Know how to make a laptop more expensive? Launch a partnership with a luxury car maker, slap a little extra branding on it and jack up the price.
We’ve seen Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Porsche* edition computers in the past, and now Mercedes Benz is joining the club with the launch of the VAIO Z Mercedes Benz Collection 13 inch laptop in Japan.
The new Mercedes Benz laptop seems to be pretty much the same as the VAIO Z Flip that launched in the US and Japan last year, with the same Intel Skylake processor options, 13.3 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel touchscreen display, and unusual hinge design that allows the screen to flip back so it’s facing aware from the keyboard.
What’s special is the Mercedes Benz logo engraved on hinge and touchpad, the name of the car maker above the keyboard, and an image of a Mercedes Benz car on the lid.
The new laptop is available with up to a Core i7 processor, and it’s up for order from Amazon Japan for ¥ 250,000 to ¥ 285,000 ($2,232 to $2,545). Or if you’re in the US, you can just buy a Core i7 model without the car logo for $1299 at the Microsoft Store.
press release (in Japanese, PDF)Â via PC Watch and LuxuryLaunches
*It’s worth noting that Porsche Design recently started designing and selling its own laptops, so computers with this car company’s name on them are no longer exclusively due to partnerships with existing PC makers.
That’s nothing. Didn’t Nokia market Ferrari phones back in 2007 for $25k?