Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur can paint a fingerprint on a 911’s hood

What does “Jurassic Park” have in common with the latest innovation at Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur? This line: “Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.” The technology itself promises a new realm of detailed customization: Designers in Porsche’s commissioning department created a direct printing method on painted parts with precision control down to the droplet. It’s like photographic quality inkjet printing, except on sheetmetal instead of photo paper. The first application of the technology is a head scratcher: Printing a stylized image of a fingerprint on the hood of a 911.

Eventually, the possibilities will expand beyond the 911 and fancy dactylograms. For now, though, should a 911 buyer choose, he can work with a consultant at a Porsche Center to have his fingerprint scanned and sent to Exclusive Manufaktur in Zuffenhausen. The scanning software revises biometric data so the fingerprint can’t be used for nefarious deeds, and the design on the car is based on the fingerprint, not a bit-for-bit representation. To apply the artwork, technicians remove the hood from the specific 911 after production, and take it to a technology cell in the Zuffenhausen plant paint shop where the design is printed on the hood. The paint shop then applies another layer of clear coat, the hood is polished to a high gloss, and it is replaced on the car.

Alexander Fabig, VP of Individualization and Classic, said, “Individuality is very important for Porsche customers. And no design can be more personal than your own fingerprint.”

The service will be available on request as of next month, for a price of €7,500 ($8,145 U.S.) in Germany, including VAT.

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