Porsche Expands Paint to Sample and Plus Custom Color Programs

Porsche offers over 190 colors and personalized paint options through Paint to Sample and Plus programs, enabling unique vehicle customization.

Gone are the days when choosing a Porsche color meant sticking to a preset palette. With the Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus programs, Porsche has turned the act of customizing paintwork into something more akin to co-creating a work of art. For the 718, 911, and Taycan models, customers are no longer limited to catalog options—they can literally create their own shade, inspired by anything from a childhood toy to a favorite nail polish.

The Paint to Sample program offers over 190 colors, including iconic shades from the 1990s like Maritime Blue, Ruby Star, and Mint Green. These paints have already been technically approved and are available via Porsche’s online configurator. However, they do come with a catch: expect an additional three months of delivery time.

For those seeking something truly one-of-a-kind, Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program and Paint to Sample Plus open up new levels of personalization. Customers provide a physical sample, and Porsche specialists—primarily at the Zuffenhausen factory—develop an entirely new paint formula. The process takes around nine months and includes formulating the paint, matching it under multiple lighting conditions, and testing it on a full body shell. Only after all checks are passed does the color receive an official name.

As Boris Apenbrink, Director of Limited Series and Options at Exclusive Manufaktur, explains, the key lies in achieving perfect color consistency across materials like aluminum, plastic, and carbon fiber. To get there, Porsche paint experts mix dozens of components by hand with milligram precision. If a proposed color can’t meet Porsche’s exacting quality standards, the company covers the cost of the feasibility assessment.

The price for such exclusivity ranges from $11,430 for a standard Paint to Sample color to $25,660 for Paint to Sample Plus on high-performance models like GT and Turbo variants. While it’s far from cheap, many owners find the investment worthwhile—not just for aesthetic reasons, but also because unique colors may enhance resale value.

Statistics support the trend: in Canada alone, about 1.2% of Porsche customers opted for custom paintwork in 2023. With the color palette expanding and attention to detail only increasing, that percentage is likely to rise—especially among collectors and enthusiasts.

One color. One car. One identity. In the world of Porsche, individuality is more than a concept—it’s a statement.