Porsche VIN specification

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The ISO standard vehicle identification number (VIN) was introduced for the Porsche model year 1981.

Contents

Decoding

VINs consist of 17 characters and for Porsche can be decoded as follows:-

VIN WP0ZZZ99ZTS392124 on a Porsche 993 GT2. 1996 Porsche 911 993 GT2 - Flickr - The Car Spy (3).jpg
VIN WP0ZZZ99ZTS392124 on a Porsche 993 GT2.
PositionExplanationNorth America notes
1W = German based manufacturer.
2P = Porsche.
30 (zero) = Passenger car (applies to all except Cayenne and Macan) or 1 = SUV (applies to Cayenne and Macan).
4for RoW = Z (filler)chassis. [1]
5for RoW = Z (filler)engine(0 = none, 2 = at least 2).
6for RoW = Z (filler)restraint system.
7First character of model type (read positions 7,8 and 12 together).
8Second character of model type (read positions 7,8 and 12 together).
9For RoW = 0-9,X,Z (filler)Calculated checkdigit.
10Year code.
11Factory code.
12Third character of model type (read positions 7,8 and 12 together).
13Body configuration code or leading digit of serial number.
14First digit of serial number.
15Second digit of serial number.
16Third digit of serial number.
17Fourth digit of serial number.

Vehicle Specification for USA etc (positions 4, 5 and 6)

VIN has been implemented differently in two regions, they consist of the following countries:-

USA etc. = USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Switzerland.

RoW = Rest of world. (i.e. everywhere except USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Switzerland.)

Vehicle Specification for "USA etc" is a 3 character code giving details of the body type, engine, seatbelts and airbags fitted.

(More info needed.)

Examples of model type codes (positions 7, 8 and 12)

On 2010+ North America market vehicles, the first digit will be 'A' instead of '9'

Year codes (position 10)

More properly described as 'Model year'. While the code may indicate a particular year it may well be the 'model year' which could be the subsequent year, for instance a 1994 registered vehicle may well be a model year 1995 on the VIN/chassis number.

CodeYear---CodeYear---CodeYear---CodeYear---CodeYear
L1990Y2000A2010L2020
B1981M199112001B2011M2021
C1982N199222002C2012N2022
D1983P199332003D2013P2023
E1984R199442004E2014R2024
F1985S199552005F2015S2025
G1986T199662006G2016T2026
H1987V199772007H2017V2027
J1988W199882008J2018W2028
K1989X199992009K2019X2029

Factory codes (position 11)

CodeFactoryNotesModels produced
S(Stuttgart) Zuffenhausen - GermanyIncludes occasional production from Weissach.All 911s. Minority of 986 Boxsters, 987 Boxster/Cayman and 981 Boxster. 549 of the 1991 944s, [2]
as well as all 924 Carrera GTS/GTR. [3] Majority of 968s. All Taycans.
NNeckarsulm - Germany. Audi factoryMajority of 924 and 944s. Minority of 1992 968s.
LLeipzig - Germany.All Cayenne, Panamera and Carrera GT.
UUusikaupunki - Finland. Valmet Automotive factory.Majority of 986 Boxsters and 987 Boxster/Cayman.
KOsnabrück - Germany.VW factory, ex-Karmann, hence the "K"All 981 Caymans. Majority of 981 Boxsters.
DBratislava - Slovakia.VW factoryCayennes

Model Configuration Code (position 13)

A leading "0" usually means standard coupé, for the RoW markets. For the 944 and 968, US cars are usually identified by a leading "5". 944 convertibles have a leading "3" (RoW) or "8" (US). Sometimes this model code extends into the 14th digit, such as for the 968 CS which had chassis numbers beginning with "15". [4]

Examples

WP0ZZZ94ZFN40**** a 944.

WP0ZZZ98Z7U770439**** a Cayman

WP0ZZZ92ZGN40**** a 924S.

WP1ZZZ9PZ8LA7**** a Cayenne.

WP0ZZZ96ZRS81**** a 968.

WP0ZZZ99Z5S73**** a 911.

WP0ZZZ97ZAL08**** a Panamera.

WP0ZZZ98Z4L00**** a Carrera GT.

WP0ZZZ98Z8U72**** a Boxster S.

WP0ZZZ99Z5S76**** a 911 C2S Convertible.

WP0ZZZ99Z2S64**** a 911 C4 convertible.

WP1AF2A51FLB9**** a Macan Turbo

WPOZZZ95ZJS90**** a 959

WP1ZZZ9YZLDA3**** a Cayenne E-hybrid

WP0ZZZ99ZKS12**** a Targa 4 GTS

WP0AA2Y18NSA1**** a 2022 Taycan sedan, RWD, for North America

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References

  1. "VIN Decoder". Stuttcars. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  2. Morgan, Peter (1998). Original Porsche: 924/944/968. Bideford, Devon, UK: Bay View Books. p. 91. ISBN   1-901432-05-X.
  3. Morgan, p. 48
  4. Morgan, p. 116

Most of the information summarised here was first published in articles by Chris Horton in the December 2010 and January 2011 editions of Porsche Post (Magazine of the Porsche Club Great Britain), additional information was first posted on 968uk.com in November 2004.

External