Z356

Mooty, I already have the specs for your car. It was easy. 991 gt3 RS, base car. Wheat toast chicken salad sandwich. Hold the butter, lettuce and mayo. No deviating chicken salad or anything else. Skip A/C delete - you may be 'macho' but that is too 'mucho' for the market to bear. How am I doing? Saludos, z356

RollingArt

Yeah I did, thanks.

You know how it is though. A little knowledge can be dangerous or confusing. Now I have a little knowledge of the whole process and I'm confused! Prior to this thread I really didn't know squat about all these options or how the ordering actually worked. So many options to filter though, I can see now how easy it would be to foul up an order. Makes it a bit intimidating.

I was wondering myself, since before you started this thread, why deviating stitching wasn't a single order code that would cover the whole interior. The way it's currently set up is way too hard to figure out. The process needs to be streamlined. I have a feeling the accountants at Porsche set up the options ordering process to maximize profits, which we all know is very lucrative for them. Some of the $ #'s you were quoting are crazy! For some different colored thread!

Any how, great write up.

Z356

To continue with the custom ordering process at Porsche today. Let me talk about the following items. Although it involves my Spyder, which is no longer in production, the information could be of interest to those considering to custom order a Cayman, Boxster or even a new 991!

Alcantara - As found in the Spyder configurator, you could order three alcantara options - 'Alcantara Pkg' Opt#DBA (steering wheel, e-brake and shifter) for around $2660, 'Additional Alcantara Interior Pkg' Opt#XFZ (arm rest, added alcantara door panels when ordered in conjunction with full leather) for $655 and console lid with Porsche script at $490. Alcantara inserts was standard on sport bucket seats. However, the Porsche Exclusive Configurator, which is apparently the same one available to US dealers everywhere, has additional options in Alcantara. You can add alcantara inserts in the regular sport leather seats. That is option #25801 and cost $630 (see attached photo in Cayman R). You can also order the reverse - leather seats inlays on the Sport Buckets for the same price - $630. As a special request, Porsche Exclusive will also do Alcantara sunvisors. For example, on a friend's Cayman R, it cost $745 (see attached photo in Cayman R). When you realize that leather sunvisors are available via the configurator at $665, this price for the alcantara seems like a good deal. All of you ordering the available alcantara roof-lining in a Cayman R or that will get the 'standard' alcantara roof-lining in a 991, know that you can match that with attractive alcantara sunvisors for only $745!

The Alcantara packages for the Cayman R are different. The e-brake and gate shfiter are a pkg at $1880. You can get alcantara roof-lining for $1180. The console lid is the same at $490. You can get the Alcantara SportDesign wheel for an additional $290. In the Spyder, that more attractive SportDesign wheel was not available on any of the Alcantara Pkg offered. So you had to settled for the standard wheel (which I called 'Batman' style).

'Leather-to-Sample' Interiors. Apparently, a 'Leather-to-Sample' interior can be ordered from 'Porsche Exclusive'. For example, I asked Germany if the 'Natural Brown Leather' (available until recently in the .2 997 but now discontinued) could be ordered in a Spyder or Cayman R. I was told 'no' for the Spyder (probably due to time restraints since production was about to end), but 'yes' on the Cayman R. However, they could not offer the similar 'brown' carpeting that used to be standard on the 997 when you ordered that 'Natural Brown' leather interior. So I would have to order one of the standard interior carpet colors on the MY2012 Cayman - e.g. 'black', 'sand beige', 'carrera red' - to go along with the 'Natural Brown Leather' seats, dash and door panels. Also it is not possible to order 'leather-to-sample' in conjunction with the sport bucket seat, only with the standard sport seat. Quite frankly, 'Natural Brown Leather' with contrasting (or 'deviating' as they would call it) 'black' carpeting would be just spectacular!

The additional price for the custom 'leather-to-sample' interior was never finalized with me, since I was set on a Spyder. But I heard it could be as much as $2000, in addition to the normal price for the 'Natural'/'Special' premium leather option. In late MY'11, PAG raised the price for the 'Natural'/'Special' leather by more than $1200. The full leather 'Carrera Red' interior in my Spyder, the only 'Natural'/'Special' leather offered for MY'12, was $5,165. It was $3895 when the model debuted in early 2010 as a MY'11 (same as 'Cocoa'). By contrast, full leather in 'Black' or 'Sand Beige' is now $3655. It was only $2385 on the first half of MY'11. These two colors used leather that is not considered 'Special' or 'Natural' by Porsche. So a 'Leather to Sample' interior on a Cayman R (or a Spyder, had they allowed it) would have cost around $7000! I am not satisfied with the current interior leather 'color' options offered on the new 991. If I were to order one, I would seriously considered 'Leather-to-Sample' in 'Natural Brown' special leather. So for any of you thinking of a custom order in the future, please note you have alternatives from 'Porsche Exclusive', although they come at a price!

