It began with a tongue-in-cheek nod to Netflix’s famous Orange is the New Black, but it stuck. Because when you see the Mahindra BE 6 in Firestorm Orange parked beside the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange, you realise this is more than just a coincidence in colour. It’s a design dialogue between two very different worlds. One carved from metal and motion, the other from glass and silicon, yet both are obsessed with perfection, minimalism, and emotional design. This time on Car vs Tech, the BE 6 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max take centre stage as two icons of modern design that don’t whisper for attention. They roar.
Design that Speaks in Silence
The Mahindra BE 6 doesn’t look like it was designed. It looks like it was sculpted, each contour sharp yet purposeful, every line breathing performance and presence. The BE 6 wears its orange like armour; confident, futuristic, unapologetic. Besides, the iPhone 17 Pro Max gleams with a similar philosophy. An elegance born from restraint. Its Cosmic Orange glass back doesn’t just shimmer, it glows softly under light, mirroring the metallic fire of the BE 6 parked next to it. Both chase minimalism, one through aerodynamic grace, the other through symmetry and seamless design. They don’t need chrome or clutter to make a statement. Their power lies in precision. Their appeal, in understatement.
Beauty That Means Business
But design alone doesn’t drive desire. Power does. And both of these oranges come packed with plenty of it. The Mahindra BE 6 is an all-electric SUV that sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.7 seconds and promises an impressive 500 kilometres of range on a single charge. Numbers that put it comfortably among the elite of electric mobility. Inside, the BE 6 welcomes you with a digital cockpit that’s more spaceship than car, complete with an immersive heads-up display (HUD) that feels like it’s reading your mind.
Then there’s the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which might not do 0 to 100, but it certainly redefines endurance. With up to 29 hours of video playback and a buttery 120Hz ProMotion display, it’s a pocket-sized powerhouse that thrives on performance efficiency. Both machines are the result of years of refinement, engines of innovation, one powered by electrons and torque, the other by chips and transistors.
The Future, Reflected
The iPhone unlocks with Face ID, that familiar moment of biometric magic. And almost in sync, the BE 6’s key fob brings the SUV to life. Headlights glow, screens awaken, and for a second, man, machine, and motion exist in perfect harmony. Both devices share the same visual language of intelligence. The BE 6’s HUD feeds you real-time driving data, guiding your every move with seamless precision. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Spatial Scene feature brings photographs to life, turning still memories into immersive 3D moments. Each redefines interaction: one while you’re on the move, the other while you’re standing still.
Not to Compete, But to Complete
In Car vs Tech, it’s never about one winning over the other. Because in truth, the BE 6 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max aren’t built to compete. They’re built to complete each other and are extensions of modern luxury that thrive on connection, intelligence, and control. The BE 6 feels like what happens when a car understands you. The iPhone 17 feels like what happens when technology anticipates you. Together, they shape a future where design, function, and emotion don’t just coexist; they evolve together. It’s fascinating how both worlds, automotive and consumer tech, are inching closer in spirit. Electric cars today are rolling computers with dashboards that mimic smartphones, while phones are becoming creative tools that match the emotional experience of driving something powerful.
The Colour of the Future
With the BE 6 parked against a dark, empty backdrop, the iPhone placed gently on its hood, both glowed in their signature shades of orange. It was a subtle yet striking reminder that innovation doesn’t always come in silver or black anymore. It comes in colour. In boldness. In the refusal to blend in. Orange, as it turns out, isn’t just the new black. It’s the new snack — a symbol of bite-sized innovation that’s equally tasty and irresistible.