<3mph

Two comments:

1. Let's assume this car has panels/parts painted in colours that have been ordered through the PTS program. (I mean, why else would they have paint or extra painted parts lying around for a colour not ordered, right?) So we've seen Mexico/Riviera (I can't tell the difference) and Maritime--both on this chimera car and in other cars ordered and delivered. I've ordered Fashion Grey (assuming that's what the side view mirrors are). That leaves the main colour on the panels: Aqua (photo 1) is a good guess, but I'm thinking more like Cobalt Blue Metallic (photo 2, less purple, more blue)? In any case, we haven't seen a GT3 in this colour yet. So maybe this means there is one of these coming?! Also, I'm not sure if the door handles signify anything, but they look a bit like Cognac Metallic (photo 3). So, likewise, maybe one of these coming down the pipe too? (BTW, both Cobalt and Cognac are on the approved PTS list for 911.)

2. This may be a first on RL, at least since I've been reading this forum: I think you've somehow actually managed to stump our resident PTS expert Eduardo!!! I never thought I'd see the day! Unless he's holding out on us and has more information about the purpose for why this car exists than he's letting on, of course. I'm staying tuned to this thread, since it's all very intriguing.

Raven 666

Sorry but it looks like it was built from left over parts ..........WTF

dark knight

i think the words on the door handles are the key to finding what this car is, the first letters are umlau the next letters look to be an l and a f or an l and a t and the rest is obscured

MayorAdamWest

Such a mystery! Umlauf means to circulate.

Dostler

Maybe it's a VW corporate thing. GT3 Harlequin edition.


http://www.autosavant.com/2012/05/09...olf-harlequin/

OldGuy

You guys all came up with some great ideas. But what about a Carnuba company commishioned Porsche to build a car such as SvissVaxxe could test on different colors on their one car in their lab. that would make sense? Oh well guessing is over tonite.

<3mph

Seems like you're on to something, Mayor. I'm going with "Umlauften" on the sticker, which seems close enough to Umlaufen or Umlaufend = in circulation, circulating. Not sure why the heterodox spelling. Could be the meaning is that the car is in circulation for use at the factory (as opposed to destined for a customer). Maybe this is a designation for cars that are at a certain stage of the production process. Maybe this was an inside joke at the factory. All just wild guesses!

Z356

Daniel: I guess you don't believe it's the car I 'ordered'. Ok, then let's continue with the speculation as to what it is. In April 2013, on my last tour of the factory assembly at Zuffenhausen, I saw a different color rear bumper on a Boxster coming down the production line. This was a 'mistake' in 'just-in-time' and 'just-in-sequence' logistics, the latter of which Porsche depends on for its series production. When these wrong parts are discovered when they arrive at the factory, they are allowed to continue to the assembly line and bolted into the intended production vehicle...regardless if it's the wrong color. Then they take it to another building (normally where the 'Porsche Exclusive' options are installed after production, near the European Delivery room) and make the required changes once the correct part finally arrives. It would be more costly & disruptive to stop the process and not continue building that particular car on that day...because thousands of other custom ordered parts for that vehicle are waiting for it as it moves down the line. Strange...but true.

But this is obviously different. It appears to be a deliberate exercise in installing different colored parts on a vehicle - perhaps because they are indeed left-overs. Let me explain. Three are clearly PTS (rear bumper, rear deck lid & rear view mirrors), but other body parts appears to be older discontinued colors - 'Aqua Blue Metallic' for the body and 'Cognac' for the door handles! And it would NOT have been 'wrapped' in protective vinyl for long distance ship transportation to the US if these disparities were meant to be corrected before it left the factory.

So what could it be? A working 991 gt3 for PCNA's training of dealer mechanics in the United States where these body parts are routinely removed for teaching demonstrations & color 'matching' is not important. Just one guess...from the many we probably can think of!

I am stumped. But someone will get to the bottom of this 'mystery' soon enough. The power of the internet forums in real time...magnificent!

Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

.

DuckieRS

Isn't the word just 'Umlaufteil' as in 'rotating part'?
I don't believe it is a deliberate exercise.

ScottKelly911

I would have absolutely no qualms about driving it as is

Cyrek

How weird is that car? I just don't get it.

Metal Guru

As Eduardo stated, it's appears to be waiting to go to the repair area to be taken care of. I was thinking that it was a test mule but then it wouldn't have the delivery protection on it. I've seen similar M plated cars in Detroit with different color body parts, but then why is there delivery protection on this car if that were the cars?
No manufacturer pulls cars off the line for these mistakes unless they are damaged and can't be assembled. They are repaired afterward but dang, there sure is a lot of mismatched parts on that car.

shapiroeric

People do some crazy things to cars but I just can't wrap my head around someone actually ordering it like that....

Strimdog

Bizarre. Though I can't imagine Porsche would allow something that hideous into circulation. Must be a car for the local circus in Stuttgart.

Jamie140

It's the Lovin Spoonful edition!

Did you ever have to make up your mind
Pick up on one and leave the other behind
It's not often easy and not often kind
Did you ever have to make up your mind

Did you ever have to finally decide
Say yes to one and let the other one ride
There's so many changes and tears you must hide
Did you ever have to finally decide

Sometimes there's one with big blue eyes, cute as a bunny
With hair down to here, and plenty of money
And just when you think she's that one in the world
You heart gets stolen by some mousey little girl

And then you know you'd better make up your mind...
Sometimes you really dig a girl the moment you kiss her
And then you get distracted by her older sister
When in walks her father and takes you a line
And says, "You better go home, son, and make up your mind"

And then you bet you'd better finally decide...
Songwriters: JOHN SEBASTIAN