$64,000 for US paint job on 918, please explain why?
10-17-2013, 03:13 PM
#17
Intermediate
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Unknown
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
10-18-2013, 11:15 AM
#18
Rennlist Member
Did you order it for your 918? I take it McLaren doesn't have anything to compare it to as an option on the P1?
11-25-2013, 11:41 PM
#20
On the topic of 'Liquid Metal' paints on the 918
We were given more details about the two special paints (Liquid Metal Silver & Liquid Metal Chrome Blue) for this model at the 918 test driving event at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs on Nov. 21st. Porsche also had the base 918 model painted in 'Liquid Metal Silver' on display (last photo attached below). First let's hear the official Porsche spiel as quoted from their latest hardcopy 918 sales brochure:
"Nine coats of the Liquid Metal paint applied with high precision, three manual processing stages, and three final clear coats guarantee impressive light reflection and extraordinary depth. Every reflection helps to emphasize the contours of the 918 Spyder with even more clarity. The paint is highly vibrant and gives the surface the appearance of liquid metal. We'd even go so far as to claim that rarely has a concept been realized so tangibly."
And there is a rumor that the final paint buffing at Zuffenhausen is done by a team of beautiful Norse Valkyrie maidens working totally in the buff! Do I have your attention now? Well, for $63,000, you should expect no less.
But wait, there is a serious part to this whole topic of the 'Liquid Metal' colors on a 918. Last Thursday at The Thermal Club was the first time my friend Doug, who has had a deposit on the 918 since the first prototype was shown at the Jet Center in Monterey in August of 2010, had seen an actual 918 prototype painted in any of these two expensive 'Liquid Metal' colors! And he has been a guest at several Porsche 918 'deposit holders' events, including one in Zuffenhausen in 2011 and another in Las Vegas in 2012. So this 'Liquid Metal' 918 at The Thermal was a indeed a rare sighting. What was explained to him at the '12 Las Vegas 918 meet was that the 'secret' of the 'Liquid Metal' paint process involves using magnets to line up the metallic flakes in set directional patterns. I am not kidding. MAGNETS! This was confirmed to us at the temporary Porsche Zentrum located at the 918 test drive center at The Thermal by Melissa Witek, who works with Sascha Glaeser in managing all of 'Porsche Exclusive' for the United States. The magnets arrange the exact position & orientation of the metallic flakes in the liquid paint as it's applied to the surface of the 918. As a result, they will be able to determine exactly how light will reflect once it hits that surface and bounces back to be seen by the eye. It sounds terrific and totally 'high tech', which matches the character of this car to a T.
And in reality, the 'Liquid Metal Silver' paint on the 918 at The Thermal looked absolutely fantastic. But would I have paid $63,000 for it if I was ordering a 918? No. I would, however, have gladly paid the $20K+ that Porsche is charging to create a unique PTS color on this base $845K model. Just imagine this model painted in 'Acid Green', Lichtgrün (Birch Green), 'Signal Yellow' or 'Gulf Orange'! As a percentage of MSRP, PTS on a 918 is less expensive than the $5,500 on a 991 or 981. And if I was to order the Weissach Package, I would have gone for one of the two historic motorsport 'film' packages (Martini Racing or Salzburg Racing).
Saludos,
Eduardo
"Nine coats of the Liquid Metal paint applied with high precision, three manual processing stages, and three final clear coats guarantee impressive light reflection and extraordinary depth. Every reflection helps to emphasize the contours of the 918 Spyder with even more clarity. The paint is highly vibrant and gives the surface the appearance of liquid metal. We'd even go so far as to claim that rarely has a concept been realized so tangibly."
And there is a rumor that the final paint buffing at Zuffenhausen is done by a team of beautiful Norse Valkyrie maidens working totally in the buff! Do I have your attention now? Well, for $63,000, you should expect no less.
