Porsche Headlights Are Getting Carved Out in Horrifying Theft Trend
Trending this week are images taken in Düsseldorf, Germany, over a Porsche Taycan Turismo with missing eyes. The sinister procedure was a terrible act of vandalism wherein metal shears were used to cut open the Taycan’s fenders. The fender flaps were then peeled up to fully expose the headlight assemblies, which were yanked out by the thief.
The photos, viewable on X and Reddit, show a complete lack of regard for the car.
An X commenter shared that these are not the only instances of the mauling procedure. They posted images of two other Porsches with botched faces. Neither are Taycans.
Similar to catalytic converter thefts, there’s a market for used sports car parts.
Headlight replacement on a Porsche isn’t cheap
A single replacement headlight assembly for a 2023 Porsche Taycan Turismo, OEM part number 9J1-044-900-16, has an MSRP of $4,390.16. But today, you can buy them online from a third party for a slight discount at $3,580.
Regarding the fender repair now on order, unpainted panels run $500-$775 apiece. In the Midwestern U.S., not many sports car dealerships have collision repair departments, so they sublet the work to local shops. Internal or not, the labor for Porsche painting surely isn’t the same as, say, a Ford Focus. These days, single fender panel painting runs anywhere from $500-$1200, depending on billed labor hours plus materials and supplies. All told, this might be upwards of $11k in damages.
Used Porsche Taycans (2020-2023) are going for an average of $122,000. With the 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo S starting at $196,000, seeing sports cars disfigured for headlights is certainly tear-inducing.
Aside from shock and alarm, the internet jokes are going strong. Everything from the Winnie the Pooh “They took my ****ing eyes!” Piglet parody to Alien references (maybe they hatched?) is in the X thread. A good pun takes the prize: “Their headlights were…Taycan?”
Sources: Classic.com, Porsche Parts Depot