I also just want to point out a couple of options not normally ordered by customers or dealers which merit consideration. Porsche offers a finishing touch to any of its shifters (Gear/PDK Lever Trim in Leather Option #CYP for $370 or Gear Lever Trim in Leather Option XDZ for $260). Whether you order a manual or a PDK, I recommend you order one of these options for a more coordinated look. You can see my XDZ in a previous photo I have included in this thread. The other visual issue for me, had I ordered sport leather seats, was the treatment of the back. As you know, the back of the sport leather seats has a painted 'silver' color that comes as standard. They look best when the exterior color is also 'silver'. Anything else and you have a potential color clash, especially in a convertible where the back of the seats are exposed and highly visible. You can order the backs of these seats covered in leather with the appropriate stitching (see attached photo of gt3). It is a very attractive option but expensive at $1870. Since I was ordering the sport buckets, with the fabulous looking carbon fiber backs as standard, I didn't have to worry about that additional expense.

The other option often overlooked is 'Defroster Trim in Leather'. It is only $535 and finishes up your leather dash very nicely. This is equally important in a Boxster/Cayman or a 911 (see attached photo of gt3 and last photo in my Spyder). I also ordered the 'Steering Column Casing in Leather' for $465. I had ordered the optional SportDesign wheel (only $250). That wheel has a 'Carrera Red' body / all standard wheels have a 'Black' body in the back! So in order to minimized the contrast, since the casing would otherwise be black plastic as standard, I decided to add the column in 'Carrera Red' leather. Same for the rear view mirror in 'Carrera Red'. I hesitated about ordering the 'A-pillar/windshield frame trim' also in 'Carrera Red' leather simply because of the high price - $950. Perhaps I should have to complete the 'red' theme in my interior! However, all of these last items were options of interest ONLY to someone like me trying to achieve a specific coordinated look in 'Carrera Red' for the cabin. You can see photos of the interior of my Spyder in previous post to judge if I was successful. They would be less important to someone ordering a 'black' full leather interior, for example, since the 'black' painted, or 'black'-colored plastic parts, would blend well with the 'black' leather. I just want to mention to it so all of you know the possibilities available to YOU should you decide to customized the interior of your vehicle when ordered from Porsche.

I will address next the special custom options that I ordered and how 'Porsche Exclusive' views them & prices them! These are the special 'Customizing Packages' which are to be found NOWHERE in a configurator - not a a website nor at your dealer's computerized order guides.

Saludos,z356

Only1Buck

Would you know is it possible to order through the Porsche exclusive program items not associated with the particular model? for example for my Spyder I ordered the following from Suncoast today http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...er_interioralc

I would have ordered it from the factory so I could have it built that way from the start ... just curious

Z356

I think it will always pay to ask. Let me tell you what I know. There are certain items 'not associated' with the Spyder that I was able to obtain. That is the subject of my next topic re: Customizing Packages. But those were rather uncontroversial - e.g. leather door sills and leather console bin lid. I did asked directly 'Porsche Exclusive' if I could order the red alcantara seat inlays as found on the sport buckets of the gt2 RS and the 4.0 gt3 RS limited edition. The answer was 'NO". That also applied to my request for the alcantara SportDesign steering wheel on the 4.0 with the red band at 12 0'Clock. They said 'NO". So the answer is 'Yes' and 'NO'. It depends on the option requested.

The particular option you have just ordered (carbon fiber shifter with alcantara) is not associated with a limited production model like the gt2 RS or gt3 RS 4.0, so I would think they might have agreed...for a price. The bottom line is that you need to ask the question when you place your custom order. They may surprise you with their response! Saludos, z356

Dino944

Thanks for another excellent write up regarding exclusive options. I love the look of the leather covered sport seats in the GT3! $1870 is pretty pricey. But if someone has a special colored car and they want to avoid the backs clashing with the exterior color, its a great option and its only about $300 more than having the seat backs painted the exterior color (unless the price of painted backs has gone up recently) .

Thanks again for sharing this info with us.
Best regards,
Dino

Aerokitted

If you order the natural full leather, does it mean they all parts of the interior in leather is the upgraded natural leather? I have this option on my GT3. Thanks!

