Automotive Designs are iconic for a reason. Starting with the Jaguar E-type, the most beautiful car ever made, the Elton John approved Lamborghini Mura, the Volkswagen Beetle – lovingly named the bug, the Porsche 911 – probably the most recognized sports car in the world to the latest trendsetting Tesla Cybertruck, every automotive aficionado will be able to tell each of these cars from their silhouette itself. We know it’s almost impossible for all of us to own these cars but why should that keep us away from expressing our love for them? Every product in this collection pays homage to an iconic automotive brand, allowing you to uphold your favorite while having it double up as functional pieces of product design in your space. In the words of Lighting McQueen, its Ka-Chow time!
The Tesla G (that’s what designer Prokop Strnka calls it) concept is basically an outdoor lawn-trimming Roomba. It runs autonomously, driving in lines around your garden, trimming the grass but avoiding your prize rose shrubbery or your microgreens nursery. The lawnmower relies on a version of Tesla’s autopilot algorithm to actively scan and sense its environments as it drives through tall grass. Sensors on the mower can help detect the difference between grass and plants, and can actively map out your lawn so the mower doesn’t end up crossing over the cobblestone onto the road, or your neighbor’s property. The mower runs on solar power, but when it’s low on juice and it’s relatively dark out, it scoots over to its wireless-charging hub to quickly juice up its battery.
The VW Fridge (an actual fridge!) comes as a collaboration between European appliance giant Gorenje and none other than Volkswagen whom we know too well. The fridge (a part of Gorenje’s Retro Edition) outwardly is a perfect homage to the surfer/hippie era with its front facade instantly reminding us of the VW Bulli or the Microbus that took the world by storm in the 50-60s. Using the delicious color palette that VW relied on, the fridge comes even with the chrome trims, the unmistakable VW logo, and a silhouette that does a brilliant job of juxtaposing a winning aesthetic from automotive history onto a kitchen appliance.
For an automotive enthusiast, anything even remotely car-related deserves a place in their home, and this table certainly earns its right to become the centerpiece! Based around an original 20-inch forged aluminum rim from the pinnacle of the automotive world, Ferrari, the Velocita table by Alan Liu of Mobellio stylishly captures the speed and drama of the iconic brand. A thin sheet of advanced tempered glass, that allows the wheel to be viewed from all angles, rests upon the beautiful and elegantly shaped wooden frame, where its elongated form artistically portrays the speed and power that the Italian supercars are renowned for. To balance out this wonderfully crafted piece of furniture, a brake disc sits on an additional platform, which adds to the visual interest of the product!
A speaker for all the Porsche aficionados is here! Porsche Design created the 911 speaker that not only looks like the original exhaust pipes of the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 but is made from them! The high-performance sports car has been an ultimate crowd-pleaser since 1963. Its rear-mounted flat-six engine and titanium central tailpipes are the car’s most celebrated features. So, of course, Porsche Design utilized the pipes to make the super sleek 911 speaker, with an aluminum housing to support them.
The Espresso Veloce Royale 01 by Super Veloce literally makes the richest cup of coffee ever. Where else would you find a V12 engine being used to brew espresso? Or rather, a V12 engine crafted from real 18-carat white gold, diamonds, thermoset gold leaf carbon fiber, and two stunning royal purple amethyst gems. Clearly made for refined tastes (and refined wallets too), the limited edition coffee maker is the latest in Super Veloce’s outrageous engine inspired coffee maker arsenal, and to be honest, it outdoes the rest.
