THAT PORSCHE GIRL

That Porsche Girl

Lara Newton talks us through the story of her famous “Lee Green” Porsche 911T.

Coming up on 8 years since it was restored, Lara Newton (aka Thatporschegirl on Instagram) and her 1969 Porsche 911T are something of a staple in LA’s community; “The first time I realised that I could own a Porsche was when I was 12 years old. My mom invited me to visit her friend’s house to see her new car. The women in my neighbourhood mostly drove station wagons or minivans, so seeing her in a brand new Porsche was a revelation. It was definitely one of the most formative moments of my life.”

Her daily driver, known for its unique green shade, prompts little mystery as to who’s behind the wheel. In the beginning however, long before it had an online presence, Lara’s 911 was a very different machine.

“It was in rough shape. The paint was chipped and worn, revealing traces old paint jobs underneath. My boyfriend Lee and I wanted to restore it to our own specifications, but both of us are purists at heart. We decided to stay true to the Porsche aesthetic but make it our own, spending countless nights debating over steering wheels, interior fabrics and paint.

I’d originally wanted the colour to be a greyish-green, so Lee mixed a colour himself starting with a base of Stone Grey. The mix was closer to an avocado green and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but he assured me it would work. When we painted the chrome accents black, it really made the colour pop.

My motto has always been ‘Getting girls off the hoods of cars and into the driver’s seat’

We finished it in 2017. When we came to naming the colour, I insisted it should be called ‘Lee Green’, since he came up with it. He’s a colourist and writer for comic books, it was only fitting that he have a colour named after him. I told him that someday someone else might want the colour themselves and sure enough we were approached by Porsche for it on behalf of a customer (we rejected the offer).

No one is more surprised than I am to have gained any sort of following. I guess it’s true when people say to do what you love and the rest will follow. My motto has always been ‘Getting girls off the hoods of cars and into the driver’s seat’ and I hope to continue to work behind the scenes to bring more women into the automotive world.”