A Little Bigger than a Cayenne: Porsche Design's 135-foot catamaran megayacht
Royal Falcon Fleet RFF135 Catamaran by Porsche Design – Click above for high-res image gallery
Sure, cars like the Cayenne and even the Panamera are enormous in comparison to the 911. But there's still only so big Porsche can go. That is, on land at least. Not one to be told to stick to its core business, Porsche's design arm has teamed up with a Singapore shipyard to design a state-of-the-art catamaran megayacht.
We first reported on the RFF135 by Porsche Design and Royal Falcon Fleet back when the idea was announced, but now that the project has started to materialize, the two companies have begun releasing details and images. Worlds apart from the speedboat which Porsche Design penned for Fearless, the RFF135 is a massive twin-hull design measuring 135 feet in length (hence the name) with a 41-foot beam. That's enough space to accommodate 10 guests and 10 crew members below decks in 472 square meters of area, with another 208 square meters of deck space up top.
That's almost unfathomably large, and to propel the vessel up 35 knots (about 40 mph), the catamaran will be equipped with twin V16 turbodiesel engines from German manufacturer MTU, each producing a massive 4,600 horsepower. Don't ask about miles per gallon – this puppy will drink down 750 liters of diesel every hour, but at least you're bound to look damned good doing it, right? Details in the press release after the jump and renderings in the gallery below.
[Source: Porsche Design]
PRESS RELEASE:
Reaching the first milestone of construction of the Royal Falcon Fleet RFF135
Keel laid for revolutionary power catamaran
Bietigheim-Bissingen/Singapore. The Porsche Design Group and Singapore-based megayacht builder Royal Falcon Fleet have reached the first milestone of the construction of the RFF135. The first joint project for the two companies, it is a luxurious anomaly on the water: a power catamaran with a length of more than 40 metres. The outer hull and the interior are in keeping with the functional, timeless and puristic hand of the Porsche Design Studio at Zell am See (Austria), which was responsible for the styling.
The appearance of the RFF135 is particularly extraordinary, as it was conceived as a "spacecraft on the water," as was requested by the customer. In this form, the catamaran platform offers completely new possibilities for configuration in exterior and interior design. Unlike a great number of mega-yachts, the interior was styled in a highly modern way and captures the dynamic contours of the hull.
Its typical Porsche design is unmistakable: Luxurious and functional, it dispenses with floridness and opulence of any kind. On the contrary, an unadorned design and authentic, premium and comfortable materials constitute the flair of the interior. The generous impact of its space goes beyond established standards for a 135-foot (41.2 metre) yacht.
After the successful completion of the development phase, the construction of the hull for the first RFF135 began in September 2008. At the end of the year, the hull will be relocated to Sweden, where the technological installations and interior fit-out will be carried out. Royal Falcon Fleet has engaged the Kockums and the Incat Crowther firms for the construction design of the catamaran. Kockums, a Swedish subsidiary of Thyssen-Krupp, is known for leading-edge technology in the area of marine technology. The Australian-based shipbuilding engineers of the Incat Crowther firm have decades of experience in the construction of large power catamarans. The launch of this first Royal Falcon Fleet power catamaran designed by Porsche Design is planned for the fourth
quarter of 2010.
"In 1987, we designed the 'Kineo' power yacht, an exclusive speedboat, of which there are only three examples worldwide and which drew attention for its characteristic dolphin form," says Dr. Jürgen Geßler, CEO of Porsche Design Group. "Our newest project once again demonstrates that our design, outstanding in many ways, is setting trends in numerous fields. With the first Royal Falcon Fleet yacht, we are building a bridge to the Porsche Design Sport textile collection that was developed specifically for the maritime area."
"We have now reached an important milestone in mastering this path-breaking project," says M. A. Zaman, president and CEO of Royal Falcon Fleet. "Under the guidance of highly qualified experts from Australia, France, Sweden and the U.S., we are constructing the hull of the RFF135. On December 15, 2009, it is going from Asia to Sweden, where it will be completed. And at the end of 2010, the first Royal Falcon Fleet will be launched – the ultimate luxury experience at sea.
"In many respects, this project is an anomaly," says Roland Heiler, executive director of the Porsche Design Studio at Zell am See. "The sole requirement from Royal Falcon Fleet was to implement contours outside of the stereotypical boat aesthetic. This gave us considerable creative latitude and the result was a revolutionary design – a real challenge for the ship architects. This innovative yacht concept quickly drew them into its thrall, however, so that all the participants are now working painstakingly on the realisation of the design."
