Porsche is known for offering a wide range of options on its vehicles, especially the 911. That’s no joke either – if you jump into Porsche’s configurator for the 911 Carrera you’ll immediately find 18 color choices for just the exterior, and if you’re still not satisfied with any of those shades, you can spend an extra $11,430 for a custom color of your choosing. Similarly, there are 26 different options for interior materials and colors, and that’s without any individual customization.
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That’s why a recent report from Autocar about Porsche’s challenges in putting this all together isn’t the least bit surprising. According to the magazine, Porsche’s Head of Quality Frank Moser described a dizzying maze of stats that must coexist peacefully to ensure all the various colors match up in a satisfying manner. Aside from the options we talked about above, Moser further mentions 11 different interior colors working with 16 different equipment levels. But wait, there’s more.
Gallery: 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S: First Drive
The report further explains that there are no less than 300 visible components in the 911’s interior, and attention is given to each one to ensure a proper match. The process is further complicated by materials, of which 51 different types are used in the greenhouse. That number is more perplexing to us than anything. We can rattle off a dozen materials pretty easily, but 51? Perhaps the greatest challenge, however, is that 76 different suppliers provide these parts. No wonder 911 options get so pricey.
As it is, a base model 911 Carrera starts at $97,400. That price gets you a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine good for 379 horsepower (283 kilowatts), driving just the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It’s not quite as thrust-happy as the Carrera S, but it still reaches 60 mph in four seconds flat, and it’s quite the looker even without all the various color and equipment options.
Source: Autocar