Singer and Louis Vuitton reimagine the Porsche 911 for Monterey Car Week

The automotive and fashion worlds tend to collide a lot these days, but there has rarely been a collaboration as exclusive or bespoke as the one between high-end restomod specialist Singer Vehicle Design and iconic fashion house, Louis Vuitton.

A pair of 'Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer' vehicles – one a 'Classic', the other a 'Classic Turbo' – were revealed last week at Monterey Car Week in California, USA, having been conceived with the aim of creating "a true synthesis between Singer’s architectural and timeless language and the Louis Vuitton culture".

The partnership was born out of a request for a dashboard clock designed and produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, which was then extended to "the personalisation of every functional element of the vehicle, enhancing them through our expertise in leather craftsmanship and watchmaking", according to Louis Vuitton Watch director Jean Arnault.

Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic

The first of the two vehicles is finished in Louis Vuitton's signature saffron and cobalt blue, based on the 'Classic' specification that is in turn based on a 'Reimagined' Type 964 coupe chassis.

Billed as "Louis Vuitton’s most contemporary expression of the Art of Travel", the Singer 911 coupe is fitted with a specially designed roof rack, which can accommodate everything from a trunk or a surfboard to a set of skis.

The saffron exterior finish is not only straight out of the Louis Vuitton archive palette – used for the fashion house's packaging for over two decades – but pays homage to the travel trunks designed for French automaker Citroen in 1924.

Cobalt blue featured on the interior reinforcements of these vintage cases, hence why this special commission features distinctive cobalt blue "demonstration tyres" inspired by the handles and ribbons of Louis Vuitton's packaging.

The rear intake grille features a geometric motif formed by the house's distinctive 'LV' initials, a nod to Louis Vuitton's visual signature "that remains defined by subtlety".

It doesn't stop there, as the interior is where the tangible Louis Vuitton touches really shine through. Entirely upholstered in leather, the cabin's hide is finished in a natural hue inspired by VVT leather – one of LV's "most utilised leathers".

This adorns the handles, shoulder straps, edging and labels of the fashion label's luggage pieces, with the seats trimmed in the "preferred leather" of Louis Vuitton's artisans and then executed by Singer's in-house team.

Keen-eyed connoisseurs will note the edge-dyeing of the door handles is the same technique used on Louis Vuitton bags, while the stitching details are finished in yellow thread – another LV hallmark.

Diamond-pattern embossing on the seats, front boot trim and rear engine compartment echoes the "malletage" motif that is characteristic of the inside of the fashion label's trunks, too.

The Louis Vuitton-crafted Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic retains the base model's lightweight carbon-fibre body construction, and of course its distinctive powertrain.

Behind the cabin is a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated air-cooled flat six, driving the rear wheels exclusively via a six-speed manual transmission. Stopping power is provided by a standard carbon-ceramic braking system.

Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo

The Classic Turbo commission was developed under the leadership of Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton.

With its widebody finished in white, featuring subtle touches of brown, the special 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo has been inspired by classic motorboats in harmonising the colours and textures of leather and wood.

Mr Ghesquière's vision for the perfect car is a vehicle that "is open to the world, to nature and to the fullness of life, fostering direct contact with the sun and a profound sense of sensuality" – hence the selection of the 964 cabriolet chassis as a base.

The large rear spoiler, affectionately known as the 'whale tail' and signature of classic turbocharged 911s, is augmented by a distinctive teak-inspired wooden rear deck.

Singer says the colour scheme is meant to echo Calcaire Lutétien – "the white limestone that has shaped the Parisian landscape, including the House’s historic headquarters at Pont Neuf overlooking the Seine". The car is accented with jewel-like gold embellishments as well as the natural hues of leather and wood.

Inside, the bespoke dashboard clock has been relocated from the instruments to the centre of the dashboard, upholstered in natural leather.

The 'Louis Vuitton' signature adorns the dashboard, echoed in the tail lights after dark, while the leather patch on the steering wheel – one of Nicolas Ghesquière’s signature details – reinforces the fashion house's identity.

All functional elements have been crafted in metal, which Singer says is "in harmony with the precision of fine watchmaking".

Perhaps the biggest nod to LV's leathergoods is the gear shift boot, which evokes the silhouette of the label's Noé bag with its natural leather drawstring.

Behind the seats is a luggage compartment developed specifically for this vehicle's unique form, crafted from varnished wood using the same technique as runabout decks.

The space can accommodate the bespoke Louis Vuitton luggage fitted to the show vehicle, as well as the lightweight soft top, itself inspired by the nautical world in its design.

Wood panelling lines the rear engine compartment and the front boot, the latter housing a bespoke trunk comprised of three cases that slot together.

Leather fastening straps on the front and rear hatches feature pin buckles, a subtle nod to "motorsport, the traditions of trunk making and watch straps".

The 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Turbo is powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged flat six with air-to-water intercooling, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission with selectable drive modes.

As you'd expect, both vehicles are complemented by exclusive 'capsules' of Louis Vuitton pieces and accessories.

Highlights include a branded surfboard in blond oak and rich walnut, custom-fitted luggage sets, a carbon and glass fibre helmet with monogrammed tan visor, and smatterings of jewellery.

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