Design of the times

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The cleaners have been busy at the Porsche auto show stand, mopping up drool from around the Cayman S Design Edition 1. This is a limited-edition model, only 777 of which will be made, with 250 earmarked for the U.S. It comes in black, with matte black stripes.

Well aware of merchandising’s potential 35 years ago, Porsche launched its design studio to come up with sleek and expensive watches, sunglasses and so forth. One timepiece, the Chronograph 1, is the inspiration for this car’s interior, clothed in black leather and Alcantara with several black-painted features. A nice touch is the standard-issue accessory kit consisting of a briefcase, quartz chronograph, pocket knife, sunglasses (one pair), pen and key ring -- all styled by Porsche Design.

Power is unchanged at 295 horsepower. The Design Edition 1 costs $69,900, compared with the $58,900 MSRP of the standard Cayman S. But it will be somewhat exclusive, and it looks even better in three dimensions.

-- Colin Ryan