Just as the Porsche brand was born from founder Ferry Porsche’s dream of the perfect sports car, the new Porsche 911 Carrera GTS 30 Years Porsche Thailand Edition is also the result of a dream.
Over the last 30 years, Porsche Thailand by AAS Group has been on a dream journey, growing from a single 911 Turbo import, to a leader in the luxury automotive industry bringing customers’ sports car dreams to life.
The unwavering support of the passionate customers in Thailand has also resulted in one of the most vibrant Porsche scenes globally, with spectacular events such as Das Treffen gaining worldwide exposure.
To commemorate this momentous occasion, the company dreamed of creating a special edition to reflect the unique country of Thailand – and to bring this kaleidoscopic dream to life, they turned to Christian Heck.
The Special Vehicles Manager at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur – Porsche’s bespoke “dream division” – was thrilled at the prospect of this one-of-a-kind collaboration between Porsche Thailand, Porsche Asia Pacific and Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur. Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur was specifically formed over 10 years ago to fulfil individual and highly specific customer requests, as an extension and expression owners’ personalities.
“It was an honour to be able to create this special edition for Thailand – one of the most colourful and vibrant places I have ever seen. From glittering temples to lush forests and clear blue waters, Thailand is a country rich with history, meaning and artistry. That is why, from the very beginning, we knew we had to create a truly special car to reflect this.”
The central theme of the 911 Carrera GTS 30 Years Porsche Thailand Edition comes from the seven colours of the week in Thailand. However, rather than using standard colours from the Porsche palette, Christian and the team opted to pick shades from Porsche’s iconic Paint to Sample catalogue.
“The process for creating a Paint to Sample colour requires extensive manual labour and meticulous attention-to-detail. For each application, new pigments are mixed and the paint reflects the desired colour sample precisely. Colourists monitor the paint finish throughout the entire process, and experts perform an extensive final visual inspection of the paint under various standardised conditions,” shared Mr. Heck.
Eventually, the colours chosen for the collection were Signal Yellow (Monday), Ruby Star (Tuesday), Signal Green (Wednesday), Pastel Orange (Thursday), Riviera Blue (Friday), Ultraviolet (Saturday) and Fire Red (Sunday).
“The concept is incredible – the seven symbolic colours of each day of the week. It is the perfect representation of Thai culture and beliefs, as the colour assigned to an individual’s day of birth is believed to bring good luck. There is no better expression of Porsche Thailand’s milestone and the individuality of our community of Thai dreamers, than to have the iconic Porsche 911 in their very own lucky colours,” said Thanabodee Kulthol, Sales Director of Porsche Thailand.
Mr. Heck shared that the project was both challenging and rewarding for his team, with many hand-painted features and artisanal features dedicated to Thailand. The craftsmen at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur require great skill and training to bring such sophisticated design features to life.
Small yet significant hand-finished details come together as a homage to the Kingdom of Thailand, including the colour of the Thai flag on the rear decklid slats and 30th anniversary symbols emblazoned on the door sills and stitched onto the headrests. The interior features artisanal cross-stitching, which is a process that can only be achieved by hand.
“The more we developed this concept , the more we loved it – because it is emotional, full of meaning and beautiful in vibrant colour. We hope we have reflected the depth and richness of Thai culture in the most authentic way possible, and that our customers in Thailand enjoy this modest tribute from Porsche, on this special anniversary,” Mr. Heck said.
At a spectacular gala event at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Porsche also unveiled a one-of-a-kind Inspiration Car. The Inspiration Car is finished in all seven colours as a stunning embodiment of the Edition, exquisitely hand-painted by body and paint specialists at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
The one-off car exhibits all of the design elements of the 911 Carrera GTS 30 Years Porsche Thailand Edition on its exterior and interior, proudly bearing every shade that the Thailand edition will be available in.
It will be on display at the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show, from 22 March-2 April at Challenger Hall, Impact Exhibition Centre. Following this, the inspiration car will head to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, showcasing the inimitable spirit of Thailand to the world.
www.porsche.com/pap/_thailand_/aboutporsche/importers/dreams-in-colours/
