9m Custom Limousine Tender

Project LUSSO was developed around a clear ambition: to create a classically inspired limousine tender, combining the elegance of 1960s Grand Tourer sports cars with the practical requirements of superyacht operations.

SPARK Marine Projects developed the concept in-house, translating a personal design brief into a technically grounded tender package shaped by construction, integration and operational reality.

The project demonstrates SPARK’s integrated approach to tender development: understanding the client brief, testing feasibility against constraints, developing the design and progressing the concept towards a package capable of technical review, pricing and construction assessment.

The Brief
The owner’s team required a limousine tender for a motoryacht operating across the Mediterranean, Caribbean and USA. The tender needed to reflect the quality, character and styling of the mothership while addressing the practical demands of guest transfer, crew handling, garage integration, boarding, deployment and serviceability.

The brief called for a refined guest experience, balancing shelter, open-air enjoyment and luxury detailing. SPARK’s response was a classically proportioned, automotive-influenced limousine tender with visual references to vintage Grand Tourers, heritage wooden runabouts and Mediterranean inspired detailing.

The SPARK Approach
1. Understanding the client’s vision
Project LUSSO was shaped by the owner’s appreciation for craftsmanship, elegant proportions and detail-led design.
SPARK worked with the owner’s team, captain and crew to interpret the brief through a defined set of design influences:
• 1950s and 1960s Grand Tourer sports cars.
• Classic wooden runabouts and Mediterranean dayboats.
• High-gloss timber, stitched upholstery and polished metal detailing.
• Family use, shared enjoyment and relaxed luxury.
• A visual identity connected to the mothership.
The limousine tender was developed to capture these references in a format suited to guest transfer, protected seating and refined onboard experiences.

2. Market Research & Feasibility
Before progressing into bespoke design, SPARK reviewed the market to assess whether an existing tender platform could satisfy the client’s requirements.

This included analysing available models from specialist tender builders, reviewing modification potential, and testing whether existing platforms could meet the required balance of dimensions, garage fit, styling, performance and operational use. The study confirmed that a bespoke design route offered the strongest basis for meeting the project’s combined aesthetic, technical and functional requirements.

3. In-house Concept Design
SPARK’s design team translated the brief into a classically inspired limousine tender with a focus on proportion, detail and usability. The concept explored:
• A refined sheerline and balanced profile.
• Automotive-inspired surfacing and detailing.
• A social and sheltered guest area.
• Carefully considered access routes for guests and crew.
• Materials and finishes aligned with the owner’s preference for polished wood, leather and metalwork.
From the outset, the design was considered through the lens of buildability, storage, handling, maintenance and day-to-day operation.

4. Technical & Operational Development
The concept was developed with direct reference to the mothership’s real-world constraints.
Key areas of technical consideration included:
• Garage dimensions and stowage envelope.
• Launch and recovery arrangements.
• Boarding points and guest movement.
• Crew ergonomics and helm visibility.
• Weight, propulsion and performance assumptions.
• Structural and systems packaging.
• Maintenance and service access.
• Protection, shelter and guest comfort.
• Interface with the mothership’s operational programme.
This stage allowed SPARK to test the design against practical requirements before builder engagement, reducing the risk of late-stage redesign, cost escalation or operational compromise.

5. Construction-Intent Package
SPARK progressed the concept beyond presentation imagery into a structured construction-intent package suitable for technical review, builder engagement and pricing. 
The package addressed:
• Developed design intent.
• General arrangement and layout logic.
• 3D model development.
• Technical specification.
• Integration assumptions.
• Build and finish expectations.
• Areas requiring builder confirmation or deviation.
• Pricing and scope clarity.
This gave shipyards a defined baseline to assess, rather than relying on loose visual intent. It also created a stronger foundation for technical dialogue, commercial review and informed decision-making.

Outcome
Project LUSSO demonstrates SPARK’s ability to connect creative design with construction and operational reality. The work delivered:
• A fully considered in-house limousine tender design direction.
• A clear interpretation of the client’s classical automotive and nautical influences.
• A concept tested against mothership integration, guest use and crew operation.
• A structured basis for technical review and builder pricing.
• A practical demonstration of SPARK’s design-to-build methodology.
The concept provides an example of how SPARK approaches custom tender development: creatively, technically and commercially.

Integrated Design Capability
Project LUSSO reflects SPARK Marine Projects’ joined-up approach to tender and chase boat development. By combining market research, in-house design, technical development, operational review and bid preparation, SPARK helps clients move from an initial idea to a clear and buildable project path.

For owners, captains, family offices and yacht managers, this creates a more controlled process. Design intent is protected, operational risk is reduced, and builders receive the information they need to price and construct with confidence.

“Project LUSSO demonstrates how SPARK connects design ambition with the technical and operational reality of building a custom superyacht tender. The value lies in turning a personal brief into a developed package that can be assessed, priced and built with confidence.”
Charles Dence, Co-Founder, SPARK Marine Projects