Carmine Red on a Carrera 4S: Color Beyond the GTS Badge
Historical color feature: 2018 Carrera 4S, photographed August 27, 2023; Porsche color retrospective dated May 31, 2022. Published October 19, 2026.
Carmine Red is closely associated with Porsche’s GTS models, but a GTS badge is not required to make the color work. The car photographed here is identified as a 2018 Carrera 4S. Its black wheels and dark lower trim give the red body a strong outline.
The name and the comparison
In its May 31, 2022 color guide, Porsche describes Carmine Red as deeper than Guards Red and notes its frequent pairing with black details. Porsche’s German-language model material uses Karminrot, the corresponding name included in this article’s tags. This entry concerns the modern color; matching a name across decades is not enough to establish an identical paint formula.
A photograph with several versions of red
The upper fender and hood reflect bright clouds, while the door and lower rear quarter retain a more saturated appearance. The changing reflections are especially visible because the body panels are broad and the surrounding details are dark. The black wheels draw attention to the red calipers without becoming the brightest objects in the frame.
That is the useful comparison here: red paint beside black trim, silver brake hardware and pale reflections. It helps explain the specification more clearly than a single isolated color chip on a screen.
What this example establishes
The photographer’s description explicitly identifies the finish as Carmine Red. It documents the appearance of a particular Carrera 4S, rather than proving a Paint to Sample order or every item of original factory equipment. For someone collecting Porsche color references, keeping the model and color together makes the example useful without turning a photograph into an unsupported build-sheet claim.