Porsche has confirmed a major changing of the guard at the top of its design ranks, with Tobias Sühlmann appointed as the new head of design from 1 February.
The 46-year-old succeeds Michael Mauer, who is stepping down after more than 21 years in the role – a period that spanned the introduction of the Macan, Panamera, 918 Spyder and Taycan and also included the design evolution of the Boxster, Cayman, 911 and Cayenne.
The move, announced today, marks a generational shift under new Porsche CEO Michael Leiters – who previously worked with Sühlmann at McLaren.
Mauer, 63, joined Porsche in 2004 as only the fourth design boss in the company’s history, following in the footsteps of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Anatol Lapine and Harm Lagaay. He previously held roles at Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Saab and Smart.
His early years at Porsche were defined by facelifts of existing models and new model introductions, including the revised Mk1 Cayenne, the Panamera saloon in 2009 and the 918 Spyder supercar. His philosophy that “a Porsche must appeal to all the senses” became a brand hallmark.
More recently, Mauer has been credited with translating Porsche’s classic styling elemenets to its electric cars, most notably the Taycan, while shepherding the 911’s design through its 997 facelift and 991 and 992 generations.
“Michael Mauer shaped an era at Porsche,” said Leiters, who worked closely with Mauer during the Panamera’s development. “His work has shaped the style of the Porsche brand and will remain visible in the future.”
Mauer will support Sühlmann during a transitional period. In a statement, he said: “Timeless design needs both: durability and new impulses. In view of Porsche's strategic realignment, now is a good time to bring new perspectives.”
Sühlmann arrives from McLaren, where he served as chief design officer from September 2023. During his brief tenure there, he oversaw the final design development and launch phases of several models, including the 750S and Artura Spider. He also led advanced design for the British supercar maker’s next generation of hybrid and electric supercars.
Sühlmann, who studied at the same Pforzheim School of Design as Mauer, has worked at a number of car makers. He started at Volkswagen in 2005, moved to Bugatti, served as head of exterior design at Aston Martin, had a stint at McLaren and then played a role in shaping the Bentley Batur, before returning to McLaren.
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Porsche's problem is NOT design.....
Software and systems level reliability engineering are their biggest headaches. That and dealing with the fact that in the Chinese market, their competitors come standard with features that Porsche habitually charge extra for, and upon which Porsche relies for profit margin.
Quite simply their EVs are 4 years behind Chinese competitors in a market on which they've become reliant for cash.
Fix the product first. Adding design fripperies is simply re-arranging deckchairs on the Titanic at this point....