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Car wraps — foil or vinyl coatings that wrap around a vehicle’s body panels — are growing more popular by the day. Look no further than the Instagram accounts dedicated to purple-wrapped Lamborghinis and gold-coated Nissan Skylines for proof. It’s not just about slapping gaudy colors not available from the factory on a ride; it’s also much more wallet-friendly than repainting a car, while also offering a way to protect the original paint.
Vehicle wraps have always been an aftermarket add-on, but now, one notable carmaker is looking to jump into the fray. On Wednesday, Porsche announced a new digital platform for livery design, allowing any auto enthusiast to play Ed Roth or George Barris for the day.
This new design service, called “Second Skin,” is unique to the high-end car market. Not only does Second Skin offer classic motorsports livery and factory colors, but individuals are able to select which Porsche model they’d like and either design their own custom graphics or use a consultation service to assist in the design process. (You can try it out here, but be warned, the website is currently in German.)
In efforts to show the platform’s full potential, Porsche is also dipping its toes in the fine arts world by collaborating with folks in the fashion industry, graphic design firms, and studio artists. Pricing for the wraps will start around €4,000 — about $4,500 at current exchange rates.
The website is in the early stages right now, but goes fully live in July. However, before that, a real-time showcase of Second Skin’s work will be on track June 15th and 16th during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A Porsche 911 RSR competing in the long-distance race for the Porsche-customer-team Project 1 while sporting a wrap designed by New York artist Richard Phillips. Phillips, along with Porsche Digital and Second Skin, combined three of his most famous works into one for the Le Mans car, creating one very loud, very creative motorsport livery. What better stage could there be to exhibit Second Skin’s potential than at one of the world’s biggest, most famous races?
