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Lamborghini cellphones, McLaren bikes, Land Rover baby strollers… 5 strange and wonderful car-brand extensions

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Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied

Some car brands do a lot more business than merely building vehicles.

From cellphones to fashion, we look at five interesting car-brand extensions:

5 Aston Martin Property 

The coolest of British car brands and the movie car choice of James Bond, you’d never imagine Aston Martin doing anything to strain its brand equity. But never underestimate the ambition of some new marketing graduates, when given authority. Aston Martin has entered the global property development market with partner, G&G Developments.

Aston Martin Residences

                                                                           Image: Aston Martin

The offering will be in Miami and comprise of 391 apartments, priced from R8-million to R700m, ranging in size from 65- 1765m2. There is no word from Aston about getting a free Vantage if you buy the largest apartment in their new block, which is due for completion in 2020.  

4 Lamborghini Alpha-One Smartphone

Lambophone

                                                                           Image: Lamborghini

By far the strangest brand extension that Lamborghini has embarked on, is producing a branded Smartphone.Called the Alpha-One, this Android device is powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

The camera rates at 20MP and you get a handmade, very artisanal, Italian leather case to keep it in. Cost is not an issue to Lamborghini customers, but image and status is. And in a world where the elite are still primarily iPhone users, this Lamborghini branded Android device is quite an oddity. 


What are some of your favourite car-brand extensions? Email us

3 Porsche Design Wallet 

Porsche Wallet

                                                                           Image: Porsche

Strictly not a Porsche automotive product, but it is designed and marketed by the same famous Austrian family business empire. Porsche Design was started when the brand’s two most cousins had irreconcilable differences during the design of Porsche’s 911. The man responsible for the 911’s shape – Butzi - went his own way and started an industrial design consultancy.

The result is some really clever and excellently made stuff, carrying the famous Porsche name. Like this carbon-fibre wallet, the Billfold H5. It might cost nearly R4000, but should also last forever. 

2 McLaren road bike

McLaren Bicycle

                                                                           Image: McLaren

The F1 team might no longer be a threat to Ferrari or Mercedes, but Woking’s road cars certainly are. As McLaren prepared various technology competencies for its relaunched road car business, it has offered design consultancy services too. 

One of the more interesting partnerships has been with Californian powerhouse cycling brand, Specialized. The American bicycle company wanted its best road bikes to be lighter, without sacrificing stiffness. McLaren’s engineers obliged by making the Specialized S-Works Tarmac frame 20% lighter (the goal was 15%), and increasing stiffness by 11%. 

1 Land Rover Stroller 

Land Rover off-road Stroller

                                                                           Image: Land Rover

A grudge purchase for any new parent, is the baby stroller. They are expensive and limited to the mildest of pavements. Try to take them anywhere interesting (off-road) and they simply fail. But what is you want to expose your new-born baby to some outdoor adventuring?

Well, Land Rover has a branded stroller for that eventuality. Although it does not feature terrain response or traction control, the construction is slightly more rugged than what you’d find on most other strollers. To ensure if feels familiar to any Discovery or Range Rover owning parent, the leather stitching on this stroller’s handles, are of the same fit and design as most contemporary Land Rovers steering wheels. 

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