DaShield Ultimum Car Cover: FirstLook

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Over the years, we have covered the car with outdoor covers from a lot of companies. Eventually, they all succumbed to the relentless beating from the Sun, the weather, and age. After five years, the current cover on the Boxster is literally disintegrating as we write this.

Fortunately, the intern already has a cover lined up to take its place. The next cover is the Ultimum laminated cover from DaShield.

DaShield Ultimum

DaShield Cover is a team of automotive enthusiasts and materials specialists based in Buena Park, California. Their covers are engineered for UV exposure, rain, dust, tree sap, bird droppings, and everything in between…exactly the real-world conditions our Boxster has faced these past 26 years!

The Ultimum DSP-C170 is DaShield’s most premium cover and is the recommended choice for Boxsters that sit outside and are exposed to the elements. Made using a multi-layer woven construction for superior breathability and protection, the Ultimum is unlike the non-woven polypropylene found in most competitors.

We are eager to see how the Ultimum will perform, compare, and hold up over time!

FirstLook

The Ultimum DSP-C170 has a 5-layer laminated construction; one of the layers blocks 98% of UV-A + UV-B rays, and other layers offer dent, scratch, and water protection.

Features of the Ultimum Cover:

• Outer shell: Ripstop woven polyester — tear-resistant, water-shedding surface coat.
• Waterproof membrane: Water molecules cannot pass — vapor escapes. No condensation.

• Thermal reflective film: Rejects up to 40°F of solar heat gain. Interior stays cooler in summer.

• Impact buffer: 2mm closed-cell foam layer absorbs hail impact and door-ding pressure.
• Snap-in straps to tighten the cover on the car in windy conditions.

• Integrated grommets for the cable to lock down and secure the cover.
• Elastic stitching to form a tight fit around the car.
• Fleece inner lining: Zero-scratch satin fleece. The car’s paint touches only this — nothing else.
• Triple-stitched + heat-sealed seams.

Not trapping moisture under the cover is actually a big deal in the New England climate. The major reason is that trapped moisture will freeze the cover to the car, making the cover impossible to remove until the weather warms up…a big deal at 5 AM on a cold winter morning when you are trying to get to work!!!

NOTE: Yes, we drive the Boxster in all kinds of weather. How else could we have put 220K+ miles on the car???

Accessories

• storage bag
• antenna patch
• security cable and combination lock
• straps

FirstThoughts:

The Ultimum cover is a rugged piece of kit. It has a hefty weight to it, looks and feels well-made, and uses quality materials.

We like that the inner layer that sits against the body offers scratch and dent protection. We also like that DaShield has different patterns for each generation of Boxsters. The pattern is mapped to the clamshell and soft-top geometry appropriate for that specific generation.

Each Boxster generation has a different soft-top folded profile and rear clamshell contour — both affect cover fit. The 986 (1996–2004) stacks the soft-top taller above the body line than the 987 (2005–2012). The 981 (2013–2016) is approximately 3.5 inches longer than the 987. The 982/718 (2017–present) has a revised rear clamshell. A generic cover will suffer fit failures on the rear quarters, front corners, or soft-top profile.

DaShield knows that:

“The Boxster’s engine sits mid-car under a clamshell hood that arcs over the engine bay. On a front-engine car — a Mustang, a 911, a Cayman — the rear presents a trunk lid that sits relatively flat. The Boxster’s clamshell peaks above the engine center and drops to the tail. A trunk-lid-patterned cover contacts the arched clamshell peak under tension, creating a pressure point that abrades paint with wind movement. DaShield patterns to the clamshell arc, not a generic sports car profile.”

We have not seen any other company putting this level of attention to their covers. Boxster owners looking for more details on which DaShield cover is right for their Boxster should go here.

Multi-layer woven construction, UV resistance rated to AATCC TM 16 standards (a critical standard for textile durability) w/4000 hrs of UV testing, and weather-rated performance across all conditions.

BTW, 4,000 hours of UV testing is exceptional. In the textile and outdoor product industries, this is considered a top-tier, ultra-premium rating for colorfastness and material durability

The Ultimum DaShield sounds like the perfect choice for our Boxster, as it spends all of its time outside when parked.

Having shipped over 890,000 covers to owners who love their cars, we are hopeful that we have found the holy grail of covers. We shall see 🙂

Link to the item mentioned:

• DaShield Ultimum DSP-C170  car cover