Porsche's amazing colors go through a rigorous process.
Porsche is synonymous with unique colors, and it recently added several colors to its paint-to-sample option. There are now more than 160 colors available for the 911.
But have you ever wondered where these colors come from? They were created by Daniela Milosevic, a designer in the Colour and Trim Design department at Porsche's Weissach Development Centre. “Some people remember songs or fragrances after interesting encounters. I automatically remember colors,” says Milosevic.
She uses an example to explain. Recalling a visit to the Dornier Museum in Germany, she remembers the olive with gold-colored pearl-gloss pigments. At night, the museum is illuminated by a color called Frozenberry, which inspired a famous Porsche color.
It's a mix of old rose and light grey, with a hint of pink. The color was created specifically for the Porsche Taycan. “The electric world is characterized by purity and clarity. It is white, so to speak. But we also wanted to offer our customers alternatives,” explains Milosevic.
Creating colors for the Taycan was a massive task. “We picked up the pastel world to perfectly convey electrification,” says Milosevic. While Frozenberry may have been inspired by the lighting of a German museum, the design team turned to Asia to refine the color. “Asians are very courageous in their choice of colors.”
Frozenberry was also just the working title of the color, never meant to be used as a name. But everyone liked it, so it stuck.
Most of their inspiration comes from the world of interiors. “We use interior design and architecture as a source of ideas for our work. Fashion moves too fast. In contrast, customers buy a sofa and keep it for several years – like a car,” says Milosevic.
Instead of looking at what there is, they look at what's not. After a famous event, like the Milan Furniture Fair, the team will discuss what colors it was lacking. In addition to that, they also look back at Porsche's color history to see what hasn't been available for a while. “We are always at least two years ahead because we must recognize and set trends. At the same time, we must never lose sight of the brand's DNA,” explains the color designer, who has been working at Porsche for 13 years.
But how does the actual process work? Unlike most people, who have a desk with a computer on it, Milosevic has a full mixing bench on which she can create any color imaginable. “Everything starts bright and white, and the designers then slowly move forward into the pastel world or the world of bright colors with small buckets and scales.”
Whatever she's working on today will only see the light of day in three to four years. She works with test panels and small 911 models.
A color will be applied to a test panel and shipped to Porsche's test center in Florida. It has to pass a strict stability test, which includes being exposed to two years in the sun. It also has to pass tests for fire safety, saltwater, and stone impacts. Around 12 colors are created per year, of which an average of four make it to production. The 2022 Taycan recently launched with some of these new colors.
“A lot of things revolve around colors in my life. The working day never really ends for me as a designer. Even moods take on a color for me. I cannot concentrate on a single color. Instead, I allow myself to be led and guided by colors.”
Keyword: Porsche Spends Four Years Designing New Colors