Gearheads can hit the slopes with car brand ski gear
Why yes, there is some car brand ski gear, should one know a gear head whose a powder hound. Photo Credit: Kunstpiste/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY
Car makers do like to put their badges on various items besides the cars they make and sell it, oftentimes at a premium. During the winter months, people can buy car brand snow gear for gearheads who like to hit the slopes.
Gondola at Austrian resort gets interior from 7 series
If one thinks car brand snow gear extends only to skis, snowboards and apparel, think again. A ski resort in Austria, according to AutoBlog, had an entire gondola done up in BMW cladding. More than some blue and white quarter-panel badges; the lift cabin has the same interior as a BMW 7 series.
Hand-stitched Merino heated, massaging leather seats, Alcantara headrests, a multimedia display controlled via BMW’s iDrive system and a champagne fridge are at the user’s disposal if they opt for it at Hochzillertal, a posh resort in the Zillertal Valley, near Tyrol. It was constructed by Leitner Ropeways, a gondola maker, in conjunction with BMW.
A bit spendy
Those desiring the ride can book it for 150 euros (about $195) per person, for two, for early-morning reservations and 190 euros for everyone else. It’s part of the resorts’ premium packages; the 300 euro price also gets two lift tickets, champagne reception, brunch and a water bed in the resorts’ spa.
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It isn’t BMW’s first car brand ski gear venture. A limited-edition run of 500 pairs of BMW M skis were made by K2, a high-end ski brand, in Jan. 2012, according to AutoBlog, given to ski resorts to give away in raffles. The company also created, according to the Wall Street Journal, a ski-themed package for the X1 crossover, called the X1 Powder Ride Edition. It comes with roof rails, a ski/snowboard bag, winter driving equipment and a set of K2 Powder Ride skis, only available with purchase of the X1.
They aren’t the only German automaker putting out ski-related merch; Audi, according to Gizmag, started working on a pair of carbon fiber skis in early 2011. Audi reported then that the skis might be available by winter 2011/2012, but never did.
Other gear available
However, if German car brand ski gear isn’t your thing, why not go for Italian? One can get boots, poles and skis from Ferrari, according to the Ferrari store. Granted, a full set of boots, poles and skis will cost about one month’s payment on a bank rate auto loan for a Ferrari. Lange Ferrari ski boots will run $650, poles are either $65, for a child’s set, or $195 for adults. Ferrari skis, by Dynastar, will cost $455 for a child’s set or $1,299 for adults.
If one prefers snowboards and doesn’t want to necessarily pay Ferrari prices, the Nitro snowboard company makes an Abarth edition of their Pantera board, clad with the badge of Fiat’s in-house tuning company. They aren’t available in the U.S., at the moment, but on Abarth’s European store, they run 336 euros.
Sources
Gizmag: http://www.gizmag.com/audi-carbon-ski-concept/17857/
Ferrari store: http://store.ferrari.com/en/sports-games/sport/skis-sledge/
Nitro: http://nitrousa.com/en-us/board/pantera-abarth
Abarth: http://www.abarthstore.com/en/product/nitro-abarth-team-series