Lucasfilm Celebrates New ‘The Mandalorian’ Season With Special Volkswagen
Last year, Star Wars teamed up with Volkswagen on exclusive ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ ID Buzz designs, featuring minivans in both the ‘Light Side Edition’ and ‘Dark Side Edition’ to celebrate the launch of the Disney+ series.
Now, the German automaker has partnered with Lucasfilm once again, this time to work on a special vehicle inspired by the new season of The Mandalorian, in particular, Din Djarin’s Naboo N-1 starfighter.
The car, which debuted at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2023, features the starfighter’s metallic color scheme, the distinct yellow stripe from the ship’s original livery, vertical lines mimicking panels, and even the mudhorn insignia from Mando’s beskar armor.
Creative Director Doug Chiang—one of the leading minds behind Star Wars, and the original designer of the N-1, worked closely with Volkswagen’s Creative Project Manager Alexandra Von Schaewen on the intricate details of the vehicle’s exterior.
Von Schaewen explained it was important to the duo to “catch the character of the Mandalorian” and express it via the car’s design, paying special attention to details such as darkening the Buzz logo and taillights to match the vehicle’s overall color scheme.
Keen-eyed fans will be able to spot hidden easter eggs throughout the façade of the car, including the special rims in which the mudhorn logo is subtly incorporated, which Von Schaewen points to as her favorite part.
Chiang, on the other hand, likes the vehicle in its entirety, saying that all the “little elements add up to create one beautiful, amazing character,” and that the project has given him a new appreciation for automotive design.
“A lot of what I do for film design is fantasy-based. We don’t have to think about the practicalities of actually executing it. It only exists in cinema. And what I really appreciate in working with the VW team is that they have to bring it to life. They have to make it real,” he added.
