Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur: How would you like it?

The desire to distinguish yourself from the others with your vehicle is as old as carriages. Back then, cabs were decorated with gold or other noble materials, today the requests are more unusual, especially when you are dealing with customers like those of the sports car manufacturer Porsche from Zuffenhausen. People who put several hundred thousand euros on the table for a racing car have unusual demands and wishes. The spectrum ranges from interior fittings and special paintwork to modifications to the body and interventions in the technology.

“Customers come to us who don’t get an answer to their questions from the dealer,” says Boris Apenbrink, Head of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles. Some customizations can already be selected in the configurator. But for some, that’s just not enough. “One of them wanted to have the ten-cylinder engine of the Porsche Carrera GT installed in the 918 Spyder,” recalls Boris Apenbrink, Head of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles, and adds: “When we told him that it would cost several million euros, the answer came: OK , where is the problem?”

It is obvious that such plans cannot simply be shaken off the sleeve. As a rule, the implementation of such a project takes one to two years, in the case of really complex vehicles even longer. For the clientele, the process is almost even more important than the car that emerges from it. At the Zuffenhausen-based company, the client becomes part of the team, receives their own works ID, and consults with technicians and designers on a regular basis. This often happens personally when the buyer comes to Zuffenhausen. “Currywurst in the works canteen is more important to customers than dinner in Christophorus,” says Arda Çilingir, co-creation specialist. So that there are no unpleasant surprises with the colors, there is a small cabin in the rooms of the Exclusive Manufaktur in which daylight is simulated with a color temperature of 6,500 Kelvin. You can also simulate other environments, such as a garage light. Sometimes, however, it can also be done very simply by picking up the sample and taking it outside.

As with a series vehicle, the custom-made product is also neatly documented. One copy of the document goes into the Porsche documentation and one is given to the owner of the car. “The client gets the feeling of being the project manager,” explains designer Grant Larson. The designer has a particularly difficult task to put the ideas of the interested party on paper. However, there are limits to the buyer’s willingness to create. The brand DNA is paramount. Every car goes over the table of chief designer Michael Mauer and if he lowers his thumb, the project will come to nothing. It is clear that the clientele does not always like this; if you want to spend a lot of money, you usually have a vision that you want to see implemented. In such a case, the diplomatic skills of Porsche employees are required.

A detail that is often chosen for custom-made products is the flying Pegasus horse that legendary actor James Dean had on his Porsche 550 Spyder. But tradition must be preserved with this element. Simply paint it on and it is good, there is no such thing at Porsche. The inclination of the horse is very important. Only when the upper wing is turned three degrees counterclockwise will everything fit. However, the implementation of these parameters is not always easy due to external circumstances such as the curvature of the door.

Before the custom-made product even starts, the client pays 100,000 euros to create the specifications. If the concept cannot be implemented, then the money is gone. But the whole thing is not a one-way street. The sports car manufacturer benefits not only from the income from the custom-made products. “Customers also inspire us,” reveals Grant Larson.

Every car is first delivered before the changes. “Customers want Porsche to be in their vehicle registration,” explains Boris Apenbrink. So it does happen that a car is delivered in New York and then goes back to the specialists in Zuffenhausen immediately. Incidentally, a German customer started the tradition of special requests for his Porsche 356 in May 1955. He wanted a rear wiper.