Porsche PTS colour page

[thenobbler]

Apologies if this has already been posted, I've just come across a page that shows all of the 105 paint to sample colours that are freely available, and does so on each of the cars in the range (some being authorised for fewer colours to avoid the more obvious no-no combos (from Porsche's perspective).

https://media.porsche.com/paint-to-sample/718 - seems to be opening randomly, just click on 718 to go to the Boxster colour page, or any other model name for that page, obvs.

You can select the colour you want, click on to see the car in profile in that colour. Equally you can opt to see any other vehicle in the range in the same colour (if offered). Not cheap though. Paint to Sample (these 105 colours) costs getting on for 9-10,000 Euro (model dependent), and Paint To Sample Plus (you give them a colour -- any colour - and as long as it'll paint successfully they'll put it on your car) for...deep breath...17500 to 19750 Euro.

Enjoy losing a few hours to the dream (or planning the next purchase, you lucky lucky b****** :-).

Oh, and if I had to choose from these colours? Pastel Orange, methinks.

Edited by thenobbler on Saturday 18th December 15:10

Edited by thenobbler on Saturday 18th December 15:10

Edited by thenobbler on Saturday 18th December 15:11

Edited by thenobbler on Saturday 18th December 16:28

[Doofus]

I always assumed PTS meant you could bring your own sample and they'd match it. Just adding 105 colours to the range isn't 'PTS' at all, is it?

[Voodoo Blue]

Doofus said:

I always assumed PTS meant you could bring your own sample and they'd match it. Just adding 105 colours to the range isn't 'PTS' at all, is it?

I believe here are 2 levels of PTS from Porsche.

The first is for colours that have already approved for the particular model you are buying. The second is where you bring a colour sample and Porsche will go through a process to see if that colour can be used on the model you are buying. If it is then you can have it. The cost of the second level is roughly 2 times the first level and at the moment I believe that will be roughly £13-14K depending on the model you are looking at.

[thenobbler]

Voodoo Blue said:

I believe here are 2 levels of PTS from Porsche.

The first is for colours that have already approved for the particular model you are buying. The second is where you bring a colour sample and Porsche will go through a process to see if that colour can be used on the model you are buying. If it is then you can have it. The cost of the second level is roughly 2 times the first level and at the moment I believe that will be roughly £13-14K depending on the model you are looking at.

Exactly - Paint to Sample Plus, and the prices are as laid out in the original post. It's a long way from where PTS was even 10 years ago (my Boxster had it as a £4500 option 'colour to sample' in 2014.

[Doofus]

Voodoo Blue said:

Doofus said:

I always assumed PTS meant you could bring your own sample and they'd match it. Just adding 105 colours to the range isn't 'PTS' at all, is it?

I believe here are 2 levels of PTS from Porsche.

The first is for colours that have already approved for the particular model you are buying. The second is where you bring a colour sample and Porsche will go through a process to see if that colour can be used on the model you are buying. If it is then you can have it. The cost of the second level is roughly 2 times the first level and at the moment I believe that will be roughly £13-14K depending on the model you are looking at.

Thank you.

I'm struggling to think of a reason why a colour couldn't be used on a particular car, but I ain't going to be paying for PTS anyway, so it's not a problem for me.

[MDL111]

It would probably be more accurate to call the first level something like special historical approved colors and the second one pts
Still cheaper than some Ferrari colors I think

[thenobbler]

MDL111 said:

It would probably be more accurate to call the first level something like special historical approved colors and the second one pts
Still cheaper than some Ferrari colors I think

Probably where Porsche got the idea from (to grossly raise the price).

[thenobbler]

Doofus said:

Thank you.

I'm struggling to think of a reason why a colour couldn't be used on a particular car, but I ain't going to be paying for PTS anyway, so it's not a problem for me.

"The procedure is as follows: the customer hands over a sample of their desired colour to the Porsche Centre – anything is conceivable, from a favourite shirt or scarf to a nail varnish colour. This sample is then sent to Porsche AG. There, a separate feasibility check is carried out for each request, which can take several months depending on the work involved.

From there, Porsche’s colourists create the formulation. These experts develop the hue on the basis of the available paint components. Then, in several rounds, the shade is further developed so that it also corresponds to the sample under different light sources, such as daylight or artificial light. Next, the feasibility of the colour is tested under production conditions on the car body and add-on parts. It is also essential to define the layer thickness, which enables process-stable, reproducible and error-free painting. Before the actual customer vehicle is painted, the colour is applied to a test body. If it transpires that the desired shade cannot be realised in accordance with its usual quality standards, Porsche will bear the costs of the feasibility test."

