Porsche's camera-powered color-changing car tech explained

After BMW showed cars with changeable colors—albeit in a fairly limited palette—the idea started to look less like a trade‑show stunt and more like a genuine personalization tool. Now Porsche is stepping into view: a patent filing describes an approach that makes color switching feel more intuitive and easier to sell, because the choice comes not from a swatch table but from whatever you see around you.

The core of the patent is a method for controlling color. Porsche directly references existing solutions such as e‑ink and coatings that shift hue under voltage, including paramagnetic paints.

The key move is integrating cameras and computation. The system captures an image—this could be a photo on a screen, an object outside, another car, or even autumn leaves—then the user selects the area with the desired shade. The computer calculates a precise color value and sends a command to the coating controller, which changes the car’s appearance.

Porsche also leaves room for scenarios that sound both striking and a little uncanny: sampling a shade via the interior camera and matching the body to clothing, accessories, or makeup. In theory, there’s no need to stick to a single hue: different sides of the car could differ, individual zones could be highlighted, or a patchwork theme could suit the mood. The documents also outline a practical path to implementation: it doesn’t have to be a full paint system—an applied film, like a wrap, could simplify installation and repairs.

The commercial angle is just as intriguing. Porsche hints at an ideal showroom use case: a single display car that, at the press of a button, presents a customer’s future configuration at full scale rather than on a tiny sample. For the brand, that’s direct money on the table, because premium personalization programs such as Exclusive Manufaktur and Sonderwunsch are costly, and any technology that helps a buyer visualize their perfect Porsche tends to convert better.