Autoblog

In case you hadn't had quite enough of German automakers producing cars themed after yachts – like the Volkswagen Caddy Topos Sail and Audi Q7 Coastline – here comes one offshoot preparing to actually design a line of mega-yachts.

The Porsche Design boats are being penned for Singaporean shipyard's Royal Falcon Fleet, and will start off with RFF135, a 135-foot catamaran (that means two hulls for all you land-lubers). Australian firm Incat Crowther and Swedish outfit Kockums are also involved in the project, which is slated to include a variety of mega-yachts for the uber-wealthy with either two hulls or one. Yachts of this size typically leave the engine room up to the buyer's specifications, along with most everything else, but don't expect to find a bank of air-cooled flat-sixes below decks. If you're wondering how an automotive merchandise design firm could translate their competence to the entirely separate field of naval architecture, just remember that, following the Fearless speedboat series, this won't be the first time Porsche Design has tangled its toes in the water.

[Source: Luxist]

We know what you were thinking. "What my kitchen really needs is a Porsche toaster." Now tell us we're wrong. Siemens certainly doesn't think so, and so they've teamed up with Porsche Design to fulfill the need.

The TT911P2 2-Slice (it's even got the number 911 in there) is eye candy, but it's not just eye candy. It features an LED display that tells you how long it'll take to toast your bread, with eleven different settings for how dark you want your toast. It's got cool wall technology (not like the one on Top Gear, though there are plenty of Porsches on there too) so that the machine stays cool to the touch while your wonderbread gets the spa treatment by a state-of-the-art quartz heating element. Heck, it'll even remember what setting you used last time. All that adds up to serious performance of Porsche caliber. Your breakfast will never be the same.

[Source: John Lewis via Luxist]

Click above for high-res gallery of the new special ed Boxster

With both the Boxster RS 60 Spyder and Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1 already sold out, Porsche is moving on to its next pair of special edition mid-engine sportscars. Both of the new exclusive models feature a boost of a modest eight horsepower, but what differentiates them from their standard stablemates is more in the trim.

The Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 is now decked out in Carrara White, from the exterior body color and the 19" SportDesign wheels to the center console and instrument faces. Grey racing stripes and a grey roof with black leather, meanwhile, complement the white theme.

The Cayman S Sport takes more of a "GT3 Junior" approach. The car comes standard in either orange or bright green, with the scripted name popping out of the retro black stripe on the lower flank, which is complemented by black wheels, black sideview mirrors and a blacked-out interior. (Black, red, yellow, white and silver are also available for the exterior color.) The Cayman S Sport also comes standard with Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), a sports exhaust system, Alcantara grip trim, bi-xenon headlamps, the Sports Chrono Package and sports seats, and the ride height is dropped by fifteen millimeters.

Only 500 examples of the Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 will be offered, along with 700 units of the Cayman S Sport. Check out the images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for all the angles.

[Source: Porsche]

Porsche is known to have some of the best engineers in the business, constantly churning out new technologies for their vehicles. But, as we've often said – irking Porschephile commenters in the process – their designers always seem to be focusing on something else, which could go a long way towards explaining why every successive 911 iteration looks largely the same as the one it replaces. So, what is Porsche Design so busy with? Why, apparel, of course! Now we know that Porsche Design is not the same group of designers responsible for the cars, but it sure gets you thinking when the merchandising division comes up with new designs faster than the car folks.

Case in point: the latest Adidas collection from Porsche Design, marking four years of collaboration with Adidas. With the fashion industry already gearing up for the Fall/Winter seasons, Adidas and Porsche have come out with their latest cold-weather gear. Among the items in the new collection are the Primaloft stuffed vest, messenger bag, Tennis shoes, driving shoes and jump rope shown above – perfect for the dash from your Cayenne into the gym. Press release after the jump.

[Source: Porsche Design via acquire]

One thing some luxury-goods makers are missing out on are male-centric fragrances. Yankee Candle should come out with an entire "Garage Line" of scents like "Winter Ether," "Hydrocarbon Bliss," or the more subtle "Mustang Interior," and "Exhaust." There's a veritable treasure trove of olfactory delight just waiting to be mined by a master nose. Porsche Design isn't waiting for someone else to cash in on this brilliant plan, and the company is releasing its own line of products called "The Essence." Porsche Design is a separate unit from our friends who screw together conveyances, and the firm focuses on industrial design when not fiddling with esters and bergamot. The scents are described as having a combination of cold metallic and warm organic tones, and will be available in aftershave, hair gel, body wash, and deodorant. Now, you can get all dolled up in your Porsche odorificness, slip on a Porsche polo shirt, and go drive that Boxster to the golf course while wearing Porsche sunglasses. Once there, of course, you'll use Callaway clubs. Thanks for the tip, Tony!

