Porsche Taycan: The Electric Spark Behind Nika Zupanc’s Design Evolution

Discover how the Porsche Taycan inspired designer Nika Zupanc to explore dynamic driving and new creative paths. A story of transformation and design passion.

Inside a studio with high ceilings and raw concrete walls, surrounded by Ribbon Chairs and Cherry Lamps, Nika Zupanc shares how a car changed her from the inside out. The Taycan, her first electric sports car, has become more than transportation — it’s become a catalyst for inspiration and transformation.

Since she started driving the Coffee Beige Metallic Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo, journeys have turned into moments of reflection and creative energy. “This car has changed me,” says the Slovenian designer. The thrill of winding roads, the silence of electric mobility, and the unexpected rush of speed have reshaped her routine — and her creative vision.

Zupanc is no stranger to the design world. She broke through with the Lolita Lamp in 2008, and later caught the eye of Marcel Wanders at SaloneSatellite in Milan. Her signature style — a poetic reimagining of symbols often deemed trivial, like bows and flowers — has brought her international acclaim.

In 2022, she collaborated with Porsche Center Ljubljana to create an art car based on the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, wrapped in oversized rose patterns. The contrast between power and delicate imagery created a striking tension that resonated with many. That same design now adorns a friend's 911 GT3 RS — a symbolic extension of Zupanc’s artistic fingerprint.

The Taycan, however, brought a different kind of shift. Alongside her 18-year-old son Boris, she started practicing driving techniques on twisty mountain roads between Sodražica and Loški Potok, and explored race circuits like Grobnik in Croatia and Hungary’s Balaton Park. Next on her wish list: the Porsche Ice Experience in Finland.

But for Zupanc, it’s not only about driving. The balance of performance, elegance, and sustainability in the Taycan reflects her own approach to design: challenging conventions, redefining symbols, and fusing contrasts. “It has opened a whole new world,” she says — and that world may now include a new path in automotive design.

Just as the Lolita Lamp once launched her onto the global stage, the Taycan might be the beginning of a new creative journey — one that blends speed, emotion, and artistic expression in motion.

Source: porsche.com