Exclusive Manufaktur: It's Porsche for bespoke

Porsche has joined the ranks of marques including Jaguar, Aston Martin and McLaren in championing its refreshed bespoke division.

Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur may not roll off the tongue like SVO or AMR, but it’s an equally serious attempt to woo more high net worth individuals in the fold who want to inject a bit more personality into their favourite Porsche. And boost the company’s profits along the way.

Exclusive Manufaktur is not new; 30 years young, it was rebranded and relaunched just a few weeks ago. The timing corresponded with the launch of the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, a $590,700 flagship to the Turbo range.

Just 500 of the Exclusive Series will be built, in part at Exclusive Manufaktur new expanded facility in Zuffenhausen, just a decent drop-kick away from the main Porsche plant.

There, Exclusive Manufaktur fettles four 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series per day. The finishing process takes about 11 hours, during which time 17 additional Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur options (comprising about 50 components) are fitted.

That number of parts and timeline doesn’t include the Turbo S Exclusive Series tweaks that are fitted as part of the factory build process. Nor, the almost three weeks it takes to fashion and finish the car’s exquisite all carbon-fibre bonnet and roof.

The level of detail in the Exclusive Series 911 is something to behold. The forged alloy wheels are first painted gold, then black, before laser etching is used to remove a small portion of the black to reveal fine gold detailing.

In-country moves
The new Turbo S Exclusive Series is a fitting icon with which to turn the spotlight on Exclusive Manufaktur. The Porsche bespoke division’s first car was a turbo – a singleton street-legal version of the brutal slant nose 935 Turbo that was rolled out in 1983.

There followed 948 examples of the 911 Turbo Flachbau built from 1983 to 1989. And then the 964 Series 911 Turbo S Leichtbau (86 units) in 1992 and 1993.

Since then the auto atelier has offered many limited editions, perhaps the most famous of which Down Under was the circa 2009 997 Series 911 Sport Classic. Just five made it to Australia; at a price tag that was substantially more than the then 911 range’s turbocharged ‘flagship’.

Editions like the Sport Classic and 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series will continue to be one of the foundation services for the expanded Exclusive Manufaktur operation. In addition, regional and even “country editions” are planned to celebrate appropriate anniversaries and the like.

Sonder-what?
The main function of the operation, in volume at least, will be offering a range of options over and above the already extensive and expensive list the factory delivers. Sonderwunschprogramm in German…

Custom paint, custom interiors, the modification of finishes inside and out, lighting options, different wheels, aero kits and, in some cases even power-up options, are all part of the 600 (approx) choices the division now offers across the full Porsche range – even SUVs.

Exclusive Manufaktur has satellite operations co-located with the SUVs lines to move its magic on the highriding Porsches and Panamera. Although it’s unlikely tweaked Macan, Cayenne or sedan take-up rates will ever approach the near 40 per cent of 911s that go through Exclusive Manufaktur’s programs.

Porsche has opened specialist outlets in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Dubai. In Australia, the intention is to incorporate defined Exclusive Manufaktur areas into its dealerships.

The complexity of customisation is an opportunity for Porsche, Boris Apenbrik, Director Customer Centre Special Vehicles, told motoring.com.au.

Exclusive Manufaktur programming teams work with the various factories to plan each vehicle. In the expanded Zuffenhausen workshop (two and half times larger than the operation’s previous digs) cars are driven in under their own power, completed and driven back to Porsche’s main operation for distribution.

It’s a one man, one car philosophy at the Exclusive Manufaktur facility. Parts from specialised supplies in the Stuttgart area and Porsche’s own saddlery are assembled daily for the cars. On average cars spend around four hours at the facility, although Apenbrik says very specialised cars could be there for a number of days.

The custom parts are ordered in parallel. Critical components like steering wheels cannot be re-used. Instead two wheels are ordered for the custom car, the latter refinished to the customer's order. Parts like painted or leather covered interior trim items also cannot be reused. That in part explains the cost. The trash bins thereabouts would likely make ordinary Porsche fans weep.

Drive the difference
Our visit to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur is punctuated by a quick spin to Weissach (Porsche’s R&D centre) and back – barely enough time to get comfortable in the car, let alone evaluate one of the world’s most capable road cars.

There’s clearly more torque than the standard Turbo S, not that the ‘cooking version’ is lacking in any way. It’ll take a better judge and a lot more road to pick the extra 20kW or so with which the car is equipped.

Apparently the new exhaust is a little more ‘fruity’ – I couldn’t tell.

What I could appreciate was the incredible level of detail incorporated into the car. The ‘GT’ stripes on the stepped carbon-fibre roof and lightweight bonnet are exposed carbon yet somehow Exclusive Manufaktur’s paint magicians have achieved an absolutely seamless transition. The clear coat looks millimetres deep.

And that same finish is achieved on the part painted, part carbon side skirts. The overall effect is incredible. In the hero ‘Golden Yellow Metallic’ polarising, but incredible, just the same.

Inside there’s carbon detailing which incorporates copper filaments – and gold and black perforated seat surfaces. It’s not as gauche as it sounds, but still far from my cup of tea.

But in that pronouncement, lies the rub… And Exclusive Manufaktur raison d’etre.

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