:: EBS Racing :: Do You Know The Difference Between Genuine, OEM, and Aftermarket?

When it comes to the best parts for your Porsche project, there are a thousand different criteria to take into consideration, not the least of which is manufacturer source. Luckily the staff here at EBS Racing can help you determine which parts fit your needs most closely, taking budget, use, and desired effect as the starting points for our decision. In this post, we'll try to help you narrow down your parts searches by explaining the differences between Genuine Porsche products, Original Equipment Manufacturer products, and Aftermarket products. The more we can help you to understand the parts buying process, the easier it will be for us to determine together what you really want for your Porsche. Let's begin with the simplest of the three parts varieties, Genuine Porsche. Any product described as Genuine comes to us directly from Porsche's distribution network. The part will remain in its original Porsche packaging with Porsche logos and part number identification labels. These are parts that have been through Porsche's quality control system and are delivered exactly as the factory intends them to be. Usually, these parts will be exactly identical to the original part supplied when your car was built. Occasionally Porsche will supply a later updated version of the part (called a 'supercession') that may be made of a different material, shaped slightly differently, or be a different color, though it should still function as necessary in its role within your car. Moving on to the next category of part, we have Original Equipment Manufacturer or "OEM". This would signify a part that is manufactured by one of the suppliers that Porsche originally used for the parts on your car. Contrary to what many people believe, Porsche does not manufacture the majority of the components in your car, they simply contract with thousands of suppliers and facilitate final assembly, especially in a modern car like you'd find on their dealer lots today. The easiest example to illustrate this point is the braking system of your car. For example, Porsche may have used a brake caliper manufactured by the Italian manufacturer Brembo, making them the "OEM" of that part. When a part we sell is marked OEM, it simply means that we've sourced a part directly from the manufacturer, without going through Porsche's distribution network. This theoretical Brembo brake caliper would not come in Porsche packaging, and while likely identical to the same caliper you would buy directly from Porsche, it is not technically a "Genuine" part. The same would apply to clutch discs made by Sachs, shock dampers made by Koni, or a fuel injector or ignition coil produced by Bosch. Like a Genuine Porsche part, supercessions and substitutions do occasionally apply. The final category of parts that we provide are known as Aftermarket. A component can be deemed Aftermarket for a number of reasons. The majority of aftermarket components we provide are physically different in manufacture from the original piece, as a way of improving the function of the component. Occasionally an original equipment manufacturer will produce an aftermarket version of a certain part, though usually aftermarket components are produced by independent companies. Some great examples of aftermarket parts that we carry include JE Pistons, ARP Fasteners, or Carrillo connecting rods. There are hundreds of examples of aftermarket components, but the general rule that we subscribe to is that our aftermarket components offer some form of benefit that the original part did not, usually improved strength or contributing to higher horsepower numbers. There are a number of manufacturers and components that continually muddy the water between the three different categories, with some companies actually producing three different versions of the same part and each falls into a different category. This is just meant as a cursory glance at the inner workings of the Porsche parts industry, and as with anything the deeper you dig the more complicated it becomes. If you have any questions regarding any of the parts that we sell, please don't hesitate to contact a member of our qualified staff to discuss your Porsche and its needs. For more information on product benefits or fitment, or to place an order, call one of our EBS Racing Porsche specialists at [phone removed].