Editorial: Unique Masterpieces

Porsche has been unique for more than 75 years. Back then, our brand founder, Ferry Porsche, launched an iconic sports car in the form of the 356 “No. 1” Roadster. The vehicle of his dreams, which he created himself. To this day, this pioneering spirit is still firmly anchored in the company’s DNA. “Customizing your own vehicle is something truly extraordinary – and now more popular with Porsche fans than ever before.”

Even in the early years of the brand, Porsche provided its customers all over the globe with the opportunity to tailor their vehicle to their specific needs, which ultimately led to the Sonderwunsch department and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. We’ve dedicated the Dossier in the new issue to this success story. 

We take a look back at the history of Sonderwünsche (special requests), from the gold-plated exhaust pipe to the street-legal race car, and reconstruct extraordinary vehicle stories. We also explore how the company develops custom Paint to Sample colors. And in Italy, we encounter the first Sonderwunsch factory one-off for a customer, a 911 Speedster (993), with which renowned designer Luca Trazzi has fulfilled a dream – and completed his Speedster collection.

“Customizing your own vehicle is something truly extraordinary – and now more popular with Porsche fans than ever before.”

We also have the opportunity to feast our eyes on the fascinating collection of German entrepreneur and founder of the YT Industries bicycle brand Markus Flossmann, who in his private life enjoys maximum performance in his two super sports cars, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder. And his latest YT mountain bike is powered by an electric motor of Porsche eBike Performance GmbH. 

In addition, we have the pleasure of experiencing the Taycan’s innovative electric power in the Hollywood blockbuster Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, in which the silent star serves as the main actor’s getaway car in spectacular, high-speed chases. Porsche provided the film crew with five modified electric sports cars, one of which was converted into the pod car, with all the vehicle’s controls relocated to the roof. Christophorus takes a look behind the scenes of production and discovers why actor Gerard Butler became a Porsche fan during the shoot.

In Japan, we get together with enthusiasts who pursue an extraordinary hobby. At dawn, a group based in Tokyo sets out for the famous Hakone region in a vast array of Porsche models. The magical light just before sunrise, the tranquility of breathtaking nature, and empty roads allow us to experience a feeling of total freedom. 

Dear Porsche fans, we hope that you, too, can enjoy this extraordinary feeling behind the wheel time and time again. If you’d like to tell us all about it, please feel free to write to us at  christophorus@porsche.de.