Porsche’s Paint-To-Sample program expands to offer one-of-a-kind paints, more colors, and faster turnaround times

Porsche knows what its customers want, and that’s a fact. Right now, it seems, Porsche buyers want the option of color, lots of color. The company recently invested a ton of money expanding the paint shop in the Zuffenhausen factory, because it needed to be able to keep up with demand for Paint-To-Sample colors. The old paint shop could really only accommodate about 5 PTS cars per day, but after the expansion the churn rate is now up to about twenty per day! More importantly, ticking the PTS option box will no longer increase the time between when you place your order and when you receive your car. If you’re paying over eleven grand for paint, the speed and efficiency is ultra important!

With the new increase in availability of PTS paint booths, Porsche has also increased the number of different colors it is willing to paint in the PTS catalog. The company’s pre-approved PTS list of colors has increased significantly. Porsche recently brought back over 160 different historic shades from the company’s history, though not all colors are available on all cars. There are currently over 100 different colors available for 911 and 718 models, while Taycan models can be painted in 65 different colors and Cayenne, Macan, and Panamera are limited to just 50-ish colors on the pre-approved list. For most models, you’ll pay $11,430 for the privilege of “standard” PTS paint available. If you’re ordering a GT3, it’s $12,830.

If, however, you’re tired of ordering a Rubystone Red or Viper Green GT3 every few years and then shortly afterward your neighbor down the street copies you and orders the exact same PTS color you have, then what you really want to do is order your car with the ultra-unique Paint-To-Sample Plus option. With PTS Plus, you can work with Porsche to create a brand new one-of-a-kind color that has never been painted on a Porsche in history. For nearly $23,000, you can work with Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur program to develop a color (or perhaps livery) as unique as you are.

As part of the process of Paint-To-Sample Plus, Porsche engineers must undertake an exhaustive feasibility study to determine if they can even match the color you’ve selected and reproduce it in a way that satisfies Porsche’s quality control standards. This is an extremely difficult process, and the company says it can take up to 11 months. Don’t worry, though, because if Porsche decides the color can’t be replicated, you’ll be reimbursed for the fee.

In any case, I’m just excited that Porsche dealerships might be populated by more than just white, black, and silver cars in the near future. We need more colorful Porsches!