The Porsche 911 Writing Desk by 3 GJB 17 gives you one more reason and opportunity to correct those commoners who pronounce it “Porsh” by telling them it is, in fact, “Por-shuh”… Made from original Porsche 911 body parts, coated in Arctic Silver automotive paint, and finished with Custom Made American Walnut attachments that complement the car’s contours beautifully, the 911 Writing Desk takes the iconic car’s rear end, converting its boot hood into a writing surface that doubles up as a cabinet for storing your stationery (using a spring-loaded hinge that lifts the boot lid up)
Most look at the 1964 Porsche 911 and go “Wow, what a classic”… Designer Minseop Woo looked at the 911 and got inspired to design furniture! The Stool 911 captures the most iconic hood detail of the vintage Porsche, with the way the stool’s front legs arch upwards, mimicking the headlamps of the 911 coupe. When compared in side-view, the details look virtually identical, however, one is a classic automobile, and the other is a seating device! The Stool 911 doesn’t fail to impress as a chair either. It features an easy to carry design that’s also stackable, making it a winner chair, as well as an ode to a legendary car!
Created as a concept by designer Yonghwan Kim, the Audi Hear is a set of truly wireless earbuds designed for the car aficionado. They come in a super compact design that sit neatly within the ear, displaying the Audi branding to passers-by. What’s more, is that they even come with a rather dashing looking charging dock that takes direct inspiration from a car’s form. Wouldn’t it be pretty amazing if you could use these to authenticate your car, using voice commands to get it to start, stop, or seamlessly shift into self-driving mode??
The Barista Beetle is a Volkswagen inspired coffee machine designed by Jarim Koo. Klaus Bischoff – Volkswagen’s Head of Design – describes the brand’s design philosophy in 3 words: “Simple, sophisticated, and different.” Koo has undoubtedly adopted this philosophy across the Barista Beetle. Koo has embodied the brand’s unique image and identity here that is synonymous with the VW Beetle. Smartly detailed, the Barista Beetle has subtle design choices like; the embodiment of the lid and the body, connected without a break in curvature or the chrome bezels on the dials which add a timeless element to this carefully thought out the semantic fusion between motor and machine.
The 901 Collection watch by Etienne Melaerts carries 52 years of Porsche’s iconic automotive legacy within its metal construction. Made from salvaged parts of the Porsche 911 series, and featuring many subtle references to the car’s iconic design, the 901 Collection pays a fitting tribute to Porsche’s timeless vehicles by breathing new life into it. Not only does it reduce waste by recycling material, but it also ensures that a legendary classic isn’t put to rest in a junkyard… keeping Porsche’s spirit running for essentially another lifetime. The design of the watch balances itself between capturing the vintage/undying spirit of the Porsche automobile, but also at the same time being a beautiful state of the art watch. Each watch dial is unique, showcasing the grain pattern of the refurbished metal taken from the car. Each and every detail tips a hat to Porsche’s design language, be it from the dashboard to the rims, to the seat trim detail, to even the Porsche font that features on the numbers on the dial.
Waterproof as well as dustproof, the Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker by Yubin Choi and Ilhyun Kwon is guaranteed to stand sturdy and stout in any situation. Shaped like the front end of a Jeep, it possesses an imposing and rugged appearance. Boasting an aluminum frame, the speaker is surrounded by a hardy bumper, which provides full protection to the product against major elements including dust, sand, and splashes. Two round headlamps, imitating the headlights of the Jeep, hold integrated LED lights that can light up even the darkest of paths, ensuring that the users can venture into the outdoors comfortably. The clips at the top of the product allow it to be easily placed or latched onto any clothing item, backpack, or tent. Much like the Jeep wherein it’s individual parts like the doors and the sunroof can be easily removed, parts of the speaker can be replaced if they undergo any damage or scratches.
The Aviatore Veloce is a quarter-scaled recreation of a jet engine… that also makes espresso! Slide open the top, place your coffee grounds and water in their respective areas and power the machine and the Aviatore Veloce uses its high-pressure brewing system to prepare single servings of espresso (or even tea if you swap the coffee grounds for tea leaves). The Aviatore Veloce is even made from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum bronze to give it its authentic feel. Limited to just 100 pieces, I imagine the Avaitore Veloce is perfect for boardrooms at Boeing and Airbus… for someone who really needs a jet-engine coffee maker to ‘turbocharge’ their morning!