Congrats on your 992S!

As others have mentioned on the thread, if you want true paint protection from impacts, rock chips, scratches, bug etching, and more, then the only answer is a physical paint protection film. Ceramic coatings, while amazing, will not stop rock chips or scratches. While we're biased and believe PPF is always the best first step, what we can tell you is that the Porsche 911 is our #1 protected model globally based on the number of pre-cut kits cut annually. In fact, the 911 has been our #1 for a long time now. Also, depending on when and how you order your 911, the factory offered PPF for the full front end is XPEL PPF installed at the factory.

The majority of the kits we see cut are full front end or full front end and rocker panels. Protecting the rocker panels is especially important if you do any "spirited" driving (which we hope you would do in a Porsche) or have the wider rear end 4 or turbo models. Check out the video below from YouTuber Engineering Explained (2.68million subscribers) on Everything You Need To Know About Ceramic Coatings including PPF vs Ceramic Coating and which one goes first and why.


Ceramic Coatings are meant for ease of maintenance and enhanced appearance. PPF is meant for true impact protection. Both have their unique benefits and are great used together but they aren't considered competitive products as they both do different things. When you're considering both, it's important to always put PPF first and then ceramic coating. If you did the other way around then the ceramic coating could interfere with the adhesion of the PPF over time. Plus, wouldn't you want the benefits of the extreme hydrophobic properties of the coating? That's another reason to put the ceramic coating on top of the PPF and never underneath.

We hope this info helps if you have any questions or need help finding an installer nearest you, let us know.

 

I agree with this. Even with the best PPF, you can see differences over time between the front half & rest of the car. idc what color you have.

I'm now all for just living with a little patina on the front end of the car, the many headaches of PPF are all too real.

 

 

Thanks Esoteric. I just ordered some Polish Angel Cosmic Spritz and I’m anxious to try it out 👍

 

I'm on the fence and struggling with the ¨PPF vs No PPF" dilemma. Here's an example that gives me some pause...

Owner A drives a 992 with no PPF and sustains multiple nicks and chips to the OEM paint.

Owner B drives the same 992 but has PPF and sustains similarly sized nicks and chips. These visible marks are to the film and not the underlying OEM paint.

Depending on how one views these imperfections, both vehicles show either naturally acceptable patina or unsightly and unacceptable damage/marks. While either perspective is acceptable, the visible result is the same - both vehicles show essentially the same wear and tear. Therefore, what is the perceived benefit of PPF? Is it simply that Owner B someday is likely to "restore" the appearance by removing the PPF and exposing the OEM paint? That might not take place for several years. In the interim, how much joy does Owner B experience by driving a PPF protected vehicle that shows the same imperfections as Owner A's unprotected vehicle? Until you actually get around to removing the film, Owner B is driving a 992 that looks substantially similar to Owner A's 992 . Is the satisfaction of knowing that the underlying paint is probably undamaged enough to justify the cost for Owner B?

Maybe I'm looking at it all wrong as the so-called self-healing aspects would result in less visible damage and make my example moot or that the added protection of film will significantly reduce the impact and severity of rock chips, etc.

Thoughts?

 

I think owner B will be able to command a higher price when he sells the vehicle years later down the line because he can say that the factory paint is brand new. i wont feel bad seeing knicks on the ppf as long as i know its still protected underneath. you cant see it from 4 feet away anyway. you'll have to look up close to find them. also i think it saves money in the long run because you wont be swirling and scratching the paint during normal washes. washing is super easy with ppf as well. and i can easily wipe without worrying about damage.

 

Wow, with 86 votes in so far just over 80% of respondents do some version with PPF. Have to say I am surprised it is that high.

 

I used to be on the PPF bandwagon. I'm 100% for replacing the factory film on the rear quarters however.

 

Your story Smiles11 and Crimewave’s have made me really question what to do. I’ve never had it on a car before and was all set in my mind to do it until I read about both of your experiences. After Crimewave’s experience I was like ok I will go with having the dealer do it so I don’t have to worry about a scenario with multiple parties blaming each other. Then I read about your experience going thru the dealer and it blew that theory up. But given the significant amount of responses of people saying they have done PPF it is starting to lead me to believe you guys had very unfortunate outlier experiences.

 

I agree. I'll never do PPF again, not just because of the experience with the knife marks, but the maintenance required had me second guessing it as well. Bubbling, edges coming up, discoloration, dirt getting trapped, etc... I've found PPF will never be perfect, and when you compare it to just living with natural road debris marks, it's just not worth it anymore to me. The thought of having to bring it in for a second, third, fourth visit to "trim" and to fix the imperfections I noted, just creates headaches overall. This is just my experience; so to your point, I'm definitely an outlier here.

And unfortunately, it's experiences like mine that you have to experience first hand before you realize, it's not worth it.

When you read the hundreds of PPF threads. It really does come down to ONE thing... It's not the quality of the PPF, it's not the company you're dealing with (or dealership)... but it's the INSTALLER. Because even reputable companies have off days.

Live & learn as they say

 

I spent a good deal of cash on PPF and Ceramic at a reputable detailer in SoCal. No matter how bad I try not to notice it, I have strong vision and it drives me absolutely nuts. That and it just feels different to the touch. I'm glad I did it, but at the end of the day it's either going to cause an issue while on the car or potentially when they remove it.

As a side note, I did do a "new car detailing" that absolutely blew my mind. I made visual notes of a few things I noticed when I picked up the car at PECLA and they were 110% rectified after the detailer spent time with it. How Porsche (and other luxury car manufacturers) get away with this is pretty disappointing. I remember seeing some post on F-Chat years back about someone taking delivery of a brand new car that looked like it had been used for years.

 

At the very least. Make sure you have your shop check for clear coat defects when they paint correct. Before any PPF is put on.

 

Different strokes for different folks. I had unsatisfactory experiences with film edging on a couple F cars thinking that I needed to protect them. I learned that in a world of Home Depot and Publix parking lots, stone chips were the least of my worries, and it was best to just roll with the dings. The work Esoteric does (as per the video) installing film is very very impressive work...much respect for the passion and professionalism, but, on the other hand, kind of over the top for a consumer durable. For me, they may be nice cars, but they're cars. Patina it is.

 

For small nicks and marks, the self-healing properties of a good PPF will take of those blemishes. No problem.

As to those blemishes that become part of the character and patina of the PPF, yes, a replacement PPF will resolve that issue. Replacing PPF is (1) cheaper and (2) less of a "black mark" on the car than a repaint of a particular panel.

And, for what it's worth, I used to replace my PPF routinely about every 6-8 months (if not sooner) on my 991 GT3. At least the front fender, and rocker panels.

Depending on how, when and where you drive your car, PPF is worth the trouble and expense if you care about protecting your paint. If you don't (and there's nothing with that laissez-faire attitude), then simply leave it and enjoy the patina of Porsche ownership.

No right or wrong here. Just what works best for your situation, tolerance of blemishes, and budget.

 

I'm an XPEL customer and I've done full wraps. The comment earlier about the installer is 100% right. Watch them wrap someone else's car before they do yours -- see how many panels, pieces, and components they take off to wrap, do they wrap the edges, do they just use a precut kit, etc.. Figure out if the PPF includes a paint correction or if you have to take it to them corrected since that's quite a big difference.

The one downside to PPF is that you run the risk of peeling paint when you replace or remove it all together. That one downside I can live with because it is reduced if put on correctly. It makes me not worry about swirls, bird poop, rocks, parking lot accidents, etc. and I can actually enjoy the car.