A marriage of sorts is being celebrated by two iconic brands who belong to very different segments. The Duet, the newly announced collaboration of the custom-made Embraer Phenom 300E and Porsche 911 Turbo S, will be the world’s first matching business jet and supercar.
Four years ago, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer and the German automaker Porsche started collaborating on the project, according to representatives of the two companies at a recent press conference, to connect two radically different vehicles with a similar design DNA.
“We worked together to benchmark processes,” said Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets. “The design was all about exclusivity, but always focusing on the customers.”
The series, which has a custom logo depicting the aircraft’s emphasis on lift and the car’s focus on downdraft, will contain only 10 pairs of the business jet and supercar. The pairs will both have a special badge with 10 lines, reflecting the 10 that will be delivered. Customers will have the choice of choosing a blue chip location that will display their position among the 10 units.
To connect the two, the designers focused on numerous specifics including big-picture features such as exterior colors. The two employed a traditional Jet Grey Metallic and Platinum Silver Metallic paint pallet, with Brilliant Chrome and Speed Blue trim strips. In a unique move specifically for this project, the 911 is entirely hand-painted to represent the painting process of the Phenom 300E. The detailing is also visible in the 911 alloy wheels, which are coated in Platinum Silver Metallic with a laser process while revealing a Speed Blue underlay on the rim flange.
Business jets are typically white for heat reflection, but they share the gray exterior of the Porsche. “From a historical standpoint, many aircraft going way back had metallic exteriors,” says Mr. Amalfitano. “We wanted to also convey that metallic look, but with a high level of sophistication.”
In matching the 300E and 911, finer details have also been critical. The air intakes on the 911, for instance, are painted to match the aircraft’s leading-edge nacelles in Brilliant Chrome. As one sees on an aircraft wing, even the 911’s door sill trims feature “No Step” lettering.
The interior sewing design of the seats in the Phenom 300E is patterned after the 911. The upper area of both seats are white, with red pull straps and Speed Blue accent stitches. Carbon-fiber shrouds emphasize the association, too. To match the car, the cockpit seats on the 300E were also redesigned. Porsche also provided a special color combination to the steering wheel of the 911 to imitate the yoke of the aircraft. And even the trim roof lining of the Chalk Alcantara on the 911 was built to look like the aircraft.
The Duet
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The upper area of both seats are white, with red pull straps and Speed Blue accent stitches.
The stunning interiors of the Duet
Business jets are typically white for heat reflection, but the N911 share the gray exterior of the Porsche.
The air intakes on the 911, are painted to match the aircraft's leading-edge nacelles in Brilliant Chrome
The detailing is also visible in the 911 alloy wheels, which are coated in Platinum Silver Metallic with a laser process while revealing a Speed Blue underlay on the rim flange.
Duet customers will receive a special edition Porsche Design 1919 Globe timer UTC titanium- case watch inspired from the cockpit of the aircraft
“This is the perfect marriage of car and jet,” said Jay Beever, vice president of Embraer Design Operations. “To further solidify this symbiotic partnership, the aircraft registration number appears on both the car’s rear wing and the sides of its key.”
Duet customers will also receive a personalized pilot bag and two weekenders to sweeten the partnership, as well as a special edition Porsche Design 1919 Globe timer UTC titanium- case watch inspired from the cockpit of the aircraft.
The officials said the Duet will have a $10.9 million starting price, which would go up with requests for customization. You can expect the first deliveries will of these stunning combo in 2021.
