Hollywood

Porsche teams up with Lucasfilm to design a new Star Wars spacecraft

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Oct 25, 2019, 11:02 am

Porsche and Star Wars are teaming up to create a new spacecraf that will make its premiere at the movie's red carpet debut.

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

Car brand partnerships are nothing new for Luke and Leia. Nissan has been capitalizing on the popularity of the Star Wars franchise to help market their Rogue SUV, next-gen Safety Shield 360 driver assistance and safety technology, and redesigned Altima sedan. Now, Porsche is stepping onto the red carpet, designing a new spacecraft that will be seen in promotional appearances for forthcoming "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker."

This isn't just another spacecraft. This one is infused with design DNA that is apparent in modern Porsche models.

Porsche Star Wars spacecraft Doug Chiang, Vice President and Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm, Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche, sketch ideas for the new spacecraft.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

"Developing a spacecraft with clear Porsche design DNA is exiting and challenging," says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche at Porsche AG. "Even though they do not seem to share many elements at first glance, both worlds have a similar design philosophy. The close collaboration with the Star Wars design team inspires and fascinates us – I'm sure that both sides can draw major benefits from this exchange."

Teams in Stuttgart and San Francisco are working together to design the spacecraft and create the physical model in time to make it red carpet ready for the movie's premiere in December.

Porsche Star Wars spacecraft Doug Chiang, Vice President and Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm, Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche view sketch proposals for the new venture.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

"The worldwide appeal of the Star Wars and Porsche brands is shaped decisively by their iconic designs," says Doug Chiang, Vice President and Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm and responsible for overseeing all designs for the Star Wars franchise. "We are bringing together two worlds with this project: the exotic film design of a galaxy far, far away and the precision work that goes into developing emotive Porsche sports cars. This collaboration promises to produce an innovative design that will blend the best of both brands to create an exciting new starship worthy of Porsche and Star Wars."

Porsche's first all-electric car, the 2020 Taycan, will appear alongside the spacecraft on the red carpet at the premiere. Deliveries to U.S. customers will begin around the same time.

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web

Trending News

 
 

Fashion

Balmain's Creative Director teams up with Porsche for new video series

Balmain's Creative Director Olivier Rousteing is a Porsche fan.

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

What does it mean to "drive defined"? A new series of videos from Porsche and the Creative Director of the Paris fashion label Balmain, Olivier Rousteing, explorers the meaning of the phrase. Rousteing says that he's been "fascinated" by Porsche since childhood.

The designer, who grew up in France, worked at Roberto Cavalli before becoming the Creative Director at Balmain in 2011. The powerhouse fashion brand was founded in 1945 and was previously lead by Oscar de la Renta. Modern Balmain designs feature elements of French couture mixed with Asian influence. In 2019, the brand launched the KYLIE X BALMAIN, a makeup collaboration with social media influencer Kylie Jenner.

Olivier Rousteing sits in a Porsche Panamera during the filming of the short.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

The short videos, published on Porsche's social media channels and on Rousteing's Instagram feed, focus on Rousteing's powerful inner driving force. In a release, the luxury car manufacturer says that there are "many similarities between the fashion designer and the sports car brand" including boundary pushing and an eye toward the tradition-rich history of the company Rousteing leads into the modern age.

"Olivier Rousteing is not just an authentic Porsche enthusiast, he is also a perfect fit for us with his desire to make Balmain a modern brand with the highest standards of quality and luxury," says Jelena Batic who is responsible for the cooperation at Porsche. "Together, we explore his exceptional driving force in the films by examining the connection between the worlds of sports cars and fashion, which creates relevance for our existing customers, as well as for younger and female target groups."

The series kicked off with a video featuring the Porsche Panamera. It was just the first step in a planned, longer collaboration between Rousteing and Porsche. Further aspects of the partnership are expected to be made public in due course.

Watch the first video below.

Drive Defined with Olivier Rousteing www.youtube.com

From Your Site Articles

Trending News

 
 

Timepieces

Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition exudes 40s glamour

The Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition is inspired by vintage watches from the 1940s.

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

A limited collection of just 25 timepieces is designed to infuse the style and elegance of the 1940s with modern chronograph technology. The new Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition launches this month.

The wristwatch is a fresh take on the original Breitling Premier watches of the 40s. It features a 42 millimeter case wrapped in 18 karat red gold with rectangular chronograph pushers, a gold-brown alligator strap, and a transparent sapphire caseback that reveals the movement of its 22-karat gold oscillating weight.

A release from the company details that the. distinctive green dial, reminiscent of the British racing green, is the highlight of the piece. The Breitling-Bentley partnership has used similar coloring in other endeavors.

Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition

Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition

Photo courtesy of Bentley Motors

1 / 5

The timepiece is powered by the Manufacture Caliber B21. The COSC-certified tourbillon movement offers around 55 hours of power reserve and is water-resistant up to 100 meters.

The partnership between Bentley and Beitling is a few decades old but the passion for the combination of Breitling timepieces and luxury cars goes back much further. Willy Breitling, the grandson of the brand's founder Léon Breitling, was a passionate Bentley driver. He patented the chronograph with two independent pushers at 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock in 1934. In 1940 he designed the original Premier wristwatches, the company's first link that moved them from pure purpose to style. As Willy saw it, "When a man puts on his watch, it is the unmistakeable stamp of impeccable taste."

The watch has a $52,000 starting MSRP.

Late last year, Bentley showed off its branded specialty watches, which were developed in partnership with Jacob the Jeweler. The timepieces from the Jacob & Co. x Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon collection bring together the feeling evoked by the raw power of the Chiron super sports car and the artistry of its design into a timepiece.

From Your Site Articles

Trending News