Creating superior vehicle wraps is something we take great care in developing here at NorthWest Auto Salon, and over the past few years we’ve had plenty of practice to hone our techniques on everything from daily driver E320s, to high end performance cars like the Audi R8, Bentley Continental GT, and even a Koenigsegg CCX. Given our dedication to perfection, wrap trickery and the final product looking as true to life as possible, we try to raise the bar on ourselves with nearly every installation. The perfect wrap isn’t just about coverage, cost, & turnaround time, but about consistency, insane attention to detail, and creating a rolling illusion that could fool even the most diehard automotive enthusiasts.
As most wraps start, the Cayenne came to us looking relatively OEM with factory black paint, sporting the standard chromed out trims and premium wheel package. The owner knew he wanted to go for a matte silver finish, so to compliment the gunmetal aesthetic & add some performance feel, we selected brushed black accents to bring out the roof panel, mirrors, and trim. Since the customer was also fashion & design enthusiast, we decided to include a couple minimal diecut elements for an added personal touch.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Before Ivan our deconstruction specialist even had a chance to pull all the bumpers, panels, and surrounds, Blake had already started cracking on the rear hatch jamb. When a full wrap comes in, it’s always a smart move to tackle the trickiest, tiniest parts first!
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
As the rest of the team wound down for the day, Blake stayed late into the evening to get the rear hatch jam sealed up, ensuring he would be all the more ready to help tackle the rest of the dis-assembly with Ivan in the morning.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
We’ve heard plenty of horror stories from new NWAS customers who have brought their vehicle in for a full wrap elsewhere, only to discover that the installers had no intention of, or simply chose not to remove any necessary components before wrapping. When dealing with an exterior color change & no jambs or trim wrapping, this might be an acceptable route to take, but, if the vehicle is in for full coverage & it’s not even fully exposed, chances are the install is going to end up with jagged edges, lots of lifting, exposed paint, and a bladed up surface. So, word to the wise for anyone reading: don’t be put off by expensive install costs or extensive timelines if you’re really considering a vehicle wrap. Low quality comes with low cost, and if you try to cut corners to pinch pennies, chances are the sign shop installing your new colorway isn’t going to value your vehicle any more than they value their time. If you want your vehicle to be properly wrapped, go the extra mile & find a shop with the experience, expertise & examples to back it up.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Furthering efforts to make the matte Cayenne wrap look as flat as possible, we opted to pull a little paintless dent repair magic on a few minor spots on the doors. Given the emphasis that a matte finish can add to vehicle body lines, it’s always smart to ensure there aren’t any dimples or problematic areas that might become significantly more visible once wrapped. Less reflective surface means even more visible surface distortion.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
With the bumpers and trim pulled, the first big surface on the list for coverage was the hood. Stretching one large piece of matte silver the entire width & length of the hood never makes for an easy task, but with the mid section tacked it just became a matter of working the vinyl smoothly out to the edges.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Before moving on to more two-man sections and flat surfaces, Blake set his sights on the fitting the technical bits in the jambs & piecing the smaller strips into the rear bumper, utilizing a stand and film box for a bit of added structure.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
With some of the trickier parts covered, it was time for Blake & Tim to regroup and team up. As it goes, one of the most difficult segments of the wrap is also one of the largest pieces. Despite being relatively skinny & not needing a ton of film allocation, the side scallop that bridges the front and rear doors requires careful placement and bit of massaging to lay it flat in one piece. While Tim worked the film down the window pillars, Blake carefully trimmed out any excess vinyl to make things easier to manage.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Once the sides were in place, they started in on the final bit of bumper coverage, smoothing in every crack & crevasse, trimming excess and cleaning up edges.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Amidst the install, we received an inquiry from a gentleman working with Seattle Times who was interested in finding out more about the wrap process, how installation worked, and generally wanted to know more about the emergent “wrap scene” given the recent rise in popularity. After running a quick google search on Seattle vehicle wraps, he came across a few of our projects and reached out to us for comment, and since we happened to have a handful of wrapped vehicles in that week including Cats Exotics matte brown SV and the matte white F430 Spider, we invited him up to the shop for a short tech demo & debriefing on the current state of affairs.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
After Blake & Tim walked him through the basics of film application, post heating, and showed off a few quick install tips, they dug into the last few large pieces of the wrap install. Tackling the passenger side doors and buttoning up all the edges made for a few good action shots too!
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Now sporting freshly wrapped trims and a full matte silver exterior, we remounted the black powder coated wheels, and applied the final bit of personalization in the form of a diecut monogram.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
For a bit of understated, subtle customization, we removed all the rear badges and replaced the large “PORSCHE” under the window with a masked version placed underneath the film, giving it a raised, but still smooth appearance. When executed correctly, raised or “stamped” graphics and lettering can really add a whole new level of dimension and detail to what would otherwise be a simple wrap.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
The black wheels and trims complimented the wrap beautifully, and were a key element to making this Porsche Cayenne a bit more sinister.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
The guys really went the extra mile on the door jambs, and wrapped near full coverage with minimal seams & piecing.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Smoked tails compliment the newly brushed black trims, mirror caps, and full roof panel to further enhance the aesthetic, and the vibe the Cayenne puts off now really echos back to the full matte metallic range Overfinch HSE we wrapped last year. It’s definitely going to attract some attention at street level!
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
Before the customer picked her up, we parked the Porsche outside in the sun for a few more snaps.
Porsche Cayenne Full Matte Silver vehicle wrap at NWAS
The Cayenne came together beautifully, and all in all it was a great first wrap of 2013. If you would like to schedule a wrap consultation of your own or already have a concept you would like us to bring to life, send an inquiry with more information about your vehicle wrap project!