Wheels on water: Five of the best yachts from luxury carmakers

The streets of Sandton echo to the sounds of Porsches, Lamborghinis, Range Rovers and Mercedes-Benzes, but what if you wanted that sort of luxury, performance and exclusivity on the water?

Granted, any luxury yacht is going to give you an element of exclusivity and style, but if you already have a Porsche 911 then imagine being able to complement it by driving into the marina in Granger Bay and parking alongside your Porsche Design yacht?

In recent years a number of car companies and automotive designers have worked with some of the best yacht builders and naval architects on impressive bespoke creations and here we look at five of our favourites:

Porsche Design

Launched in 2017, the Dynamiq GTT 115 was penned by the famous Porsche Design studio, so it’s not surprising that it looks fantastic. But it’s also a technology leader because it features a hybrid propulsion system. At 35m long it’s remarkably spacious inside, but one of its best attributes is its ability to travel up to 3,400 nautical miles and still achieve a maximum cruising speed of 21 knots. Plus, it’s a Porsche, sort of. There will only be seven built and they will cost you a bit more than a 911, at €13.95m but there’s serious bragging rights when you can say there is only one per billion people on the planet.

Lamborghini

Launched this year, the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 is a joint collaboration between Lamborghini and The Italian Sea Group. Inspired by the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 hybrid sports car, it uses not one but two MAN V12 engines capable of propelling it through the water at speeds of up to 60 knots. It’s also lightweight, thanks to the extensive use of carbon fibre, something Lamborghini is renowned for. The helm will be familiar to Lambo owners with its digital display and steering wheel, plus it has two of the fighter jet inspired start buttons that feature the Italian exotics.

Henrik Fisker

Henrik Fisker has been around for decades, designing and manufacturing some of the most covetable sports cars. Lately he has been focused on created the new Fisker electric vehicles, but he also found time to work with famous yacht builder Benetti to create the achingly beautiful and super-luxurious Fisker 50.

It’s a 50m long palace on the water that has everything from a gym and movie theatre to a fire pit and jacuzzi. It also has its own spa, not one but seven bars, six beautifully finished guest cabins and a master suite for its very lucky owner. Probably best not to ask how much but OK, if you must know, it’s a cool $37m.

Aston Martin AM37

Craftsmanship and performance are at the heart of every Aston Martin and recently it decided to take these traits and instil them into a powerboat. Teaming up with yacht builder Quintessence, the AM37 is all about luxury and speed on the water. Aston’s chief of design Marek Reichman worked with boat architects Mulder Design to create the look for the exclusive 37-foot powerboat. Technically a day cruiser, the AM37 has an area that can be transformed into a bed and it also comes with luxuries such as a coffee machine and microwave. As an Aston, it’s also quick, with a top speed in the AM37S of 50 knots.

Energy Observer

The Energy Observer is not a luxury yacht, nor is it a performance powerboat. Technically it doesn’t even have an automaker’s name in its title, but it does have Toyota power. Normally Toyota would not feature here, after all its Lexus brand is the one associate with luxury yachts, but we love the Energy Observer because it’s by far the most environmentally yacht here.

It uses Toyota hydrogen fuel cells but even more cleverly it has its own on-board hydrogen manufacturing system that requires only seawater. This is exciting because it means it can keep going without needing to refuel and the technology has enormous potential for other yachts and even for shipping. It might not have the best in luxury, but it could be the biggest trendsetter of our selection for the future.