Like a recently divorced dad, a company trying to improve its image can get a lot of help from BMW. While Mr. Joint Custody will use the graceful lines of his 6-series convertible to pick up single ladies (and his kids on the weekends), XYZ Corp. turns to the automaker's DesignworksUSA -- the famed studio that's designed everything from Remington Shavers to Embraer Aircraft.
The design house joined Bavaria Yachtbau, a German boatbuilder known for high fashion and high quality, to create Deep Blue 46, the company's first foray into luxury boats. The partnership made sense, given that DesignworksUSA was behind the sheik-worthy Zeydon Z60. Bavaria certainly seems pleased with Deep Blue 46, which made its debut at the Dusseldorf Boat Show, noting that "powerful, expressive proportions and sculptural exterior surfaces emphasize the boat’s high performance, simultaneously creating the vessel’s stylish silhouette."
We think we can see the family resemblance. One could even call it the Ultimate Sailing Machine.
If DesignworksUSA was involved, you can bet that function doesn't take a backseat to form. In fact, the only reason they made that gorgeous exterior is to create a more spacious interior. The tall front sundeck allows for increased headroom, while the vessel's heightened sides protect occupants from the elements. We don't see why anyone would leave the inside of the boat, though -- the cockpit offers a fold-out grill and an optional bar in addition to panoramic ocean views. Thankfully, an adaptive rudder and iBoat are nowhere to be found.
Who could afford such a creation in today's economy? Bavaria CEO Andres Cardenas isn't worried about sales. "We will not shorten our budget - on the contrary, we will expand our product portfolio and hit the market with new boats," Cardenas told Yacht Online. A statement on their website tells it like it is -- the rich still have enough money to spend on boats, even if they're not bragging about what they've bought. "Despite the fact that in general consumers are tending to keep a low profile due to the latest developments in the financial sector, results of the recent boat fairs showed that there is an ongoing interest and demand for our yachts," it said. "Compared with the results of preceding years, we did not sell as many yachts – but much more than we've estimated in advance!"
With the added cachet of BMW DesignworksUSA, we wonder how many of those yachts will end up piloted by recently divorced dads.
UPDATED 9:30 a.m. PDT to correct photo problem.
Photos: BMW.
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