[Site: Acquire]

Click above to view the Porsche Design White Collection in hi-res

White is not "the new black". Nor is anything else, for that matter. Black is the new black, and always will be. That's why it's black. What white is, however, is the white-hottest color for new cars these days. Porsche knows that as well as anyone else, and its merchandising division, Porsche Design, is celebrating the trend with a line of products in hot white instead of the usual black.

The new Porsche Design White Collection is highlighted by a white version of the company's award-winning mobile phone, rounded out by items ranging from pens to jackets and laptop cases to sunglasses. Arriving just in time for a summer spent cruising around in a white 911 Turbo convertible, the collection goes on sale next month, its products available in any color you want... as long as it's white. Check out the press release after the jump for more info and the images in the gallery below.


[Source: Porsche Design]

Porsche and Ferrari fight like cats and dogs. Legend has it that a major motivation in the development of the F40 was Porsche's release of the 959. Fast forward 20 years when Ferrari rolled out the F430 GT to usurp the 911's dominance of sportscar racing. In an increasingly commercialized market, the fight has been taken to the merchandizing arena, where Ferrari's branding efforts are rivaled only by those of Porsche Design.

In the latest battle of this merchanizing war between the two supercar-makers, Porsche Design has opened its newest flagship store, which isn't in Stuttgart where Porsche is headquartered, nor is it in Austria where the design house is based; the new store takes up 145 square meters of real estate on the second floor of Hall B at the sprawling Frankfurt International Airport, a major hub for international air travel and the airbase for Lufthansa, Europe's second-largest airline.

We've reported previously on all manner of Porsche Design products – including kitchen cabinets, wristwatches, Adidas sneakers, power tools, mobile phones and downhill sleds – and most are available at the new store, which, along with retail outlets at airports in Munich, Vienna, London, Moscow, Dubai and Hong Kong (soon to be joined by additional locations in the Copenhagen, Zurich and Manchester terminals) caters to the burgeoning airport shopping market.

[Source: Luxurylaunches.com]

click above image to view more pics of the Porsche Cayman S Porsche Design Edition

Porsche displayed one extra cool looking Cayman S at the LA Auto Show, with a heckuva mouthful of a name. This black on black Cayman S was sporting 997 Turbo wheels and a unique stripe and lettering set, plus a moniker that would cost more than the car if sold by the syllable. Officially known as the Porsche Cayman S Porsche Design Edition 1, it impressed us with its surprisingly attractive stripes and its handsome Turbo rims. Very sharp. As we told you back in August, this special Cayman S was built to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche's original Porsche Design project, their first chronograph. Porsche Design is perhaps best known for its consumer goods, but this 777-car limited edition Cayman shows that they can dress up cars, as well.

Porsche has worked hard to incorporate the Porsche Design look into a Cayman S. The gauge cluster takes on the appearance of a Porsche Design chrono, and the entire car is finished in black inside and out. The body is lowered 10mm and the exterior is further set off by the 19-inch 911 Turbo wheels and matte black accent striping on the doors, hood, roof, and rear deck. Black Alcantara and a special plaque on the instrument panel help trim out the passenger cabin. Each car also comes with a briefcase packed with Porsche Design goodies including a chronograph, pen, sunglasses, knife and keyring. Like the car, these personal items are finished in all black. Porsche Design Edition 1 sales kick off this month in Germany, with US sales following in January of 2008. The price? €58,600 in Germany (€69,942 with the 19% VAT factored in). We presume US pricing will be announced closer to its arrival Stateside and don't harbor any doubts that Porsche will easily sell out the 777-car run.

[Source: Porsche]

Drama in the kitchen is typically the result of some male/female dynamic, but Porsche Design has teamed up with Poggenpohl for a solution that might actually cost less in the long run when you get done factoring in the cost of chiropractor visits to fix your back after nights on the couch. Of course Porsche Design has done everything from hard drives to multihammers, not to mention shoes, watches, and everything in between, so a kitchen isn't such a big stretch. What better place to store that NeoPresso machine than in the P'7340 kitchen?

The modular design makes extensive use of aluminum, a Porsche Design trademark. The lines are clean and intended to appeal to masculine tastes. Porsche and Poggenpohl are citing a rising interest among men to fiddle around in the kitchen as an impetus for the high tech look, and that's also probably why there's an audio-video system built into the kitchen. There are lots of slick touches to keep the clean lines, such as overengineered latch and handle setups to open the doors and drawers electrically, though you can get conventional handles, too. Think of it as a kitchen with available Tiptronic.

[Source: Gizmag]

There's a hurricane bearing down on your city and you want an an all-in-one system to listen to emergency services. You also want it to look good. As usual, Porsche design has come to your rescue with the Eton P9110. In addition to its AM/FM/Shortwave radio, it has a flashlight, cell phone charger, siren, red strobe, and a hand crank so you can keep it powered. Because it's from Porsche design, it's made of aluminum, sports knurled knobs and machine bolt treatment, and the crank utilizes a magnetic locking system. Of course, it also costs two-and-a-half times more than the most expensive Eton product, but you know what they say: there is no substitute.

[Source: Gizmag]