struggles for respect in certain circles to this day. The purple renaissance was also difficult to foresee while making sure your TiVo was set to record The Colbert Report’s premiere episode.
Despite those significant headwinds, this last-of-breed Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (VIN: WP0CB299X5S675239) is exactly as you may have spec’d had you known what was to come- Paint to Sample Viola Metallic, a 6 speed manual transmission, and optional wheels more commonly seen on the 996 GT3. And covering just under 20,000 miles since new, it’s been moved enough to keep fluids moving, but sparingly enough to be a near time capsule.
Offered by frequent Tailored Driver flyers Gran Prix Motors in Portland, Oregon for $129,900 at time of writing, this Paint to Sample 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is a great opportunity for the investor who isn’t afraid of the 996 stigma.
See the full listing for this Tailored Driver, here.
Have you ever wanted to be Chris Harris? Former presenter on Top Gear, legendary YouTube reviewer, automotive journalist and generally beloved petrolhead about town? Well unfortunately you can’t, but here’s a great opportunity to be just like him.
Nearly identical to his daily driver, this PTS Speed Yellow Porsche 911 GT3 Touring (VIN: WP0AC2A97KS149176) could be your first class ticket to imitation- and they say that’s the most sincere form of flattery. But unlike his daily, this has many, many fewer miles (just 228!), wheels finished in black and features Carbon Ceramic Brakes from factory.
Our more eagle-eyed readers will be quick to note that Chris had his car wrapped in a slightly darker variant of Yellow, which is fair. But if you’ve got the $299,900 to acquire this Tailored Driver, certainly you’ve got the scratch to follow Mr. Harris’ lead, should you choose to do so.
Visit Portland’s Gran Prix Motors to see the full listing, here.
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.
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!
