The ongoing Star Wars saga and Porsche’s decades-long racing heritage have collided. Shortly after teaming up with Boeing to develop a flying taxi, the German firm joined forces with Lucasfilm to design a spacecraft that will make its galactic debut at the premiere of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Porsche has worked on a lot of different projects since its inception in 1948, including tractors and an economy car for the then-burgeoning Chinese market, but this is the first time it has applied its design philosophy to an outer space-bound vehicle. The starship, named Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus, looks like it would fit in well with X-Wings and Y-Wings, but Porsche wanted to incorporate some styling elements from its terrestrial vehicles as well.
“Developing a spacecraft with clear Porsche design DNA is exciting and challenging. 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,” opined Michael Mauer, Porsche’s vice president of design, in a statement. That hopefully means Porsche will make the next Cayenne Coupe available with a class 4 hyperdrive, but it’s too early to tell for sure.
“The basic shape of the cabin, which tapers towards the rear, and a highly distinctive topography from the cockpit fly line to the turbines, establish visual parallels with the iconic design of the 911 and Taycan,” Mauer said.
The project took two months to complete, according to Porsche. A five-foot model of the Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus will be displayed at the Rise of Skywalker premiere, but the ship won’t be in the movie, Porsche told Digital Trends. Nonetheless, designers pursued their work as if the Pegasus would appear on screen, aiming to create a shape that would make an impression even if shown for just a brief amount, according to a Porsche press release.
This is, as far as we know, the first time an automaker has participated in the development of a Star Wars spacecraft. There’s no indication Chevrolet sent Lucasfilm some of its speed-obsessed engineers to put the final touches on the CR90 Corellian Corvette. There are no Rolls-Royce parts in the Ghost, the Imperial landing craft isn’t part of Chrysler’s now-defunct flagship brand, and the Ebon Hawk wasn’t made by Studebaker. But, who knows, this partnership might start a trend. Imagine a small, nimble spacecraft inspired by Mazda’s MX-5 Miata, or a big-bodied hauler with a Ford F-150-like design.
Updated on December 13, 2019: Added photos and details of the finished product.
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