Clear protection film (PPF) on the Taycan?

ron_b

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I agree with @Dave T that you can probably get all catches and chips taken care of for less, but the one time pain and pretty fast per incident recovery seems compelling to me.

See offset in video below from Xpel from 7 years ago. Films have gotten better since. I especially appreciate the self healing after a wire brush.


Porsche Taycan Clear protection film (PPF) on the Taycan? Screenshot_20201111-094348
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MWarsaw

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Just as a little counterpoint to this thread..

I no longer use PPF on my cars as I just don't find the value to be there. If you're going to get it done, you should always get the car fully covered w/ a seamless install which is quite expensive. I don't find that you gain any visual or cleaning benefits over just a good ceramic and the reality is many PPF jobs look worse than a pure ceramic as it's a more skill intensive job. It will always look worse with a seamed install.

In my eyes there's no real difference in dealing with damage of PPF vs paint, except that you've paid a lot of money up front for the PPF. I've yet to have a car where putting PPF on saved me money over just repairing scratches & chips.

In my opinion, unless you have a car with some sort of special paint that you need to protect, or you're using one of the PPF products that changes the appearance of the car (ie.. Xpel stealth) I'd stick with DYI products or a ceramic install. I was going to stick with waxing my Taycan but I ended up having IGL Kenzo applied as I'm parking the car outside. I paid $1k + tax for paint correction, deep polish, and Kenzo application.
Generally agree....but...Only exception for me is that I think it’s a must on black cars. My F Type is pitted with tiny little marks from road debris and swirl marks drive me crazy on a black car. The ppf makes a black car look perfectly waxed with no swirl marks and it’s hard to see the seams let alone also protecting against those tiny chips from debris.
 

PanameraFrank

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I don't think anyone is saying that PPF saves money in the long run. So maybe you could get all the scratches and chips repaired for less than the cost of full PPF. But would you actually do that - take your car to the shop every time you get a new scratch? I wouldn't.
I get a significant scratch or chip on my cars maybe once or twice a year, although my last Porsche went 2 years without anything significant, with 15k miles/year my average & not babying the cars at all, so sure. Just as you need to take a car with PPF in to repair a significant scratch or chip, as it will damage the PPF beyond it's "self-healing" capability.

My point is more that PPF isn't the wunderkind it's often made out to be (see the videos above that set unrealistic expectations). It has pros & cons but high-end car forums often read as though it's borderline magical and you're crazy not to get it.

It's a little bit of a chicken or egg situation IMHO.. sure, if you're obsessive over tiny chips & scratches PPF will help with that (to an extent). But if you're that detail obsessed surely you can notice that it's a PPF. I personally would rather take my car in once a year for a detail that will wipe out those minor chips and scratches & enhance the natural paint, which you really should be doing with PPF as well.

I'm not saying PPF is bad, just providing a counterpoint to the sometimes over enthusiast PPF argument and hope people will research thoroughly to make sure it's worth the investment & effort for them.
 
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Sonic

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From my POV i know i'm going to be doing a lot of miles, and they love to put a massive amount of grit down on the roads over here, so it's preventative maintenance on a £150k car.

I've been an advocate of ceramic sealants for a long time, particularly Gtechniq. They're just down the road from me, and i tested some of Rob's products about 15 years ago before they went mainstream. I've personally completed over 50 paint corrections and Gtechniq applications. I have a trade account with them - but it's not my line of work.

But, as much as i'm a massive fan of the ceramic sealents for ease of cleaning and maintenance, there isnt a month that goes by where i don't pick up a nasty stone chip on the bonnet, wings or roof, even with these products applied.

Ceramics are great at making the car look awesome and super easy to maintain and clean, both inside and out, but they cannot cope with a stone being fired at a combined 100mph into a panel.

PPF can... simple as that really.

I appreciate the point re false promises and other enthusiasm, which is why i also agree people should do their own research, but for me it's a no-brainer in my situation. And i'm prepared to spend some extra cash for a "better" looking car for a longer period, whilst hopefully saving some hassle with trying to paint correct every year in the future.

I do quite a bit of "fun" driving around Europe, and i've seen a front splitter quite literally disintegrate due to "road rash" after 20k miles, and the ones with PPF hold together without issue, which is then whipped off and replaced. Much easier than a new carbon fibre front splitter!

I've seen a front bumper from a boar strike (yes, in the UK), which left no major marks on the PPF wing panel that couldnt be fixed, but scrapes on the door which were nasty, and required major and expensive work to correct - not simply just a paint correct.

So, whilst i recognise if you've got more of a garage queen and only do 10k/year in the summer months PPF probably isn't that useful, if you want to drive in adverse conditions frequently or do many miles, it certainly is.

To be honest, my biggest concern is the windscreen. I don't go a year without having to replace one :facepalm:
 

PanameraFrank

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One note to @Sonic s point that is very valid is looking at road quality. The roads around me in the US are all generally very high quality and I have very rarely experienced damage caused by road debris. If you live in an area with bad roads, PPF does become a much more impressive option.
 


