2023 Porsche GT3 Touring

Featured on exhibit is “Aquarella” – a 2023 Porsche GT3 Touring in Paint-to-Sample Meissen Blue exterior, contrasted over a 2-tone Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Black & Graphite Blue Nappa leather, sprinkled with deviated Pebble Gray stitching. Ever since it debuted in the 996 model, through all of its generations the GT3 has become an iconic piece of automotive history, as it is the homologated road car version serving as the basis for the competition-bred Porsche GT3 Cup Series car. The GT3 Touring model – while exact in every other respect as its GT3 Winged sibling – differs by its ‘sleeper’ looks, most notably omitting the large fixed rear wing in exchange for a speed-variable rear clamshell spoiler.
Aquarella has a unique story. With an allocation of July 2021 – she rolled off the Zuffenhausen factory exactly 2 years later – in July of 2023. The prolonged delay was a combination of post Covid-19 supply chain disruptions, component shortages, as well as her bespoke build requiring both a Paint-to-Sample production window, as well as workshop availability for Porsche’s Special Wishes (“Sonderwunsch”) custom tailoring program.
Despite the long delay, being delivered via Porsche’s European Delivery program, Aquarella embarked on an epic traverse across Europe, stamping her passport in 7 countries over a 3,000km journey. Among the highlights were crossing the Euro / La Manche channel on the way to the UK and attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed. There, alongside the rest of Porsche’s line up, Aquarella went up the famous Goodwood hill climb, and proudly wears the signature of Andreas Preuninger – the head of Porsche’s venerable GT division who autographed her personally. Post Goodwood FoS, Aquarella enjoyed Continental Europe which included French wine country, Italy (relaxing at Lago di Como’s Villa D’Este), crossed various Swiss, Austrian, and Italian alpine passes (Gotthard, Stelvio, etc.), and fully broken in – stretched Germany’s unrestricted autobahn on her way to Munich.
Why Meissen Blue? As a modern-day GT3 Touring, Aquarella aimed to represent a heritage “throwback” build, paying homage and honoring the venerable Porsche 356 – the first Porsche to feature this unique paint. Lighter than Gulf Blue, the color originates from the German town of Meissen well known since the 1700s for its unique porcelain (the displayed Meissen porcelain plate and mug were an inspiration for Aquarella’s build featuring those very tones [Meissen, Graphite Blue, Pebble Gray accents]).
Aquarella comes with an extensive list of factory-installed options, such as: 2-tone Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur leather interior, adaptive 18-way sport seats, deviated stitching, front axle lift, Sport Chrono, colored seat belts as well as Sport Chrono Stopwatch and Central Tachometer dials, aluminum pedals and footrest, PCCB (ceramic brakes), BOSE stereo, PDLS headlights, and a medley of other options.
Additionally, Aquarella is adorned by a number of Sonderwunsch custom tailoring elements – most of which are not immediately recognizable except for the most discriminating of Porsche ‘cognoscenti’. For example, the dashboard, door trims, and center console surround inserts are all hand-wrapped in matching Graphite Blue leather; the cabin “GT3” insignia as well as shift pattern atop the gear lever are painted in stitching-matching Pebble Gray. The gear shifter lever itself has been modified to feature the top ball handle wrapped in Graphite blue, while the black leather boot with contrasting stitching follows the 2-tone motif of the cabin’s soothing interior. Aquarella’s key is painted in matching Meissen Blue, and the door pulls are as seen on the later-featured limited production Porsche S/T (Pebble Gray vinyl door pull straps wrapped in Graphite Blue leather). All such Porsche Sonderwunsch / Special Wish custom tailoring elements were done in the spirit of the GT3 Touring’s “less is more” ethos.