The 4 Best Yachts Made By Car Brands

Automakers have been known to dabble in other transportation industries away from automotive. Most notably, they are involved in aviation, but a number of the top car designers and marques are trying their hand at the prestigious world of luxury yachts. With an abundance of technical and design expertise, they are well-placed to transform the yachting industry with their innovative concepts. We have chosen four designs that we think could change the face of motor yacht charters.

1. Bugatti’s Palmer Johnson Niniette 66

When the world’s fastest production car (the Bugatti Veyron) manufacturer teams up with Monaco-based Palmer Johnson, you know that this will be no run-of-the-mill yacht. The duo has created a series of carbon fibre day boats named after the daughter of Bugatti founder Ettore Bugatti; the latest of which is the 20-metre Niniette 66. It has been designed to bear a close resemblance to Bugatti’s latest model, the Chiron, while retaining the lightweight carbon fibre structure that makes Palmer Johnson boats so stable and seaworthy. The Niniette 66 can reach speeds in excess of 40 knots. It has a double cabin and features a spa pool in the spacious main deck seating area as well as a fire pit.

2. Henrik Fisker and Benetti

World famous car designer and entrepreneur Henrik Fisker has recently lent his versatile design skills to Benetti Yachts in a spectacular collaboration. The result is the Benetti Fisker 50 concept that draws on the Italian company’s legendary elegance, sportiness, and sleek designs and combines them with Fisker’s innovative and functional thinking. The 164-foot three-deck luxury vessel highlights the Italian boatbuilder’s nautical finesse but the aft resembles the haunch of a sports car. Accommodating 12 guests, the yacht comes with a beach club, spa, and several bars. The $37 million price tag certainly reflects the pedigree reflected in this superyacht and it’s due to become available next year.

3. Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz launched their most ambitious open-top to date in 2016. They proclaimed the Arrow460-Granturismo motor yacht the “Silver Arrow of the Seas,” and boasted that it combines the performance of the brand’s most powerful sports cars with the boat industry’s latest technology. The stunning yacht even sports car-like proportions and its twin Yanmar engines provide 480hp each to ‘drive’ you across the ocean.

The first edition of yachts will be built by Baltic Yachts, whose team is highly skilled in advanced carbon construction techniques. Initially, the 14-metre Arrow460-Granturismo will be limited to 10 vessels with an asking price of €2.5 million. As you can imagine with the German marque at the helm, everything is being built to the highest standards, which includes double-curvature glazing, 3D wood veneer panelling and integrated electronics architecture. The sleek yachts come with air conditioning, a high-quality audio system, a wine cellar, and an ice-maker.

4. Porsche

The Porsche Design Group first entered the yacht market with the Fearless 28, an 8.5-metre luxury speedboat. It was designed to replicate the iconic Porsche Carrera GT and it was suitably fast on the waves with speeds up to 78 knots. Since then, the German sports car giant has introduced a concept for a 41-metre catamaran in combination with the Swedish based company Royal Falcon Fleet as a fractional ownership initiative.

Most recently, the great-grandson of Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsche, Peter Daniell Porsche became a partner in Kormoran. The company is attempting to create a transforming watercraft capable of cruising in six different positions, including a monohull and a trimaran. Porsche invested in the company in 2015 and are involved with ensuring the highest quality material are used, such as carbon fibre, titanium, teak and leather.

Please contact a member of the Silver Star Yachting team to discuss your yacht charter requirements for 2017.

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