Porsche Option Codes by VIN: Decoder & Code List
Every Porsche is built to a list of option codes tied to its VIN. Here's how to read them, the codes you'll see most, and how to get the full list for your Porsche.
- Porsche records every factory option of a car as a short code:
1BKis air suspension with PASM,8LHthe Sport Chrono Package Plus. - The codes are tied to the VIN, so they describe your car, whatever the badges or the advert say.
- Many codes cover things you can't judge at a glance, like
7Y1Lane Change Assist orKA6the surround-view cameras. - Your BuildVIN report lists every option code of your Porsche with Porsche's own description, in minutes.
What are Porsche option codes?
Porsche gives every factory option a short code and records the codes of each car against its VIN. Modern Porsches use the same kind of three-character codes as Volkswagen and Audi, such as 1BK or 9VL. Together they describe exactly how the car was built: the chassis, the lights, the sound system, the seats and the assistance systems.
A Porsche is often ordered with a long list of options, and some of them make a real difference to what the car is worth. Because the list belongs to one VIN, it is the most reliable way to check what a Porsche really has.
How to read Porsche option codes
- Each code stands for one option:
1BKis air suspension with electronic damping control (PASM),KS1the head-up display. - Related options often have related codes:
9VKis sound package 1 and9VLsound package 2, the high-end sound system. - Some codes record what the car does not have:
9R0means without night vision. Your report lists these separately, under Not fitted. - The same equipment can carry different codes on different models and years, so always read the description next to the code.
The most common option codes on real Porsche build sheets
How often each option appears in the Porsche reports we have delivered. The text is Porsche's own, and the code is the one your report lists next to it.
| Option | Code | Cars with it |
|---|---|---|
| Chassis and performance | ||
| Four-corner air suspension with electronic damping control | 1BK | 42% |
| Sport Chrono / compass, Black | UP1 | 36% |
| Sport Chrono Plus package | 8LH | 33% |
| Sound | ||
| Sound package 2/High-end sound system | 9VL | 51% |
| Sound package 1/sound package | 9VK | 18% |
| Lights | ||
| PDLS+ incl. Matrix Beam | 8G4 | 25% |
| LED headlights, PDLS+ | 8IU | 21% |
| Driver assistance | ||
| Park distance control front and rear | 7X2 | 36% |
| With front and rear view camera system and two side cameras | KA6 | 32% |
| Lane change assist system | 7Y1 | 29% |
| Infotainment and displays | ||
| High navigation system | 7UG | 64% |
| Head-up display | KS1 | 14% |
| Comfort | ||
| 12-way electrical adjustment for both front seats + memory | 3PN | 53% |
| Door mirrors, automatically dimmable, electrically rectractable/adjustable, separately heated + memory | 6XT | 42% |
| Heated seats, front/rear | 4A4 | 36% |
| Interior | ||
| Seat trim covers in part leather | N5U | 28% |
| Seat covers in leather, smooth-finish for A/C seats | N0Q | 23% |
| Door trim and side wall - all leather -- pillars/ rooflining in | 3LH | 21% |
Where to find the codes on a Porsche
Porsche prints the option codes on a vehicle data label. A copy is usually in the warranty and maintenance booklet, and many 911s also have one in the front luggage compartment. Booklets get lost and labels fade, so the quickest way is the VIN: your report lists every code Porsche recorded for the car.
Sport Chrono and air suspension: what the codes show
Some of the options buyers ask about most are hard to judge from the outside. These codes settle it:
8LHSport Chrono Package Plus.UP1the Sport Chrono stopwatch with compass, black.1BKair suspension with electronic damping control (PASM).
The stopwatch alone does not prove the package: about 3 in 10 of the Porsches in our reports with the stopwatch have no 8LH code. If an advert promises Sport Chrono or air suspension, check that the car carries the code.
What to check on a used Porsche before you buy
Sellers often list equipment from memory, and some options are expensive to add later. These are worth confirming in the option codes. The share shows how many of the Porsches in our reports have them.
| Equipment | Code | Cars with it |
|---|---|---|
| Air suspension with PASM | 1BK | 42% |
| Sport Chrono Package Plus | 8LH | 33% |
| High-end sound system (sound package 2) | 9VL | 51% |
| Matrix LED headlights (PDLS+) | 8G4 | 25% |
| Surround-view cameras | KA6 | 32% |
| Lane Change Assist | 7Y1 | 29% |
| Head-up display | KS1 | 14% |
| 12-way electric front seats with memory | 3PN | 53% |
| Heated seats front and rear | 4A4 | 36% |
| Parking sensors front and rear | 7X2 | 36% |
| Speed-sensitive power steering (Servotronic) | 1N3 | 43% |
| Alarm with interior surveillance | 7AK | 38% |
If a feature in the advert has no matching code, ask the seller about it before you pay.
What you get in your BuildVIN report
Get your Porsche option codes in 3 steps
- Enter the 17-character VIN in the form at the top of this page. You find it on the registration document and at the bottom of the windscreen. On most Porsches it starts with WP0, and on the Cayenne and Macan with WP1.
- Pay securely by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna or Revolut Pay.
- Get your report by email in minutes, ready to read on screen or to print.
Frequently asked questions
What are Porsche option codes?
They are the short codes Porsche uses for each factory option, for example 1BK (air suspension with PASM) or 8LH (Sport Chrono Package Plus). Your report lists every option code of your Porsche with Porsche's own description.
What does a code like 1BK mean?
It is one option: 1BK is air suspension on all four corners with electronic damping control, PASM. Codes for options a car does not have, like 9R0 (without night vision), are listed separately in your report.
Can I get my Porsche's option list from the VIN?
Yes. Enter the VIN in the form at the top of this page. Your report lists every option code of your Porsche with Porsche's own description, all OEM data straight from the source, as two PDFs by email in minutes.
Do the codes show if a Porsche has the Sport Chrono package?
Yes. The Sport Chrono Package Plus has its own code, 8LH, and the stopwatch on the dashboard has UP1. Check the package code, not just the stopwatch.
Can I see if a Porsche has air suspension?
Yes. Air suspension with electronic damping control, PASM, has its own code, 1BK. If an advert promises air suspension, check that the car carries it.
What if my car can't be found?
Then you get your money back. If we can't find your car's factory data, we refund the whole payment.
Porsche models we decode most
Each model page shows the options, colours and model years found in our reports for that model.