Apple Computer’s early brand graphics are etched into the psyches of a certain
generation. The rainbow stripes, the stylized apple in profile with a bite chomped
out—this is the stuff of design legend.

That late 70s/early 80s design language eventually went the way of the iPod. But the Cupertino company’s retro graphics made a surprise cameo at the fourth round of IMSA’s race series at the historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Apple’s founding and Porsche’s 75th year in motorsports, the collaboration is remarkable because it combines two famously
protective intellectual properties that evoke massive global appeal.

“It all came together on a pretty compressed timeline,” Porsche’s North American CEO Timo Resch told COOL HUNTING. “The Porsche and Apple marketing teams spent a few very intense weeks working closely to make it happen. The time zone differences didn’t always make things easier, but there was a lot of alignment and momentum on both sides.”

The iconic livery is familiar to historic race fans. In 1980, two Porsche 935 K3s wore the colorful scheme at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and several races that season. This time around, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca just 80 miles from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, two of Porsche’s factory Penske Motorsports 963s competed wearing a wrap of the design. Additionally, one of the original 935 K3s, a Porsche 935/19 and a Porsche 718 sported the livery on track and in the paddock.

The vintage designs on the 935 racecar exude a raw, elemental appeal, with the jagged vents and abrupt body panel transitions serving as a foil to the friendly rainbow pattern. The aerodynamically slick 963 presents a different design challenge. The multicolored stripes offer a playful interplay with the humped bodywork, running ahead of wheel cutouts and handing over the horizontality to the absolute black of tire rubber. The vertical fins offer additional design real estate which differentiate the two vehicles: the number 5 car pops with a fuschia-colored tail while the number 7 car wears a more discreet black background.

While the current racecars feature more white space around the multicolored stripes than the period competitors, an overhead view of the 963 reveals the careful interplay between Apple’s graphics and the competing surfaces. The playful hues interact deftly with non-negotiable elements like the car’s numberplate, the centrally positioned greenhouse and the upwardly facing engine exhaust. NACA ducts, slatted vents and communications antennae also had to be considered while integrating the Apple branding.

Porsche’s 963s stood out at Laguna Seca, contrasting the visual noise of competing
modern racecar liveries with clean, evocative graphics. The design choice of tipping a hat to retro Apple spoke not only to past alliances, but to a common ground between the two giants. “Both Apple products and Porsche vehicles are designed with meticulous detail and our priority is that our customers have a consistent, high-quality experience at every touch point,” Resch said. “Partnerships like this are about creating excitement—not only for our fans but also for people who might be engaging with the brand for the first time. That kind of emotional connection is important for aspirational brands like Porsche and Apple.”

Despite stealing the show visually, the Apple-liveried Porsches were upstaged by the winning car, a customer-run 963 finished in an unremarkable black paint scheme (the factory Porsches finished sixth and seventh). It was the first customer win since the LMDh class started in 2023, and a gentle reminder that great design and outright speed can be mutually exclusive.