Porsche’s Plaid 930 Turbo wants to seduce you

As part of the 911 Turbo’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the German automaker has announced a collection of stylish tartan-inspired clothing and accessories

The Porsche 911 Turbo is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary, and the sports car’s iconic checkered fabric interior was born. Porsche is revisiting the origins of the checkered interior with a new lifestyle series and presenting us an original 911 Turbo covered in checkered fabric from the inside out.

The unique livery of the classic Porsche is a computer-generated design and not an actual car. The company shared the rendering on its Instagram account as a publicity stunt for a new clothing and accessories line.

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While tartan is traditionally associated with Scotland, German automakers eventually adopted it for interior trim. According to Porsche, the inspiration came from the tartan trousers of then-chief designer Anatole Lapine. Lapine is best known for designing the front-engined 928, 924 and 944 models, but he also contributed to the styling of the 911 G series.

This clothing fabric was not durable enough for use in car interiors, but Porsche designer Dorothea Müller-Goodwyn found a German supplier who offered a suitable solution that met all the requirements for “light fastness and abrasion resistance”.

Porsche/Instagram

The first Porsche to feature a plaid pattern in its cabin was the 911 RSR Turbo concept car in 1973, which previewed the 911 Turbo that was introduced a year later. Production models were offered with three different plaid interiors – Black Watch (blue, green and black), McLaughlin (red and blue) and Mackenzie (beige, red, blue, white and olive green).

Porsche gave Louise Piech a 911 Turbo No.1 in silver with brick-red leather seats and McLaughlin tartan upholstery for her 70th birthday in 1974. The model inspired the Porsche Design P’8478 Turbo No.1 Limited Edition sunglasses, priced at €530 ($585).

The Porsche 50th Anniversary Turbo collection also includes several pieces of clothing and accessories that “reinterpret the classic check for a modern audience.” Products listed on the official website include a Heritage Weekender 992 50Y Turbo weekender bag for €490 ($541), the Collector’s Cup No. 8 50Y Turbo for €32 ($35), and several T-shirts and jackets with matching check designs.

The most recent Porsche to feature a tartan interior was the new 911 Turbo 50th Anniversary Edition, which debuted in Monterey last month. Limited to 1,974 examples, it will be priced in the U.S. from $261,100.

Porsche Design