Z356

The answer to this question is, generally, 'YES'. All the parts that are included on a gt3 for what PAG calls its 'full leather' option will be done in the upgraded special leather you choose, which they call 'Natural/Special'. As you well know, in layman's terms that includes: front dash, top of doors, center console (housing radio or PCM & A/C controls) & rear side panels. All door handles are leather in any 911, except the gt3 which are done in alcantara. Seats in recent gt3s (choice of Sport Buckets or Sport Leather Seats) have been done in leather & alcantara. I would hope it's the upgraded leather in those seats too (they are in my 'Carrera Red' Sport Buckets!). Any additional leather option you have chosen (e.g. defroster trim in leather) will also be done in that upgraded leather.

Here is how Porsche describes the 'full' option in 'Natural/Special' leather in the configurator for the .2 997 gt3: "Leather dyed by means of a gentle process that maintains the material's natural characteristics. In addition to standard leather components, the following pieces are in leather: A-pillar/windscreen frame trim, B-pillar and C-pillar trim, front part of dashboard including airbag cover, upper part of dashboard including instrument cluster cover, door trim including head airbag cover, front side trims, rear side trims, and all leather items in smooth leather. In Alcantara: Door handle, door mirror, door storage compartment lid, extension of door storage compartment, center console storage compartment lid, and lower part of dashboard including glove compartment."

My understanding, if you have the upgrade 'Natural/Special" leather option on your gt3, is that the only color available was 'Dark Grey'. Is that your case?

Saludos, z356

Aerokitted

Z,

Yes, my interior is in dark gray and the feel of the seat leather is different than what I felt in a non natural leather 911. I also have the airbag section in leather so perhaps as you have typed it's an automatic inclusion if you choose natural leather.

The driver seat bolster is wearing very well.

You are a wealth of information - better than any Porsche rep I've engaged. Thank you for being such a generous resource.

Best,
AK

Z356

Let me now go a bit into the nebulous world of 'Porsche Exclusive', an organization I got to know a bit in the course of my many months of inquiries and negotiations for the options on my MY2012 Spyder. 'Porsche Exclusive' offers a variety of options that are often not installed in series production, but are fitted in a special 'custom tailoring' shop at the factory where cars are taken after normal production. The threshold for PAG deciding what 'Porsche Exclusive' is installed in the production line or afterwards is the popularity of the option. For example, the 'Sport Exhaust' is a popular option and it's fitted on the line. My headlight cleaning system cover painted in a deviating exterior color, on the other hand, is seldom ordered. They were fitted in the custom tailoring area at Zuffenhausen. To do this, PAG first fits the standard chrome units in series production. Once the car gets to custom tailoring, the front bumper is removed, the chrome cover for the spray unit is removed, the painted piece installed and the bumper is re-installed. This gives you an idea why this option cost $295. I am surprised it's this little. These custom tailoring jobs usually carry a code name that starts with 'C'. My deviated units above were 'CGU'. Those 'Porsche Exclusive' options that pass the popularity threshold and are installed at the line seem to have option codes that start with a 'X'. The Sport Exhaust was 'XLF' and the Sport Shifter was 'XCZ'. Some 'Exclusive Options' have 'X' codes but are probably done by a third party outside the factory and arrive 'just in time' for production. For example, the sport buckets done in Carrera Red leather with embossed Porsche Crest - these are supplied by external vendors. Altogether I had 9 'X' options, 2 'C' options and one 'number' option - deviating carpeting. Finally, I had two 'D' options (see below).

The last special 'Porsche Exclusive' options I wanted to discuss in this thread are those that Porsche calls 'customization packages'. These are any special requests that they agree to do and which are not offered in your chosen model by neither series production nor 'Porsche Exclusive'. These don't start with a 'X', a 'C' or a number. They start with a 'D', which I think stand for 'Difficult to Get'. In my order, you will see it as 'Customization Pkg DZE' and it cost $1295. What was it? Leather door sills and leather bin lid with appropriate stitching. You will not find these options available on the Spyders normally built for the US market. However, you will find them as 'Exclusive Options' to anyone ordering a Cayman R in the US and abroad. If you ask nicely, 'Porsche Exclusive' will consider most reasonable requests. I thought asking for stuff that is readily available on the Cayman R was 'reasonable'. However, 'Porsche Exclusive' doesn't price these things a la carte. So there is no list you can simply go to and get a quick answer as to cost. We went back and forth weeks with a representative of 'Porsche Exclusive' before I finalized 'Customization Package DZE".

