Porsche-designed condo lifts owners and cars to high-rise homes

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The big problem for builders of luxury homes in the cities where wealthy people choose to live is the sheer lack of space, especially for parking a small fleet of vehicles. Which is why one Miami Beach condo developer plans to build a new skyscraper with a robotic parking deck built in.

The $560-million Porsche Design Tower project as described by the Miami Herald will allow owners to ride their vehicles into a robotic elevator system that drops them and their vehicles at their doorstep. The condos were designed by Porsche Design Group, a spinoff of the German automaker that lends its style to everything from office complexes to cellphones. (Developer Gil Dezer also has Porsche body panels mounted on his walls.)

The condo will have 132 units over 57 stories, with larger units sporting up to four parking spaces per unit. Porsche didn't have to go far for inspiration, as the tower is similar in design to Volkswagen’s Autostadt in Wolfsberg, Germany, shown above, a 20-story robotic parking garage that VW uses to deliver cars to new buyers. Really, it's the only way to valet.