Scandinavian

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Another note to add to @PanameraFrank is that if you live where the parking spaces are quite narrow, it is a no brainier to have PPF. Where I live the spaces are designed for Peugeot 208’s and are very tight for a Taycan. And the cars here all look very battle scared in general. Lots of scrapes and small dents from doors etc. Add to that the gritting that is done as stated above and it all makes sense.

And it is not just for dark colours. Porsche seem to have a very dark base coat. Below is picture just prior to me installing PPF. This was after only about 75 km driving. Quite unlucky but all patched up now. Porsche wanted 650 Euros to fix this?
Porsche Taycan Clear protection film (PPF) on the Taycan? 65C3E390-A204-45CB-81CA-726F293A4394
 

robborover

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Anyone gone for the "in between" of PPS? Feels like a hybrid which is ceramic like in application (a spray) but better protection qualities than ceramic.
 

Dave T

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Anyone gone for the "in between" of PPS? Feels like a hybrid which is ceramic like in application (a spray) but better protection qualities than ceramic.
PPS sounds great, but hard to find. I think I would have done it if it was an option for me. It replaces PPF, but with no seams and maybe some other benefits. You'd still want ceramic on top of that, AFAIK.
 


robborover

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PPS sounds great, but hard to find. I think I would have done it if it was an option for me. It replaces PPF, but with no seams and maybe some other benefits. You'd still want ceramic on top of that, AFAIK.
Agreed - available here but relatively new in application. Mine is contract hire so probably won't go much further than ceramic this time. My McLaren had full PPF!
 

Vim Schrotnock

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There is absolutely no question in my mind on PPF providing an order of magnitude better protection against minor chips/dings than factory paint. The other thing to consider is the paint correction that occurs prior to the PPF, and the PPF preserves this correction. Also, you never have to worry about the dreaded 'swirl marks' that every car will get - why I stopped getting black cars... As stated in other posts here, the 'self healing' aspect is really quite remarkable. A little hot water and a cloth for a small chip/scratch, and a hair dryer for a larger one will do the trick.

The car shown in my profile is approaching 10,000 track miles and many races without a single chip in the front. (Yes, I have had a few body panels replaced, but let's not get into that...). The side vents on the car are black and not covered and probably have a hundred small chips.

My Panamera GTS acquired dozens of small chips in the first few months because I was driving in the 'sports plus' mode on the highway, and the car was picking up all sorts of debris etc. I raised the car to normal height on the highway and the chips decreased significantly, but there are still quite a few. This car's front is quite a bit lower than the Panamera, and will definitely pick up dozens of small chips if you don't have a wrap.
 

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I’m a complete noob when it comes to PPF. Presumably it doesn’t last forever?

How long is an install good for typically?

Is there any concerns about damaging the paint if removing after a few years?
 

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I've had my 4S fully covered with Xpel Ultimate Plus because the mountain roads here get quite a lot of rockfall so there's always gravel in the road and sometimes falling pebbles. Also people in Valais can't drive very well.

The company did a great job and it's basically completely invisible. They put ceramic coating on the glass and wheels as well. Basically no need to use wipers now.

What's the best way to clean the car now? I'm guessing a pressure washer is not recommended.
 

Dave T

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I've had my 4S fully covered with Xpel Ultimate Plus because the mountain roads here get quite a lot of rockfall so there's always gravel in the road and sometimes falling pebbles. Also people in Valais can't drive very well.

The company did a great job and it's basically completely invisible. They put ceramic coating on the glass and wheels as well. Basically no need to use wipers now.

What's the best way to clean the car now? I'm guessing a pressure washer is not recommended.
I’ve been using a pressure washer, and it works great. A super high powered gasoline pressure washer wouldn’t be a good idea, but a lower powered electric one is fine.
 

KMac

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So I have the Porsche dealer PPF......

after driving, probably too fast, through highway construction on a roadtrip, we are left with a tiny paint chip and and totally thrashed PPF. I keep joking it looks like a cheese grater was rubbed against it.

Porsche dealer says the PPF doesn't cover damage from an outside object like a rock and we should have our insurance company cover the damage for a smaller than 1/4" paint chip. Porsche says we have to pay to have the PPF removed and replaced.

I'm failing to see what the use of PPF is at all. This is a minor chip and will now cost us thousands of dollars to have the PPF removed on top of the money we already spent to have it protected, because it was done by a "rock or similar object." Seems like the whole PPF thing is a total waste of money. Seriously, we're being quoted several thousand to fix a small paint chip--no dent.

I'm at the point where I am going to take it to a 3rd party place I trust to have the wrap removed and the paint repaired, before a ceramic coating applied AGAIN.

Any insight as to why Porsche PPF doesn't cover rock damage? Any insight at all?
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