Porsche Taycan Art Car Headed For Charity Auction

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We’ve made no secret of our appreciation for the swoopy, sultry Porsche Taycan electric sportscar ever since the first concepts made their debut a few years ago as the Mission E. Still, as good-looking as it is, it’s hard for many people wrap their heads around the idea of calling a mass-produced object a work of art. Those people reserve “the ‘A’ word” for things that are unique, one of a kind items that have a bit more “hands on” human interaction. Well, Porsche has something for them now, too. By working with acclaimed American artist Richard Phillips, Porsche has made an exceptional piece of art from a Porsche Taycan … and is auctioning it off for charity.

Porsche Taycan Art Car
Image courtesy Porsche Schweiz AG.

“Porsche’s first purely electric sports car, the Taycan, represents a new chapter in the company’s history,” says Michael Glinski, CEO of Porsche Schweiz AG, the Swiss arm of the German carmaker that commissioned the project. “We wanted to capture this achievement by working together with a leading artist (like Phillips). The result is this creation, which reflects the guiding principles of sustainability and electromobility and of course also places a strong focus on nature in Switzerland.”

Based on Phillips’ 2010 work the Queen of the Night, the Taycan Art Car features a three-dimensional arrangement of elements and details. The flowering plant images flow organically up the front hood, over the front fenders, and across the doors, which gives a visual feeling of movement and direction with the leaves of the night bloom.

Porsche Taycan Art Car
Image courtesy Porsche Schweiz AG.

Moving toward the rear of the Taycan Art Car, the painting offers a sort of “sky” view over the roof, while the rear fenders also reveal the blue sky and images of fluttering butterflies. “The Queen of the Night (as a) livery culminates at the rear of the car with its namesake blossom wrapping completely around the bumper while being dramatically lit up by the Taycan’s signature horizontal light bar,” explains Phillips.

“Conceptually, my Queen of the Night livery takes into consideration that the design of the Taycan is an instant icon of electric mobility and speed … its lines and form are that of the artists and designers at Porsche who strove to communicate this feeling at first sight. I greatly respect this objective. The choice to work with my Dietrich-inspired painting was to reference the natural environment with its beauty and composition reimagined in concert with the sweeping gestures of the Taycan.”

Which, if I were to try to translate Phillips’ quote into like, human language, would probably mean something along the lines of, “I think the design flows well with the Taycan’s shape, and still kind of makes it look racy.” And, not for nothing, but Phillips would know, because not only is this Taycan Art Car not his first Art Car, it’s not even his first Porsche Art Car — that honor goes to the 2020 Porsche 911RSR racer that the company took to a historic first place finish at the 24 of LeMans last year.  That one is more of an … let’s say “acquired” taste.

Phillips' first Porsche Art Car
Phillips’ first Porsche Art Car, courtesy Porsche.

So, I think it’s safe to say that this one’s a bit slower, and a bit more in tune with nature, and that consideration from nature isn’t just skin deep for the Taycan Art Car. It’s being auctioned off by Porsche to benefit Swiss artists who have been impacted by the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. “By auctioning the work and donating the proceeds we want to help the Swiss cultural landscape, which has been hit especially hard by the pandemic,” explains Glinski. “Porsche has set a confident course through this crisis and we are eager to give something back to the community.”

As for me, I love beautiful art cars. Heck, I even love the ugly ones! Whether you think this one falls under either banner is a matter of opinion, though, and we’d love to hear it! Check out these “official” press photos of the Porsche Taycan Art Car, below, then let us know what you think of Porsche’s artsier electric supercar in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Porsche Taycan Art Car Gallery

Porsche Taycan Art Car

Porsche Taycan Art CarPorsche Taycan Art Car

Porsche Taycan Art Car

Source | Images:  Porsche.


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