During this year’s Monterey Car Week, Porsche did something unexpected.
During this year’s The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, Porsche did something unexpected. Rather than debut one of many highly-anticipated new models, the German carmaker unveiled a car of which just one example exists. As the cover fell and the crown began to snap photos, a 993-generation Porsche 911 Speedster emerged. A one-off built by its Sonderwunsch program, colloquially known simply as “Special Wishes.”
The reborn classic wasn’t alone, either. A few miles away, prominently displayed at the carmaker’s temporary downtown Monterey HQ, sat yet another unique creation. Commissioned by US collector Jorge Carnicero, it’s a 992-generation 911 S/T adorned with countless Sonderwunsch touches and finished in a distinctive shade of Dani Blue.
We sat with Porsche’s Vice President of Individualisation and Classic, Alexander Fabig, and Philipp Setter, Manager of Sonderwunsch Customer Consulting, to discuss the brand’s increasing focus on highly individualized cars and one-off commissions.
Some responses have been edited for clarity.
“The customer is very well-known because he’s done quite a few projects with us, and for the S/T, he wanted to go big,” said Setter. Adding, “Maybe you’re familiar with his former cars, they were green, but he always said ‘green is not my favorite color. I like the green concept, but for this car, I’m the blue guy,’ so he wanted to go with something more intense in the blue direction and make it a true masterpiece.”
To commission a car through the Sonderwunsch program, customers in the US market must first express interest through their local dealer after placing an order for a new car. A US-based team of specialists will review incoming requests forwarded by dealerships. An appointment is then set with the customer to discuss their vision.
Setter says, “Usually, how we work is we bring in the customer. Of course, we have a lot of samples and materials to work and start with, and in this particular case, that was just not enough. When it came to the outside color, we started with one as a starting point, but he still wanted something even more special. For the first time, we included someone from the design team in Weissach, our Colour & Trim designer Daniela Milošević.”
Milošević worked directly with Carnicero to create a unique shade, starting with Enamel Blue as its base. Milošević said the color became “a little more colorful, more intense and darker, but not too loud.” As a show of appreciation for her role in the project, Carnicero named the finish “Dani Blue,” a tribute to its designer.
Inside, its cabin sports a Graphite Blue leather base with a contrasting tri-colored pepita pattern incorporating Graphite Blue, Chalk, and Blue fabric. Practically every surface, including its air vents, is covered in leather. Alongside the long list of special requests, this S/T features a one-off embossed logo in its center console and a signature reading “Dani,” a further nod to Milošević’s involvement. The result is the most individualized S/T built, and although Porsche won’t publicly state its cost, likely the most expensive as well.
Speaking more broadly about the Special Wishes program, Fabig commented, “On all levels, be it paint to sample, be it Sonderwunsch, our biggest challenge at the moment is that there is more demand than supply.” He added, “The waiting time for the new cars we measure in months. The waiting time for one-offs has to be measured in years.
Determining which customers will receive limited edition cars is up to the dealerships to decide. And while a long-standing relationship with the brand certainly helps, Fabig says, “From our point of view, there is no clear objective ranking you can make. You can argue it’s the loyal customers who go first, but then it’s also important for us to welcome new customers who are new to the brand. It would be wrong to say, ‘Well, Sonderwunsch is only for people who have spent 20 years with the brand.'”
Setter said, “The demand has been growing over the last few years. It’s amazing how much more focus is on the world of individualization.” Porsche plans to expand its capacity to accept highly customized new cars and one-offs to meet this surging interest. Setter added, “The customers asked for it, but we also figured this is important for the brand. We have to expand to some extent. I think we still won’t be able to manage all of the demand, but at least we are getting better.”
The allure of commissioning a one-off vehicle goes beyond the car itself, with Setter commenting, “What we want to do with this one-off program is create something unique to the customer. Something that’s never been there and make it a new part of the history. When a customer or project is completed, such as the Speedster, we have all the documentation our Porsche archives. So it’s basically a new car registered under Porsche as a 911 Speedster, and it becomes part of history.”
Fabig added, “What started with individualizing dorsal guards and became complete projects like the 911 S/T with different materials, specific colors, and so on grew even bigger. And we had a lot of discussions with customers who were asking for complete technical concepts, body styles, and other aspects like the lights we see on the car or drivetrain compomnents. So it follows the desire of individualization, which we also see as a trend beyond automotive.”
As of writing, Porsche is currently working on five other one-off projects, with Fabig stating that these vehicles currently under development have a higher degree of technical complexity. According to Fabig, “You can choose different starting points. You can start with a 911, but you can use a 918 Spyder or a Carrera GT, which makes things a lot more complex. There is a certain dominance of the 911, as it is our brand icon, but we also have everything on the list, from Panamera to Cayenne.”
Today, Porsche can handle up to three of these special projects per year. However, the brand aims to expand its capacity to build at least ten, eventually capping production numbers.
Regarding pricing for one-offs, the owner of the 911 Speedster asked that its cost not be shared publicly. However, Fabig commented, “For the first 12 months, we ask for a minimum of $100,000. It could be more depending on the complexity. You don’t get the car for this money; you get documentation of what would be your car, and if you start building, then there would be a cost involved as a result of the development phase, and we can tell you it’s in the seven-figure area. Sometimes substantially above seven figures.”
Given the carmaker’s focus on expanding its Sonderwunsch program, as seen by its recent unveilings during Monterey Car Week, it’s clear that Porsche is invested in growing the brand by focusing on more than just its new models. Be it highly individualized commissions like the Dani Blue S/T or the one-off Speedster, the Special Wishes team is only getting started.
This article appeared in our December 2024 Issue.
Introducing the November 2024 issue of duPont REGISTRY, #475, starring Steve McQueen’s Porsche 917. To get your hands on a copy, either buy a single issue or subscribe.