But wait, there is a serious part to this whole topic of the 'Liquid Metal' colors on a 918. Last Thursday at The Thermal Club was the first time my friend Doug, who has had a deposit on the 918 since the first prototype was shown at the Jet Center in Monterey in August of 2010, had seen an actual 918 prototype painted in any of these two expensive 'Liquid Metal' colors! And he has been a guest at several Porsche 918 'deposit holders' events, including one in Zuffenhausen in 2011 and another in Las Vegas in 2012. So this 'Liquid Metal' 918 at The Thermal was a indeed a rare sighting. What was explained to him at the '12 Las Vegas 918 meet was that the 'secret' of the 'Liquid Metal' paint process involves using magnets to line up the metallic flakes in set directional patterns. I am not kidding. MAGNETS! This was confirmed to us at the temporary Porsche Zentrum located at the 918 test drive center at The Thermal by Melissa Witek, who works with Sascha Glaeser in managing all of 'Porsche Exclusive' for the United States. The magnets arrange the exact position & orientation of the metallic flakes in the liquid paint as it's applied to the surface of the 918. As a result, they will be able to determine exactly how light will reflect once it hits that surface and bounces back to be seen by the eye. It sounds terrific and totally 'high tech', which matches the character of this car to a T.
And in reality, the 'Liquid Metal Silver' paint on the 918 at The Thermal looked absolutely fantastic. But would I have paid $63,000 for it if I was ordering a 918? No. I would, however, have gladly paid the $20K+ that Porsche is charging to create a unique PTS color on this base $845K model. Just imagine this model painted in 'Acid Green', Lichtgrün (Birch Green), 'Signal Yellow' or 'Gulf Orange'! As a percentage of MSRP, PTS on a 918 is less expensive than the $5,500 on a 991 or 981. And if I was to order the Weissach Package, I would have gone for one of the two historic motorsport 'film' packages (Martini Racing or Salzburg Racing).
Saludos,
Eduardo
11-26-2013, 02:25 AM
#21
If I were a customer for this car, I wouldn't hesitate to drop the extra coin for the liquid silver. It looks absolutely fantastic, and is special. PTS is one thing but you can't get the liquid silver workmanship even at your favorite one-off custom shop. I think it's remarkable that they'd even offer such a thing from a large scale manufacturer. And after all, what's $64k between friends. That's less than the CA tax I'd have to pay for the car.
I'm surprised that people willing to drop $850k for a car (a bargain BTW compared to its competitors, as was the CGT) would think about the "value" in the paint upcharge.
Easy to say though, I'm not a customer.
I'm surprised that people willing to drop $850k for a car (a bargain BTW compared to its competitors, as was the CGT) would think about the "value" in the paint upcharge.
Easy to say though, I'm not a customer.
04-01-2014, 02:01 PM
#22
Technical Guru
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
What was explained to him at the '12 Las Vegas 918 meet was that the 'secret' of the 'Liquid Metal' paint process involves using magnets to line up the metallic flakes in set directional patterns. I am not kidding. MAGNETS! This was confirmed to us at the temporary Porsche Zentrum located at the 918 test drive center at The Thermal by Melissa Witek, who works with Sascha Glaeser in managing all of 'Porsche Exclusive' for the United States.
04-01-2014, 09:55 PM
#23
04-01-2014, 10:23 PM
#24
Race Director
Figure a couple gallons are needed, so you need 16 of these jars. That works out to $241.60.
04-22-2014, 10:52 PM
#26
Rennlist Member
The other thing I'd note about the liquid metal paint is that the particles must be finer or something. I heard the same story about magnets at the Thermal event. When you look close up at a "normal" metallic paint, you can see all the different colored little glitter flecks and stuff in the paint. You don't see that in the liquid metal paint... the color and metallic reflectiveness is very even. It's kinda like the difference between old Apple iPad/MacBook displays and new Retina displays where you can't see individual pixels with the naked eye is the best I can describe it. Combined with the depth, it's definitely unique in person.
04-23-2014, 09:10 AM
#28
Race Car
...so it's not cheaper than the paint.
My friend who works at the dealer just got back from 918 training and was telling me all about it over dinner last night.
04-23-2014, 02:20 PM
#29
Technical Guru
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Originally Posted by cchan
I heard the same story about magnets at the Thermal event.
Base Coat: ONYX HD Basecoat liquid metal (chrome blue or silver)
Clear Coat: SUPREMELUX CP
04-27-2014, 09:06 PM
#30
Burning Brakes
I did some checking and Porsche charges the following for Paint to Sample:
$53,000 base Boxster- $5500
$183,000 991 Turbo S- $5500
Conclusion- Price of the car has nothing to do with it.
$78,000 base Panamera- $9,900
Size of the car has everything to do with it.
$845,000 918- PTS is Free
$53,000 base Boxster- $5500
$183,000 991 Turbo S- $5500
Conclusion- Price of the car has nothing to do with it.
$78,000 base Panamera- $9,900
Size of the car has everything to do with it.
$845,000 918- PTS is Free