If you follow spy shots of new models, you’ve probably noticed a trend at Porsche. While most manufacturers dress their prototypes in complex patterns to confuse onlookers, Porsche adopts a different strategy: a matte black wrap adorned with stickers mimicking headlights and taillights that are much larger than the real ones. This tactic aims to conceal the true light signatures from a distance, to the point where the vehicle could be mistaken for another brand. This is precisely why the electric Cayenne prototypes feature rear stickers reminiscent of Hyundai’s pixelated lights.
Porsche’s Camouflage Strategy Decoded
When asked about this, Sascha Niesen, head of Cayenne prototype validation, explained the logic behind this choice. “Either you have a previous vehicle that you want to make look like this one, or you want it to look like something completely different,” he says. At the front, the camouflage takes the shape of an existing headlight to hide the new, slimmer light signature. At the rear, the fake light bar, inspired by the Ioniq 5, distracts the eye from the genuine Porsche light bar hidden beneath.
A Rigorous Approval Process
At Porsche, even the camouflage is subject to a demanding validation process. Draft designs are presented to Michael Steiner, the board member in charge of development, who gives final approval. Several designs are tested on one vehicle before being selected for the entire test fleet.
The Advantage of Black Over Zebra Camouflage
For Sascha Niesen, black remains the best option. “Honestly, we don’t really know why other companies use that zebra pattern on their prototypes, because it screams ‘Hello, I’m a prototype!’ Everyone looks. For us, it’s always just black.” He illustrates his point with an anecdote: during a charging stop, three black Porsches went unnoticed while a zebra-camouflaged Audi Q6 immediately attracted all the attention.