2016 Porsche Touch Up Paint (25 OEM Colors)

The 2016 Porsche Vibe

By 2016, Porsche was firing on all cylinders-literally and figuratively. The 911 (991.2) was making its controversial move to turbocharging, the Macan was rapidly becoming the brand's golden goose, and the Cayman and Boxster were preparing for their 718-badge makeover. Our vault has 25 colors for this year alone, which, in Porsche-speak, means they gave you 25 ways to pay for an "extra" option. It was a year of high-intensity hero colors; if you weren't blinded by the radioactive glow of Lava Orange on a GT3 RS, you were probably getting lost in the deep, oceanic depth of Sapphire Blue Metallic or the sophisticated earthiness of Mahogany Metallic. It was a good time to be alive, and a better time to have a garage.

Paint Health Check

Welcome to the Thin Paint Era. By 2016, the robots at Zuffenhausen and Leipzig had become so terrifyingly efficient that they could spray a car with the precision of a laser-guided needle. The result? A finish that is glass-flat and incredibly consistent, but leaner than a marathon runner. We're talking about factory clear coats that often measure barely 130 microns thick. This "Robot Efficiency" means your 2016 Panamera or Cayenne looks spectacular, but it's essentially wearing a silk suit in a rock fight. The clear coat is high-quality but notoriously soft, making it a magnet for micro-swirls and-more importantly-deep, surgical rock chips. If you've spent any time on the highway, the nose of your 911 likely looks like it's been peppered by a shotgun.

Restoration Tip

When repairing chips on these thin-skinned Germans, you have to fight the urge to "one-and-done" it. Because the factory paint is applied in such lean, controlled layers, a giant "blob" of touch-up paint will stand out like a sore thumb. Build your layers slowly. Use a fine-tipped applicator and apply a tiny amount, let it dry, and repeat until the level is just below the surrounding clear coat. This prevents the dreaded "beading" effect and allows the repair to blend into that razor-thin factory profile. Remember: you're trying to mimic a multi-million dollar robot, not frosting a cupcake.