Anyone who attended this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival and visited Porsche’s exhibit may have seen an odd pastel Porsche 928 from 1978. The funky coupe is the creation of contemporary designer Daniel Arsham, with the purple car interior paying homage to the early 2000s.
Beyond the Porsche’s pastel exterior, there are other visual upgrades. The front and rear fascias received a major overhaul, redesigned by vehicle and concept artist Khyzyl Saleem. The new front bumper features a prominent oblong grille opening which Saleem has paired with round lighting units, a pattern found on other parts of the car.
11 Pictures
The rear of the 928 features the same round light blocks for taillights and turn signals. They frame an illuminated cutout that reads “nebula” in sparkling script. The 928 features large, rounded rear fenders that expose the rear wheels, with a large wing complementing the rear enhancements.
Inside, the car’s Y2K aesthetic continues with a clash of colors. Purple leather and Ultrasuede adorn the interior, with different hues covering the seats, center console, door cards and dashboard. White is used as the contrasting color used on the aluminum steering wheel, ByBorre gear knob and speaker grilles, which bring the sparkling style of the lighting units into the cabin.
It might seem strange to see Porsche at the music and film festival in Austin, but the event has grown to attract tech companies, influencers, automakers and other industries hoping to look hip. The Volkswagen ID. The Buzz electric pickup appeared in the United States at the event in 2022, which was also the first year that Porsche participated.
This year, the automaker set up its “Porsche X – Unseen Collaborations” exhibit highlighting the company’s art cars and other creations. In addition to the 928, Porsche also brought Mirage, the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8 from the next Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie. Others included the Porsche Vision 357, Chris Labrooy’s 996 Swan Car and the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo show car. The automaker also held several panels, including one with Paramount Pictures.
