Porsche Design apartments with glass car lift

If you love your car so much, you can't bear to be parted from it, Porsche Design would like to present your next home. The Porsche Design Tower includes glass car elevators that deliver your car straight into your apartment -- with you still behind the wheel.

We've seen car elevators on other high-end residential buildings, but this beachfront development in the US city of Miami, is the first in which the driver stays in the vehicle.

Porsche Design's first architectural venture -- although they've covered nearly every other luxury product field -- the US$560 million ($581m) apartment complex features three of the elevators, which scan your car and register recognition cues as you drive into the building and onto a turntable.

The system then uses a robotic arm to lift your car into the elevator -- with laser scanners making sure your precious paintwork stays clear of scrapes and scratches from the walls.

If you're already tired of the ocean views, a flatscreen TV will keep you amused for the 45 to 90 seconds it took to get to your apartment on one of the 60 floors -- where the lift's arm gently cradles you into your 'sky garage'.

The Porsche Design Tower has 132 apartments, with prices ranging from $4.6m to $26m -- with half already sold, according to the developer.

At those prices, of course it's not only the vehicular residents that get the luxury treatment. Human inhabitants are cosseted with stunning pool, gym and spa areas, a private restaurant and 24-hour concierge service.

This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott