Porsche Design Spacecraft

Regular readers of this site, and in particular the lighter reviews, should know that one of my favorite lighters comes from a company not often associated with cigar accessories: Porsche Design. Specifically, it’s the Porsche Design Heber P’ 3262, a very compact, flat flame lighter that uses a unique flip down tab ignition.

Porsche Design has made a number of lighters over the years, but the brand has struggled to gain a foothold in most of the cigar shops that I have visited. And while the brand’s smoking accessories portfolio is impressive, not many of them stand out enough to capture my interest either from a design or functionality perspective, though that changed in early 2022 when the brand released the Spacecraft.

It did so for two reasons; first, the design is a bit unique, but second and most notably, the flat flame that it offers is notably larger than the Heber. The opening for the flame is about twice as wide and feels just a bit thicker, seemingly gearing it more towards those who smoke thicker ring gauge cigars and addressing a complaint I’ve heard occasionally from some people when it comes to flat flames, that is, that they are too small for their liking.

WHAT IS IT?

The Porsche Design Spacecraft is one of the first of what will likely be a few new entrants into the latest evolution of flat flame lighters, those with a wider flame that is seemingly geared towards smokers of bigger ring gauge cigars.

Beyond the wider flame, the Spacecraft is notable for its slide up ignition, which while not revolutionary in the cigar lighter space is certainly rare. Beyond that, the Spacecraft offers a fold out punch cutter on the base of the lighter. It measures 2.9 x 1.5 x 0.8 inches, weighs approximately 5-ounces and is available in four different colors: black, gray, silver and titanium.

In the U.S., the lighter comes with a two-year warranty.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

$200.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Using the Porsche Design Space Craft starts with its somewhat unique ignition mechanism, which slides up instead of using one of the more familiar push or pull down methods, or a side squeeze version. When you push up the ignition, it not only opens a pair of flaps covering the lighter and starts the flow of butane, but also slides up the internal portion of the lighter that I would simply refer to as the business part of the Spacecraft.

Once you reach the top of the ignition slider’s range, the piezo ignition will be fired and you will find yourself with a wide flat flame with which to light your cigar. When you are done, let go of the ignition and the lighter portion slides back down and the two flaps close.

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL?

The most notable thing is the size of the flame, as it is about twice the width of a standard flat flame. This means that it can handle thicker cigars more easily than compared to the size of most other flat flames. Then, there’s the upward-sliding ignition mechanism, which has been seen before but is far from commonplace among most lighters on the market. I don’t think it has any practical impact on how you light a cigar or hold the lighter, but it is distinctive.

PROS

• The Wider Flame Addresses Larger Ring Gauge Cigars — I’ve heard a few comments here and there that most flat flames are a bit undersized for thick ring gauge cigars. This lighter should certainly dash that concern.
• It Has a Fairly Distinctive Design — I’d want to do a bit more research to see just how distinctive the Spacecraft’s design is when compared to all the options on the market, but the upward ignition and the dual metal flaps are seemingly fairly uncommon, and that’s before taking the size of the flame into account. Not to mention that you simply don’t see Porsche Design lighters on a regular basis. If you like having something that’s not only very functional but distinctive as well, this checks that box.
• The Fuel Tank is Impressively Large — I’d feel pretty confident taking this lighter out for an evening and not anticipating needing a refill. While there hasn’t been a statement about the tank’s size, I regularly made it through the better part of a week smoking one to three cigars a day and not needing to refill it. Like many flat flames, this also seems to do a good job in balancing the ratio of how much fuel it requires to produce how much flame it offers.
• The Punch Cutter is Sharp and Easy to Use — I’m not one to use a punch cutter on a regular basis, but I did cut a couple with the one on the Spacecraft and it works quite well. The cutter is sharp and there is plenty of room between it and the base of the lighter so that cutting a cigar isn’t a challenge. If you prefer a punch cut, you should certainly find the one on the Spacecraft up to the task.

CONS

• The Wider Flame Isn’t Great for Smaller Ring Gauge Cigars — If you don’t smoke big ring gauge cigars, the Spacecraft is probably too much flame for you. Personally, I lean to the smaller flames, knowing that while it might take a little bit longer to get a cigar fully toasted, I can control the flame better and not risk over-toasting the foot or charring the sides of the cigar.
• The Price Is an Obstacle — $200 is definitely on the higher end of the spectrum, so regardless of how good this lighter is, the price tag may be an issue.
• It’s On the Larger End of Pocket-Friendly — If you prefer having a truly pocket-friendly lighter, the Porsche Design Spacecraft toes the line when it comes to that term. If you don’t carry a lot of stuff in your pocket besides the lighter, it probably won’t be an issue. But it will definitely add some heft to whatever pocket you put it in. The same can be said for tucking it in a travel humidor; it will eat up a good bit of space in a five-count box.
• There’s No Fuel Window — I understand that adding a fuel window to every lighter isn’t always practical, either from a design or price perspective, but the lack of having one here isn’t great, especially considering that the much smaller Porsche Design Heber offers one.
• It Gets Hot After Extended Use — Both the metal and carbon fiber print tend to get fairly hot if you have this burning for more than about 20 seconds. It can certainly get through most cigars in that time frame, and I can’t say I had much of an issue with heat outside of when I was filming the video for this review, but it is something to be mindful about.

THE COMPETITION

Having talked to some manufacturers over the past few months, this seems to be a segment that is going to get some more options in the not-too-distant future. But for now, here are some of the main options to compare against the Porsche Design Spacecraft.

• Porsche Design Heber P’ 3632 ($180) — This remains one of my favorite lighters, both in terms of design and function.
• S.T.Dupont Megajet ($230) — This was one of the first of the wider flat flames I reviewed, and while I thought the design was quite good, the functionality left a lot lacking. The fuel flow didn’t seem to be properly calibrated, meaning the lighter would continue to burn even after the ignition was released.
• Prometheus Magma X ($99.95) — This debuted in 2018 and is currently backordered via Prometheus’ website until July 2022. While I’m not one for highly-branded things such as this, the lighter itself is solid. The flat flame is closer to the standard size, but the design is unique and the functionality is solid. It also offers a punch cutter if you’re looking for a flat flame with that feature.
• XIKAR Verano ($79.99) — The Verano came out in 2018 and at its higher flame settings, is one of the larger flat flames that I recall using though not close to the size of the Spacecraft. It’s a lighter that I enjoyed using, though it isn’t one that found its way into my regular rotation. The design is quite good, so if $200 is a bit much, the Verano would be worth a look.
• Colibri Slide ($79) — If you’re not partial to the flat flame design but find the idea of an upward-sliding ignition appealing, this is certainly worth a look. It’s a dual flame lighter so it offers versatility and a good midpoint between precision and power, while the built-in punch cutter checks that box.

ALSO OF NOTE

Porsche Design is now being distributed by Visol Products, which has also been steadily increasing its portfolio in recent years.

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?

Yes. As noted above, this is a lighter that addresses the reality that most flat flames to date have been on the small side, leaving them feeling a bit under matched for the thicker cigars on the market. While I didn’t think that was actually the case, and if anything made the case that the existing offering of flat flames are actually quite capable of handling big cigars, sometimes perception is more important than reality. While I won’t be trading in my Heber for daily use, having the Spacecraft as an option is one I definitely like.

The lighter used for this review was purchased by halfwheel.