Says the "Comeback of historic colours for all Porsche models" webpage on the German Porsche site.

[21ATS]

MDL111 said:

It would probably be more accurate to call the first level something like special historical approved colors and the second one pts
Still cheaper than some Ferrari colors I think

Level one is formally referred to as Custom Colour.

Level two is Colour to Sample.

It all gets lumped together (incorrectly) under the term PTS

(These were the two options I was presented with on my Taycan CT order).

Edited by 21ATS on Saturday 18th December 18:45

[Doofus]

thenobbler said:

Doofus said:

Thank you.

I'm struggling to think of a reason why a colour couldn't be used on a particular car, but I ain't going to be paying for PTS anyway, so it's not a problem for me.

"The procedure is as follows: the customer hands over a sample of their desired colour to the Porsche Centre – anything is conceivable, from a favourite shirt or scarf to a nail varnish colour. This sample is then sent to Porsche AG. There, a separate feasibility check is carried out for each request, which can take several months depending on the work involved.

From there, Porsche’s colourists create the formulation. These experts develop the hue on the basis of the available paint components. Then, in several rounds, the shade is further developed so that it also corresponds to the sample under different light sources, such as daylight or artificial light. Next, the feasibility of the colour is tested under production conditions on the car body and add-on parts. It is also essential to define the layer thickness, which enables process-stable, reproducible and error-free painting. Before the actual customer vehicle is painted, the colour is applied to a test body. If it transpires that the desired shade cannot be realised in accordance with its usual quality standards, Porsche will bear the costs of the feasibility test."

Says the "Comeback of historic colours for all Porsche models" webpage on the German Porsche site.

So the tl;dr is.

"You can have any colour you want, unless we don't like it"

[Voodoo Blue]

MDL111 said:

It would probably be more accurate to call the first level something like special historical approved colors and the second one pts
Still cheaper than some Ferrari colors I think

I believe that once an additional colour has been approved for a particular model that colour is then added to the first level as an available colour for anyone else that gets a PTS slot.

[Cheib]

21ATS said:

MDL111 said:

It would probably be more accurate to call the first level something like special historical approved colors and the second one pts
Still cheaper than some Ferrari colors I think

Level one is formally referred to as Custom Colour.

Level two is Colour to Sample.

It all gets lumped together (incorrectly) under the term PTS

(These were the two options I was presented with on my Taycan CT order).

Edited by 21ATS on Saturday 18th December 18:45

Yes think that’s right.

A lot of the colours that can be ordered as “custom colours” aren’t historic Porsche colours. They are colours that have come from other manufacturers when customers have requested them. Voodoo Blue is a Toyota colour for example. That’s always been the case…I’ve got a PTS 1965 SWB car that’s a VW colour.

[Voodoo Blue]

Cheib said:

Voodoo Blue is a Toyota colour for example.

Unfortunately Porsche don't charge the same amount for it as Toyota though

[simonsti]

Thanks for that, I've been looking for similar for ages.

[MDL111]

21ATS said:

MDL111 said:

It would probably be more accurate to call the first level something like special historical approved colors and the second one pts
Still cheaper than some Ferrari colors I think

Level one is formally referred to as Custom Colour.

Level two is Colour to Sample.

It all gets lumped together (incorrectly) under the term PTS

(These were the two options I was presented with on my Taycan CT order).

Edited by 21ATS on Saturday 18th December 18:45

Ah, so as proper Germans they did it correctly

[XMA Simon]

For sure the PTS Plus process is part quality control: Porsche ensuring that they can supply the colour you want and get an accurate colour match on different materials (plastics, carbon fibre potentially, primed aluminium, primed mild steel). That is not trivial if you are fussy about getting a very accurate colour match. But also one that is stable after exposure to the elements (years exposed to UV light), industrial fallout etc.

I imagine that there is also an element of whether their designers "like" your colour choice on a particular body shape also. There was a time when Rolls would refuse tacky colours. But now any rapper, Tom, Dick or Harry can show up at a main dealer and order one of those in candifloss pink. Porsche quite happy to go for loud colours, particularly if there is a historic link but they seem to be a little more picky than Rolls.

For anyone considering the PTS rabbit hole (like me!) you might find the following website a useful resource. What is cool about it is that it has an interactive colour wheel that you can mess around with and it will chuck out some suggested PTS colours. Also if you find one you like it will show you close alternatives already pre approved. And another cool think are the photos to actual Porsche cars wearing said colours. Of course the people taking these photos are generally not professional photographers getting the white balance set just so on their DSLRs. Regardless it is interesting to see the colours on cars under different light conditions. Here is the website link:

https://www.colors.rs

(No affiliation to me).