The Reason Porsche Built A Custom 911 For Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves is known for his high octane bullet time "Matrix" movies, using movie Kung Fu and Car Fu in the "John Wick" films, and surfing through time in the "Bill & Ted" adventure films. But he also loves speed, whether it comes from riding one of his custom-built motorcycles or zipping down the Pacific Coast Highway in one of his favorite Porsches.
Reeves' love for the German automaker stretches back to when his grandmother gave him a bunch of toy cars. Among his favorites was a black and gold-trimmed John Player I car, a red Ferrari 512 Berlinetta, and a gray Porsche 911 Turbo. Over the years, Reeves developed a passion for driving and has come to "appreciate a beautiful vehicle."
After having been around Porsches in some form over the years, he bought a black 911 Carrera 4S with a sunroof and manual transmission (via Porsche). Since it was "sleek and fast," he called it "The Sled." According to Prestige Imports in Denver, Colorado, Reeves' Type 993 rear-wheel drive model was offered in the U.S. between 1995 and 1998, and it had a 3.6-liter M64 naturally-aspirated (air-cooled) engine.
Autoevolution believes Reeves' 911 Carrera 4S model is from 1996 and is the very same car he once strapped a Christmas tree onto the roof of back in 2010.
You can customize your Porsche... if you're Keanu Reeves
Reeves fell in love with the sound made by the car's then-new "Sport Exhaust," a dual-flow exhaust system that used two catalytic converters. But even more importantly, he was smitten with how it felt, especially when gliding along the canyons of the PCH (via Porsche).
So when the beloved car was stolen while he was away filming a movie, Reeves actually mourned its loss. He believes thieves targeted his particular Porsche because the model had one of the last air-cooled engines under the hood.
After "The Matrix" star worked through his grief, he decided he wanted another 911 but one that was distinctly his own. So, Reeves spoke to Porsche's Customer Consultation Center in the famed 90210 area code of Beverly Hills and asked if the Stuttgart-based company would help personalize his brand new 911. Even with the clout and prestige that made him one of Hollywood's biggest stars ("The Matrix" trilogy had made $1.7 billion worldwide), some negotiations were needed. In the end, Porsche anodized the interior trim panels a lovely shade of black and put a custom 12-o'clock center marker on the steering wheel (via Porsche).
According to Porsche, Reeves actually drove his customized 911 to the set while filming the first "John Wick" movie.
Porsche has a long history of customs
Car owners have been customizing their rides — for aesthetic and performance reasons — since the very first days of powered transportation. In fact Porsche itself started out as a company specializing in vehicle development work, and got its big break in the 1930s designing the car that went on to be the Volkswagen Beetle. Proving that there's nothing quite like German automaker ingenuity, it went on to reuse many of the Beetle's components for its own Porsche 64, arguably the first car to officially bear its brand.
Fast forward to today, meanwhile, and Porsche buyers have plenty of options when it comes to customization. Though that usually means exterior paint colors and interior trim and upholstery, those like Keanu Reeves with deep pockets and bigger ambitions can call upon the talents of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
That formed back in 1978 as the special requests department, responsible for making special modifications to Porsche's regular production cars. Clients often demand secrecy along with their exclusive rides, but the division is known to have built everything from one-offs for sheiks, through to limited edition, extra-powerful carbon fiber supercars like the 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series in 2017.
Reeves loves unique rides so much, he started a company
Reeves may be best known for his acting — and his great taste in cars — but he's no stranger to what's involved in making incredibly unique vehicles, too. Back in 2011 he founded Arch Motorcycle Company with custom bike expert Gard Hollinger, having been impressed by his handiwork on a specially modified Harley-Davidson.
While Arch has three models of two-wheeler on its books, just like Reeve's Porsche 911 there's no comparing the motorcycles that leaves its facility. Every one is as unique, built to suit the individual owner, with the only consistent feature being wild attention to detail and equally impressive performance.
You might need to have a career in the movie industry to be able to afford one, though. An Arch KRGT-1 starts out at $85,000, the price tag spiraling north depending on what customization is involved — expensive, yes, but still a whole lot less than what a standard Porsche 911 Carrera 4S costs off the production line today.