Audi’s design team has worked with Italian manufacturer Rocket Espresso on a limited-edition coffee machine inspired by the Audi TT. Called Rocket x Audi, it is based on Rocket’s Bicocca espresso machine and was developed with design studio Valerio Cometti + V12Design. Rocket also created a matching version of its Spluga grinder.
The connection to the TT is in the machine’s shape and detailing rather than a direct copy of the car. Matte aluminum surfaces meet glossy black handles and controls, while the side panels rise toward the rear and form a boundary around the cup area. The brewing group follows the shape of the housing, with a 3.5-inch touchscreen set into its upper section. Rocket and Audi describe the TT as the starting point for those clean surfaces and carefully defined curves.
Underneath the Audi-influenced bodywork, the machine uses two stainless-steel boilers, a rotary pump and an electrically heated brewing group with PID temperature control. It can draw water from its 1.8-liter tank or a direct connection. Rocket lists a 0.5-liter coffee boiler, a 1.5-liter steam boiler and a weight of 35 kilograms (about 77 pounds). The machine is handmade in Milan.
The UK distributor is taking reservations and lists the Rocket x Audi machine at £5,750 including VAT, with the matching Spluga grinder priced separately at £1,050. Rocket lists US dealers for its broader range, but a US price or allocation for this edition has not been announced on the product or Rocket Espresso USA pages.
LINK: ROCKET-ESPRESSSO.CO.UK
PHOTO GALLERY
