Daniel Arsham is an imaginative purist when it comes to abstract designs sans any boundaries for disciplinary segmentation. His exploits in the automotive segment need no introduction, right from Lewis Hamilton’s mesmerizing helmet for the Monaco GP 2023 to the 356 Bonsai art car inspired by the Japanese aesthetic concept Wabi Sabi.
On the other end of the spectrum is Khyzyl Saleem who lurks on the digital ideation of vehicles to have garnered profound attention of the automotive design world more times than you would presume.
Designer: Daniel Arsham and Khyzyl Saleem
The two creative beasts have joined forces with Porsche, a heavyweight of the automotive world to come up with this peppy revamp of the Porsche 928 luxury grand tourer. This off-beat car back in those times was Porsche’s first production model fitted with a growling V8 engine. Apparently, it is the sole coupe with a powertrain fitted at the front end, making it a rare four-wheeler by the German automotive marque. Now the nostalgia of the V8 returns in the shape of a Y2K-style art car which they call Nebula 928.
Porsche’s V8 wedge mostly seen in malaise brown categorically doesn’t tingle my buds given the off-position headlights and the stretched windows behind the B pillar, still, this reimagined version reinstates a semblance of magnetism. Now those meek eyes complement the flowing silhouette of the 928, and the Violet Blue Metallic paint job lends it a peculiar sci-fi character of the 2000s. The eccentric wheels add an element of fashion statement millennials will appreciate for the aesthetic value.
Khyzyl has racked up the overall look drawing inspiration from the organic meta-ball shapes. The CGI artist helped Arsham redesign the aesthetics of the rear wing, bumpers and lights for a completely new identity that I love. The rear bumper glows with the NEBULA typeface, while the triple intakes with one central one surrounded by two small ones bring a sense of depth to the design. Arsham’s studio logo is present throughout the exterior and also the interiors in the form of custom print.
Coming on to the inside, the bold look continues to the cockpit with a slightly darker hue of purple attire in Ultrasuede and leather finish. The contrasting element comes in the form of an aluminum steering wheel and gear shifter knob. To blend the elements of past, present and future, the creative minds drape the interiors in BYBORRE woven fabric inserts. Of course, the tell-tale time-traveling vibe of Daniel’s signature style is evident in this automotive sculpture.
To the delight of motorheads, the NEBULA 928 will be on show for the Porsche X space at the SXSW event from March 10-19 in Austin, Texas.
