2021 Porsche 968 L'ART By Arthur Kar and L'Art De L'Automobile retro look transported to the modern

Parisian clothing label, L’Art De L’Automobile, prides itself on emphasising the connection between vehicles and fashion. The brand’s appropriately named founder, Arthur Kar, has now fulfilled a lifelong dream in collaboration with Porsche: the realisation of a Kar-styled 968.

Developed as part of the model’s thirtieth anniversary celebrations, the resulting 968 L’ART roadster made its debut during the recent Paris Fashion Week. Created over a period of eighteen months, the finished car is painted a unique shade of green and features a completely redesigned rear end with bespoke lighting. The nose has also been reimagined.

Many of Porsche’s commercial partners, including TAG Heuer, Recaro and BOSE, added products of their own design to the interior. These include a one-off TAG Heuer stopwatch in the reprofiled dashboard. The Recaro bucket seats were also created specifically for Kar’s car and are trimmed in sumptuous ECCO L3 leather, recognised for a tanning process developed to create the most cushiony, rounded and soft leather available.

BOSE contributed a custom-designed audio system integrated into the car’s cabin. Innovative speaker placements and elegant grille designs distinguish the installation from the 968’s standard in-car entertainment set-up. Porsche has been creating art cars in collaboration with partners from the lifestyle and art worlds for several years. Recent examples include Taycan art cars in Switzerland, as well as a distinctively styled 992 designed by South African artist, Nelson Makamo.

“A love of Porsche unites many people across the globe,” commented Robert Ader, Vice President of Marketing at Porsche AG. “Helping an enthusiast like Arthur Kar make an extraordinary dream come true brings us great joy. I hope the result of our collaboration will inspire many Porsche fans around the world.”

In advance of establishing L’Art De L’Automobile, Kar worked at a French Porsche Centre, before flying the nest and setting up his own car sales business, reasoning it was the only way he would be able to afford a Porsche of his own. Business went better than expected and, after buying a Carrera GT with the profits, he started his fashion label in 2017.