Why does it seem like 90% of 996s are either silver or black?

Is it my limited view or are the vast majority of 996s silver or black? Not that there is anything wrong with these colors. I've also seen a few blues. I really love the guards red color and I've been looking for used 996 cabs and have come across very few. I thought this was the classic Porsche color!

Was the older 911's red called Guards Red? That red looks different to me, but perhaps it's just the different shape of both cars. I don't know if people choose black or silver because those cars have a higher resale value, or they just look really good in those colors. My Seal Grey was a car they had on the lot, next time its back to black for me! Rob

I once heard that Silver and Black are the most popular colors so that dealer tend to order the vast majority of the cars in these colors to play it safe. I can only tell you I love my ocean blue.

Silver is the german racing color (ok, well actually it's white, but ever since 1934 German cars tended to run silver). And black is both the best looking color when the paint is perfect and the car is waxed (and many Porsche's are weekend cars so they are always in clean and waxed condition) and it is also less showy. I think those are the reasons people tend to buy those colors. Personally I like cobalt blue, seal grey, and hunter green (for the last one the interior has to be tan)

Anytime I've purchased a car that wasn't black, I've always regretted it. Black pride!

Mirage Metallic Rules! lol

I'm real happy with this combo on my car. Exterior, Orient Red http://www.dslextreme.com/users/edtup/IMG_0279.JPG Interior Natural Brown. http://www.dslextreme.com/users/edtup/IMG_0122.JPG Not your evry day color scheme, me likes it a lot.

I always had silver or black P cars-good looking and very East Coast (i.e., understated, don't stand out colors). Bought my '03 C4S after much soul searching 'cause it's...guards red. First time I saw it, at once thought it was gorgeous but too "look at me ." Can only say that I got over the latter feeling and think the color is awesome.

And just what is wrong with Lemming Black or Me-Too Silver?

Although nice looking, black is really too much trouble if daily driven. Also, it's a bad color for resale as it shows every imperfection. I avoid black when buying used. Silver is a classic Porsche color. There are so many shades of silver and grey on Porsches. As for red, I don't like it myself unless it's on a F car.

Silver became the Mercedes Benz racing color about that time when the MB factory entry in a race (Mille Miglia, I think) was overweight, and could only be brought into compliance by stripping all the paint off the car .... down to the aluminum. (courtesy of a great visit to the MB museum this past fall .... that very car is in the museum). How that translated to Porsche, years later, I can't imagine. Unless Dr. P. simply wished to emulate his older, eminently successful countrymen. However it came to be, Porsche, too, went with the silver color in the early 356s, and later 500 & 700 series spyders they campaigned so successfully through the 50s. Seemed to go by the wayside in the mid-late 60s when all the cars became colorful rolling billboards.

makes me want to buy this car: http://wallingford.porschedealer.com...ntoryid=190821

I'm on my fourth black car. It requires much more work and care to maintain a high gloss without swirl marks, and I always swear I'll never get another one, but I can't help myself. When it's clean and polished, I love it.

I guess it is good that we all have our own preferences. I agree that black looks unbelievable the 1% of the time that it is truly clean. I could not stand that 10 minutes after it looked clean, it was already starting to look dirty again. Also, I like not having the same color as every other Porsche out there. Sure, it may be easier to sell a black car, but last I checked I buy cars for my enjoyment not for the next owners. Anyway, to each his/her own.

tripple black is the way to go...with maybe a little alu in the interior......grey is nice too....and who cares about resale value...drive, drive, drive and when you think you are ready for another P.... just sell is privately, there is always someone looking to get into a P.....take your loss and start driving again.....cars (all) are a bad investment anyways.....

Who buys a car thinking about how easy it will be to sell. I make plenty of money with my other investments, I dont need my car to be one.

Right, 1934 was the year Mercedes did that, and basically everybody copied them (though not for weight AFAIK, I think it was just emulation).

I agree 100%. Seems like a ton of black and silver ones out there. My first 4 porsches were all guards red. Not that I was only looking for G-R, It just ended up that way. My last one was Silver and after about a year, I kind of wished it was red. Now I'm looking for a guards red one again. I will settle for silver if I find the perfect car, but something about that red... By the way, if I get silver, I will be getting red accents (brakes, seat belts). Mark And black is too tough to keep clean...daily driven.

Porsche's are Silver Corvette's are Red. Everyone knows that!

I was in the same boat when I was looking for a 996. It seemed like EVERY car I found that had the options I wanted was either Silver (or some variation) or Black. My first Porsche was black and it took a graduate degree in detailing to keep it looking good. Silver is very easy to keep clean but there are just too many of them. I finally found this car: I love Guard's Red. It blends in the tail and brake lights beautifully. The contrast with the black/silver wheels really works. -Charles

Charles - Welcome to the board. Nice looking Pcar. Love the wheels. What year is it and what options does it have? Maybe you should start a thread and intorduce yourself and give us the details on the car. I noticed on the license plate frame that you bought it at Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro. They also have a location in Charlotte.

