This Porsche and Frauscher combo really floats my boat

Linking a car to a boat is nothing new. Rolls-Royce likes to fit teak decking to the back of its convertible models, while Riva once gave its name to a Fiat 500, and Princess Yachts collaborated with Automobili Pininfarina to sell a matching boat and hypercar.

Now it’s Porsche’s turn, with news of an expanded collaboration with Austrian electric boat maker Frauscher Boats. This partnership began with the launch of the all-electric Porsche Macan, which was presented to journalists on the international test drive alongside a Frauscher day boat powered by the same battery and motor.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and at the boot Düsseldorf 2026 boat show we saw the debut of the Frauscher x Porsche 790 Spectre. Not to be confused with an electric Roller or a Bond film, the new sports boat has been engineered around the Macan’s EV powertrain. It uses the same 100 kWh battery as the Macan, plus the 400 kW rear axle motor and the various control electronics that turn electrons into motion.

The 7.9-metre boat is joined at the Düsseldorf show by a custom-built EV called the Porsche Macan Turbo Concept Lago. The two electric vehicles have matching paintwork – a colour called Darkteal Metallic from Porsche’s Paint to Sample programme, which can now also be purchased for the 790 Spectre. Inside, the front and rear luggage compartments of the Macan are lined with yacht-style wood to match the floor of the boat.

Wood details are also found on the door trims and floor mats, while a compass replaces Porsche’s usual Sport Chrono stop watch on the top of the dashboard. The centre panels of the seats are upholstered in a marine-grade fabric, and elsewhere the use of leather extends from the seat bolsters to the air vents.

Meanwhile, the boat features a Porsche steering wheel, and its seats and dashboard are inspired by those of the car, complete with Porsche crests sewn into the headrests. Both vehicles have identical custom key fobs, plus “Frauscher x Porsche” lettering on their bodies and interiors.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Macan’s design elements go into production, or are at least made available through Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur customisation programme – especially the wood boot floors and dashboard compass.

As for the boat, I was lucky enough to try out a Macan-powered Frauscher off the South of France in 2024 and loved it. The Porsche-style steering wheel is a fun design detail, and the performance is impressive. But my lasting memory is the silence at low speed. Instead of a loud clattering away while cruising through Antibe harbour, the journey was almost silent – a benefit to the skipper, their passengers and everyone else nearby. It added a sense of tranquility that even the most luxurious boats lose at low speed.

With charge points now being installed at harbours, and boats making full use of the EV drivetrains of electric cars like the Macan, I can see vessels like the 790 Spectre really taking off – especially when they’re offered with a matching Porsche.