Editorial

Extraordinarily Normal. Wine tastes sweeter in rooms with blue walls, and the taste of coffee is also influenced by ambient color. Corrections penned in purple tend to be viewed more favorably than those in red. Yellow promotes creativity, orange increases appetite. And a green Porsche 911—what does that evoke in us?

Nature, hope, growth, freedom, autonomy, youth, and life—the color green. Superior, strong, versatile, flawless, singular, timeless—the Porsche 911. The two suit each other. Thousands of them have driven out into the world. Most recently in mid-May in Zuffenhausen, where the one-millionth 911 rolled from the production line—a Carrera S with the traditional crest on the front hood, a golden insignia on the back, and in the Porsche family’s favorite color: Irish Green.

The 911 has been made for nearly fifty-five years. It has gone through seven generations and a good half century of evolution. But age as such doesn’t enter the picture. More than 70 percent of all 911s ever made are still roadworthy today. Children who dream of sports cars trace its outlines almost unconsciously; their sketches pick up on the sloping roofline, the drop-shaped side windows, and the arched fenders. “A product with a harmonious form doesn’t need any decoration,” said its original designer, Ferdinand Alexander Porsche.

Can a car that has been made a million times continue to meet the expectation of exclusivity? Doesn’t the sheer number destroy its mythical quality? Doesn’t growth undermine its cult status? Isn’t a lot enough? Or rather, how much is enough?

Every major brand draws its power from a legend. Legends are born of a balance between tradition and trendsetting. No other sports car embodies this successful formula as strikingly as the 911. It’s responsible for more than half of Porsche’s thirty thousand racing victories—yet it remains an extraordinarily normal car that, according to Ferry Porsche, you can drive from an African safari to Le Mans and then to the theater.

Exclusivity does not arise automatically from rarity. Instead, it thrives on a promise, on connections and meaning, and on stories and experiences that you, our customers, associate with it. Cult is the access code for a way of life, and luxury lies in individual experiences and the time to have them.

The 911 has never been and never will be a car for the masses. We’ve never been concerned with making especially large numbers of sports cars, but rather with making especially good and fascinating ones—so fascinating that they consistently evoke desire and never stop resonating with people.

Back to the color: it doesn’t matter. A red Porsche 911 can write history too. Take a look here and the account of the fortune and misfortune of being number 999,999. Because a near miss can also mean an extraordinary opportunity.

Wherever you have come from, wherever you are going, our Christophorus will accompany you.

Christophorus ‒ The Porsche customer magazine

Christophorus is the official magazine for Porsche customers, and one of the oldest and most renowned customer publications in the world. Its issues have been numbered consecutively since its launch in 1952.

Named after the patron saint of travelers, the magazine provides interesting information about cars and automotive engineering, and offers an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of the company.

Christophorus currently appears five times a year in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Dutch and Polish.

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