Apparently, 'Porsche Exclusive' first hears what you want and then they decide what price they need to get in order to make it worth their while. The cost is usually in increments of $200 or $500 at a time. The option code is a designation of a cost structure, not the costs of the actual options involved. So 'DZC' is priced at $745. That, for example, pays for 'alcantara sunvisors' that a friend got on his Cayman R. On a 'gt3 RS', that option cost less but its offered on that model. And if you order something else they deem worth that much, they will call that option 'DZC' too and charge you $745 also. 'DZE' is always priced at $1295. That is what I paid for my door sills and console lid. In the Cayman R, the lid is $330 and the entry sill $775. So, $1105 for both. But in a Spyder, and by special request, it adds up to $1295. If I wanted something else - say 'Alcantara Sunvisors' and the same leather lid for my Spyder, it might have also been called Option 'DZE' and cost the same $1295. It is a bit arbitrary. It is the price point that is important and things are bundled into packages according to perceived trouble & cost of getting it done at the factory by 'Porsche Exclusive'.

I first wanted the door sills and the stitched leather bin lid I got, but WITHOUT the Porsche Crest. Apparently, that would have been more trouble for them so they email me back a price of $1795 and called it option 'DZF'. So $500 more to get same lid without the crest and the same door sills! I politely declined. So then I asked: "what will you charge me if you give me the lid WITH the crest?" OK, they replied, that puts you at 'DZE' and will only cost you $1295. That is how I got 'DZE' instead. Are you following me? Ok, what about if I want only the leather door sills? OK, that is 'DZD' at $995. What if you want special custom console lid that says 'Spyder'? Well, they told JSF101 (as he tells on this thread) that it might cost 15,000 Euros! So that is price point 'DZT' at least in their list!

Anything with a 'DZ*" option code gets installed in custom tailoring. In my case, regular black plastic door sills were installed in production and these were exchanged for leather items in the special post-production area. Same for the console lid, which happened to be in red real leather but was rather plain and without stitching. It was tossed and the new custom lid fitted in its place. So not only does the 'Porsche Exclusive' program cost money, it also cost time. The MY2012 Spyder I own was finished on July 18th in regular production. But it didn't get to the German port for shipping to the US until August 4th. Part of that time was spent at the custom tailoring area at Zuffenhausen.

In addition to the staff in Germany listed at the Website for 'Porsche Exclusive', Porsche has now assigned two individuals from 'Porsche Exclusive' to educate BOTH US dealers and US customers about what is available from this unique 'customizing' department. In the West Coast, that person is Sasha Glaeser and he is based in LA. In the East Coast, that person is Melissa Witek and she is based in NY. It is my understanding that these individuals should only be consulted by folks that have an actual allocation and are already set in customizing a car from the factory. They don't want to discuss standard exterior color selections with anyone, if you know what I mean. You can deal with your dealer for that. You will normally find Sascha and Melissa at the Auto Shows in US cities, the Porsche World Roadshow, special events at dealers or Porsche gatherings (e.g. Rennsport and Porsche Race Car Classic in October in Carmel) and via email & telephone.

This entire 'Porsche Exclusive' department and availability of so many custom choices of interior & exterior options is a rare thing. It is not available to US customers by Mercedes or BMW, except for limited (not custom) editions like Designo. Audi has an 'Exclusive' department but its very expensive & complicated. The Porsche systems works very well if you know how to use it to your advantage. Most dealers are clueless. And most customers that have been successful rarely report how they did it. Here, I have tried to give Rennlist forum members a glimpse at the custom ordering process which took me months to gather and digest. I hope it is of some help to one of you on your next order of a Boxster, Cayman or 991. Saludos, z356 (currently enjoying the golden Aspens in Vail Valley, Colorado)

Marine Blue

Thanks for the additional explanation Eduardo. My 928 GT had a bunch of options which were unique and really transformed the cars interior into something special.

I agree that it is very cool that Porsche allows us to customize our cars. When I look at my Spyder there are very few things I would change, nice to be able to order exactly what you want.

stevecolletti

Thanks for that Eduardo.

Hopefully it doesn't change too much, now that you've exposed "the SECRET".

LJ502

Eduardo, I have just seen this thread for the first time, and apologize for dragging a 4-year old discussion back to the foreground. But your Spyder is unique enough, based on its color combination and unusual options,, to make me believe that you might get a kick out of my 2010 Cayman S. It was specially-ordered as well, in the odd color combination of Aqua Blue Metallic with a Carrara Red natural leather interior. Options on the car include the bi-xenon directional headlights, an alcantara-covered steering wheel, the sports bucket seats, the sports shifter, an interior carbon-fiber package, and the XLF sports exhaust. Does the car sound familiar?

Z356

Looks great, LJ! Although the car is not familiar, the combo definitely is!

By the way, the leather interior correct Porsche name is 'Carrera Red'.



The 'white' exterior color of that period (997/987) was called 'Carrara
White', named after the famed Italian marble 'Carrara'!

Saludos,
Eduardo
Currently in Mill Valley, CA

LJ502

Sorry, that was just a typo on my part. I do know how to spell Carrera!