longhorn911

In day-to-day life, how much does the color of a Porsche affect the overall attention/reaction that it gets? This is a question I've been pondering as I get close to purchasing a 996 of my own.

I've narrowed my color choice down to two colors: Guards Red and Seal Gray. I love the Red, but I'm wondering if it would be almost too much of an attention-getter. Would the Red come with a significantly larger amount of reaction "baggage" (attention from the Police, other drivers, drag racers, bystanders, thieves, etc…) than the Gray car would?

This is a very interesting question and I'd love to hear how others treat you in your car and whether you think color makes a big difference (positively or negatively).

Thanks in advance...

Spizz Oil

I think you are right.

I have had Kalahari Beige (yuk), Guards Red and Arctic Silver.

But I had the least trouble with a Prussian Blue 911 3.2.

Random Alias

One thing I can tell you is that I rarely seem to notice exotic cars going in the opposite direction on the highway unless they are red or yellow. Yellow especially seems to catch my eye as unlike red it's still pretty uncommon.

I have to imagine that it's much the same for some guy with a badge and radar gun. Those colors are designed to attract attention and they do.

BSC

A gray Porsche is still a Porsche -- it will attract attention on the road regardless. -- as will your driving style. Radar guns don't necessarily discriminate.

One other thing to consider is re-sale. If YOU like the gray, you should be happy to own it. However, I personally I have a feeling it would be harder to sell a gray P-car than a red one.

Flypuck

Had Guards Red
Have Polar Silver
Get the same amount of looks.

Juan

Go for teal or the new Corette red.

Patrick

Seal Grey on the 996's body looks very classy!

ignacio

even if radar guns don't discriminate the cops will be more willing to give you a warning if you appear in a more favorable light.

i had a '79 guards red 911sc that i loved but that almost lost me my license lapis blue is more forgiving and still gets lots of attention.

that said--i still love guards red and speed yellow--but i'm chicken!

DonW-Cape Cod

I also think GR and SY stand out for recognition by friend and foe alike. My personal preference would be AS, PS (if you can afford it) or even SG. Those are neutral colors and allows my wife to look good in any color outfit! Maybe it's my age!

Itzkirb

I have Seal Gray and Love it.

I guess it all depends what you're after. Seal Gray doesn't attract that much attention, but Guard Red would.

MKW

That may have been true 15 years ago, but the reverse is now the case. Some dealers won't keep red 996s in trade , as they won't sell. Silver and seal grey are sought after in the 996 resale market , followed by darker blues, then black. How often do you see a NEW red 996 vs silver or Seal Grey ?

David in LA

wrt to color, there was a survey a few months ago re: new car colors - the result was 40+% of new cars are either white or some shade of silver (this would include silver). IMHO for Porsche resale purposes silver is the safest color there is (I don't think white looks good on the996 body style).

redcab

I've always been partial to silver / grey cars...a very sophisticated look. But since I've had so many in past years, I decided be different and go red. If you stand on a street corner, you'll see many red common cars, so I figure that a red porsche isn't going to stand out because of its color. And so far...no tickets. The comment about resale is definitely true here in Northern California. You can bargain a lot more for any shade of red....seal grey goes off the lot much faster. It's easier to take care of than black and still has a very formal look. But I haven't regretted my Orient Red cab one single time either.

TurboMark

I like guards red but it is a very 80's color and it trades at a big discount. If you are buying used, you should be able to get a great deal. If you are buying new, you sould be able to get a decent discount but it wont make up for the value drop you will experience when you sell it.

Sean M.

Yellow definitely gets a LOT of attention. When I first bought the car back in 2000, the amount of attention was almost disconcerting. Now I am used to it, plus there are a lot more Boxsters on the road.

Ultimately I think you need to get what YOU like, regardless of what other people may think. They aren't living your life. If we let other people dictate our car preferences, we'd all be driving grey Tauruses (not that there's anything wrong with that!).