Royal Falcon Fleet Plc.
Royal Falcon Fleet, a Singapore-based builder of luxury yachts, was founded by a Swedish investor. The goal of the firm is to develop mega-yachts that stand out for their innovative design, cutting-edge technology, and handcrafted European interiors.
Porsche Design Group
The Porsche Design Group, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG in Stuttgart. The activities of the company are concentrated on the company divisions Porsche Design, Porsche Design Driver's Selection and the Porsche Design Studio at Zell am See in Austria.
Porsche Design Studio
The Porsche Design Studio at Zell am See, Austria, stands for the clear, timeless, unmistakable design signature that distinguishes all products of the Porsche Design Group. Moreover, the studio also handles industrial and product design for other companies. The Porsche Design Studio is one of the most renowned design houses in Europe.
Technical data Royal Falcon Fleet RFF135
Total length: 135 feet (41.2 metres)
Length at waterline: 114 feet (35.7 metres)
Breadth: 41 feet (12.5 metres)
Draught: 5.6 feet (1.7 metres)
Engine: MTU 16V 4000 M93L
Power output: 2 x 3,440 kW (4,600 HP)
Speed: 35 knots
Range: 2,000 nautical miles at 30 knots
Fuel consumption: 750 litres per hour
Tank capacity: 2 x 25,000 litres
Freshwater reservoir: 5,000 litres
Waste water reservoir: 2 x 4,000 litres
Classification: Lloyd's Register
Material: certified, high-strength aluminium
Form: High-speed catamaran hull
Interior deck area: 472 square metres
Exterior deck area: 208 square metres
Passenger capacity: 10 guests and 10 crew
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
xtM450 2:02PM (9/03/2009)
I'd sell my house, my car, and my soul to just live in it.
Reply
Vlad 2:09PM (9/03/2009)
So what stops you from doing that?
Derek 2:17PM (9/03/2009)
Souls just aren't worth that much these days...
hoofhearted 2:31PM (9/03/2009)
Somehow this is the first thing that came to my mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7yfISlGLNU
sparrk 3:25PM (9/03/2009)
click.kas , Porsche Design is a design company , Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG is a car company. they are not the same thing.
TigerMil 8:44AM (9/04/2009)
standard design would put another 20-40K hp via gas turbine water jet.
Fail.
Venom 2:09PM (9/03/2009)
Ugly is beautiful when it comes to yachts, not cars.
This works, the Panamera does not.
Based on the way Porsche charges for their options list on their cars they are going to have a field day with this thing. After you are done buying one of these and optioning it out they will never need to sell another car again...
Reply
Luis 2:24PM (9/03/2009)
I must love ugly things. I'd drive a Panamera all day/night long. HAWT!
Sean 2:16PM (9/03/2009)
You could win powerball every week for a year and not even come close to being able to afford that...
Damn.
Reply
ojfl 2:49PM (9/03/2009)
Sean,
do you know how much it costs? That is a lot of powerballs...
travisty 2:52PM (9/03/2009)
Afford to buy it? Sure. Afford to staff and run it? Aaaaaahahahahahahahaha.
alex 2:20PM (9/03/2009)
so porsche designers have been busy designing a yacht.... well i guess that explains why every porsche in the last 15 years looks exactly the same.
Reply
sparrk 3:31PM (9/03/2009)
not the same company , they only share a part of the name.
alex 3:41PM (9/03/2009)
They only share part of a name? How about ownership?
"The Porsche Design Group, based in Bietigheim-Bissingen, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG in Stuttgart"
I know it's not the same people who actually design the cars. You should look up "joke" on wikipedia.
dm_mg 2:24PM (9/03/2009)
Is this a gun turret up on top?
Reply
CAPSGOD 2:35PM (9/03/2009)
THIS IS AWESOME
Reply
Brex 2:39PM (9/03/2009)
That angled side beam appears as if Porsche Design is simply trying to make a megayacht that looks different, even though it just doesn't look good. Otherwise, it's fine.
Reply
mateens 2:41PM (9/03/2009)
LOL...the fuel alone to operate it for a day will cost around $10,000.
Reply
Brian 2:48PM (9/03/2009)
"this puppy will drink down 750 liters of diesel every hour"
It's diesel, so why isn't this over in Autoblog green?
Reply
alex 3:42PM (9/03/2009)
great comment! you had me laughing out loud