What makes silver even worse (and gray for that matter) is that not only are there a ton of silver Porsches, there are also a ton of silver MB's, Audis, Lexuses, -- even Hyundais and Kias. I truly believe that in this Internet age, a dealer could really stand out by stocking something other than monochromatic choices.

For a daily driver you can not beat silver! My last three M cars have been silver.... I just purchased an artic grey 04 911 and I'm very pleased so far. Yes, it's different, but it won't look as good as a silver one when dirty.......

If I ever order a new Porsche again, I will order it Viper Green with a black interior . . .

Once you go black you'll never go back

Not all of them are silver or black..... Some are red, or black.....

I asked people at the factory and was advised that 80 % of the cars are black or silver now....dark blues are next, red, white and then the rest.....

That explains why I couldn't find a 03 996 in Speed Yellow to save my life. I was calling dealers all overthe country. I just love that color on a 996. I ended up with Guards Red which I like just as much. Thanks for the info! -Charles

My last car was yellow (m coupe), and it was a bold decision but I grew to LOVE the yellow. My perfect porsche would be speed yellow, but they are so hard to find (esp. a C4S), I like black but am pretty tired of black and silver, so I decided to try midnight blue since it was still a color but could look like black at times (or close to it). So far I like it, but I do find myself longing for yellow again. Orient Red is pretty cool, I once saw a turbo in orient red and it was magnificent. Id trade up to a orient red turbo anyday.

Forest Green Metalic!

I really wanted yellow but I usually try to fly under the radar (literally) and a yellow 996 C4S could be seen from MIR. Also, as a daily driver in NY it's difficult to keep them looking as they should.

Black and silver are timeless. It may initially seem bland, but you never tire of it. It's like desert. Once in a while, something sickly sweet is good, so long as you don't have to keep eating it. That's speed yellow and other bright colors. If your going to chose a desert that you'll keep eating, you'll pick one that's just right. That's arctic silver and black .

I saw an Artic Silver C4S Cab yesterday that was stunning.

My buddy has a silver 996 C-2 and every time we are on the track, I tell him, "I didn't know if it was you or one of the other 12 silver 996's out there!!"

I dont understand, LOL!!!

Palting - can I substitute the word "women" for the word �dessert?� (BTW, double S in dessert) If so, I�ll opt for Speed Yellow (a.k.a. Jessica Simpson) or Guards Red (a.k.a. Catherine Zeta-Jones) �cuz either one of those would, as you so eloquently put it, be "just right" to "keep eating." WOW, did I type that out loud?

Thanks Tim, for leading our minds into the gutter. While we're in the gutter, the arctic silver is my Jessica Alba.

Ucube - No problem! It was really quite easy because my mind lives there (in the gutter) most of the time!

i was reading classfields from the panorama, there are SO MANY red 964, i mean 75%, plus a few white and black, and no sliver. but for 996, so many sliver. it might be a time of trends.

I'd jump my C4S over the Grand Caynon for the chance to do the horizontal mambo with Jessica Alba.

there's nothing wrong w/ paying a little 'homage'

Black and Silver are my first choices, in just about any car. Although, I will have to say that I see some dark blue P cars that are just freaking awesome. But then I think if you are ging to get dark blue, you might as well just get black since it is just as hard to take care of. I will say that if you are not into detailing you should stick with silver or one of the gray's. I could never own a red, yellow or green car (except maybe a red F car).

Black, black, black, black, black, black.... Black, black Black

I am surprised it took you this long . . .

I have a hybrid - my C4S is Atlas Gray (basically black with a bit of silver metallic thrown in)!!

i was busy finding a replacement for rdane

I was hoping you were making rally arrangements If I win the lottery, I will get a RUF RGT in Viper Green/Black interior. I wonder what the carrera script would look like on a 997 GT3 . . . Anyone good at photoshop? 997 GT3 in Viper Green with black carrera script along bottom

I ordered my last new car (Audi S4) in black. It drove me crazy. It looked dirty before I got it out of the garage. When I bought my Porsche, I thought I wanted Arctic Silver but ended up with Seal Grey and LOVE IT. It doesn't show dirt at all and still looks "rich". I also like to call it "urban camoflauge" because it's almost exactly the same color as concrete. I doesn't attract TOO MUCH attention (i.e. police). Oh, anyway, relating to the thread. I'm a statistic, showing black is a highly desired color, but when it's just too much, grey/silver is a great alternative.

To me atlas is special, its own category. LOVE that color.