Rare Shades

“Do you want to go fast? Or really fast?” 🎾 We celebrated Birch Green in our first “On Color” column inside Issue 036, exploring its history, influence, and resurgence in Porsche’s color palette. Now, we’re excited to explore it even deeper in our second @rareshades film series installment, Rare Shades: Birch Green. Filmmakers @33bosshog and @capturingthemachine share the story of @jfcowell and his 1975 Birch Green Carrera. This bold color helped a self-proclaimed introvert find his voice. According to Cowell, the car was a realization of a 50-year-old bucket list as a child. One of Cowell’s most powerful memories is as the passenger in his father’s Black US-spec 1974 Carrera. Cowell Sr. would ask him: “Do you want to go fast? Or really fast?” As such, Cowell’s Carrera, and its rare shade, are an ode to childhood and a celebration of the power and possibilities of color. Through fascinating conversations with @edjusticejr , a professional photographer who captured the IROC Series through his lens, and @mattstonerama , whose book on IROC Porsches helped solidify the Porsche lexicon “Skittles Colors”, Birch Green will come alive, not just as a vibrant shade of Green, but as a color that changed the people around it. The full Rare Shades film premieres in Spring 2026 thanks to @carlas.usa . We can’t wait for you to see it. 🎨 #000magazine #rareshades

SAVE THE DATE: Rare Shades 7 is coming to New York City on May 16, 2026. 🏙️ In 2018, @000magazine co-founders Alexander Palevsky and Pete Stout noticed not only a lack of color on the world’s streets and freeways, but also too few opportunities to see unusual Porsche colors in real life. Together, they envisioned an event series called Rare Shades that would travel throughout North America and beyond. After Rare Shades events in Scotts Valley, Atlanta, Pompano Beach, Los Angeles, Summit Skywalker Ranch, and Toronto, Rare Shades is headed for the Big Apple. 🍎 More details on RS7 to come—and be sure to follow @RareShades . #000magazine #rareshades

Porsche 911 GT3 RS @rareshades with customization to the extreme under Porsche’s “anything-for-a-price” Sonderwunsch bespoke service. This Manthey commissioned car is so much more than paint-to-sample #porsche #porsche911 #000magazine #timmosso #mantheyracing

Every color has a story 🎨 The treasure hunt for the origins of Birch Green led us to Munster, Germany, and the home of the largest color database in the world. We take a trip back with @colorconsul , the Global Head of Design for @glasurit_germany , to connect the dots to how this fluorescent green became such a fascinating part of Porsche’s past. Admittedly, when searching for his childhood dream car, @jfcowell didn’t have Birch Green in mind, but one look changed that. Little did he know how much that 1975 Carrera would alter the course of his life for years to come. Thanks to @carlas.usa , the second @rareshades film on Birch Green debuts at Rare Shades 7 in NYC with @000magazine . Can’t make it to New York? Check the dates below for more stops on our Rare Shades films tour. 🎬 Film Premieres: May 16th, NYC: Rare Shades 7 with @000magazine May 30, SEA: @parkplaceltd with @pca_pnwr June 6, LA: @porschesantaclarita + @000magazine Cars & Coffee June 9th: Online

From its start in 2016, @rareshades was never about being predictable—and so it is that one Porsche with the absence of all color will be seen at Rare Shades 7 in NYC: the last 930 (Flachbau, cabriolet, and Turbo) built and a car widely regarded as the wildest Special Wishes project in Porsche’s history, a car not seen in public for more than 35 years. This Porsche was built for a discerning first-time Porsche customer who ordered a 911 Carrera coupe with a single option—a leather dashboard at special request—that gradually turned into a 1989 911 Turbo Cabriolet Slantnose with every conceivable leather option as well as hundreds of options that were, and still are, nearly inconceivable. 17-inch BBS wheels, from the factory? Check. Six-speed manual gearbox? Check. VDO gauge faces in leather? Check. The tiniest switch bezels, odometer reset button, racing battery disconnect, and more in leather? Check. Rain-sensors so the power convertible top can put itself up (so long as the tonneau is not in place)? Check. Alpine audio with Monster Cables, from the factory, after extensive testing by Porsche? Check. Badging you’ve never seen before, including a plaque with Ferry Porsche’s signature, noting this as the last 930? Check. Our thanks to the owner for making this special exhibit possible, and we hope you’ll join us this Saturday, May 16 from 1-6 PM to see it in one of @wildflowerstudiosqns massive sound stages while @clint_davis shoots the car for a future magazine. Tickets available via our link in bio 🎟️ 📸 @randyleffingwell #000magazine

From British Racing Green to Zanzibar Red, Albert Blue to Arancio Borealis, some colors define a car. With @000magazine ’s show @rareshades taking over this weekend in New York City, we thought it was the perfect excuse to look back at a few of the standout Paint to Sample examples we’ve had the opportunity to handle over the years. The right specification can completely transform a car, and these are some that have stayed with us long after they left. Our very own Esteban Larranaga and Taylor Lex will both be at Rare Shades throughout the weekend taking in some of the best specifications and most interesting cars anywhere on the enthusiast calendar. If you see them around, be sure to say hello. #RMSothebys

On Saturday May 16, @rareshades 7 will add a unique exhibition of Porsche colors to the diverse array of topics on offer during this year’s @nycxdesign Festival. The one-day show presented by @000magazine marks the first time that the general public will be allowed inside @wildflowerstudiosqns , a new 760,000sqft creative campus in Queens conceived by Robert De Niro, Raphael De Niro, and Adam Gordon to return filmmaking to New York City. Now in its seventh edition, 000’s innovative Rare Shades event series explores Porsche through time, design, and the psychology of color—putting both newcomers to the marque and seasoned enthusiasts on equal footing as they consider its sports cars from a new perspective. Rare Shades 5 was hosted at Summit Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, while Rare Shades 6 took place at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. This year’s venue in New York City will be an integral part of the Rare Shades 7 experience. “Wildflower Studios was designed to enable storytelling at the highest level,” said Adam Gordon, co-founder of Wildflower Studios. “Rare Shades 7 brings that vision into a new context—where design, light, and movement come together in a way that feels both unexpected and entirely natural for this space.” Tickets are still available in limited quantities.

Color, craftsmanship, and design 🎨 The same qualities that draw us to exceptional cars apply to exceptional watches and jewelry, and few understand that better than @the1916company . Next Saturday, The 1916 Company is taking over the Wildflower Studios lobby space for @rareshades 7, bringing 110 years of heritage and a carefully considered selection from their world to ours: Chronographs with a history on the track. Pieces by independent artisans, watchmakers, and designers. And a range of colors and modern materials, chosen for design and built for legacy. For 000 S members, Rare Shades 7 festivities kick off early with a Thursday night VIP reception at The 1916 Company’s Collector’s Lounge. The 1916 Company’s watch experts will present an exceptional selection of timepieces suited to our guests’ interests, accompanied by cocktails, lite bites, and conversation among watch and car enthusiasts alike. Please DM if you are interested in joining us for this special event.

What he said ❤️ @larry_chen_foto has been a contributor to @000magazine for years—almost since the start, and a pillar of the automotive community. We’re honored to have him at @rareshades 7, not just because of his talent behind the camera, but also because he’s a car enthusiast who understands how Rare Shades is intentionally different from other events. Hosting our seventh show in NYC is special to us—it’s where we launched the magazine ten years ago, and we’re excited to be back doing what we do best: telling stories around our study of Porsche. Join us on May 16 from 1-6 PM at Wildflower Studios. Tickets and Larry’s full video on Rare Shades in our link in bio. Our sponsors: @drivedunlop @formawerx @akrapovic @lepitclub @csfradiators @the1916company @fcpeuro @spinneybeck @wildflowerstudiosqns @artdeshine_studios

Something just for 000 S members and guests 🔑 @formawerx is headlining Rare Shades 7 by hosting a special seminar for 000 S members from 11-1 PM inside the @wildflowerstudiosqns Green Room. The intimate design clinic, capped at 25 guests, will focus on the company’s design philosophy, bespoke products, and latest innovations. It will also allow RS7 attendees to grab allocations for its newest products, including limited edition 000 pieces. For non S-members, the Formawerx crew will also be available for on-site consultations during the RS7 show. Please email or DM us to reserve time to discuss personalized keypieces or accesories.

We’re excited to welcome @‌fcpeuro to Rare Shades 7 East coast enthusiasts likely need no introduction: FCP Euro has served the Euro car community since 1986, providing everything from genuine OEM solutions to reputable aftermarket upgrades that enable us to both enjoy and personalize these cars. It was only right for them to be a part of Rare Shades 7. Their section in the Wildflower garage will be a mix of cars that extend the Rare Shades 7 color display, as well as highlight standout cars from the local car community—rare shade or not. Come say hello and meet their team on site. Ticket link in bio. Our sponsors: @drivedunlop @formawerx @akrapovic @csf_radiators @the1916company @fcpeuro @vertere_acoustics 
@spinneybeck @wildflowerstudiosqns @artdeshine_studios

We had a Great time on Saturday morning at @shorecarclub for @rareshades Cars and Coffee! We brought out a bunch out our PTS 911s! 📸 @tyler_novatin #carsandcoffee #000magazine #rareshades #997gt3rs #997turbos