Porsche's Design Chief Says Mission S Sets the Template for the Next 911

Porsche's new design chief has used the Mission S concept to outline where the brand's styling is headed, and his answer is that the company is not about to reinvent itself. Tobias Sühlmann, 46, previously led design at McLaren and now runs the same job at Porsche. Like his work at McLaren, his first step was to study the company's back catalogue and pick out the details that define a Porsche. New CEO Michael Leiters has set the bar clearly: a Porsche has to be recognisable as one at first glance.

The Mission S is more than a styling exercise. Porsche is developing a platform for a mid-engined supercar that will sit above the 911 in the lineup, and the concept gives the first public look at what that car could look like. Its exterior leans toward a purist design language, with torpedo-shaped fenders, a sloping roofline and a width-to-height ratio that Sühlmann expects to carry across future sports cars. He compares the sports car, SUV and saloon ranges to three different athletes, so the shared design cues will look different on each.

Inside, the focus is on the driver, and the cabin is largely free of touchscreens. The concept also borrows from Porsche's past, with visible references to the 911 GT1, Carrera GT, 550 Spyder, 356, 917 and 928. Sühlmann's point is that the brand should stay rooted in its racing history while still looking forward. The result is closer to a modern interpretation of heritage than the outright retro styling seen on some models at the recent Paris show.

In an interview with Autocar, Sühlmann described Porsche as a brand that should be judged on timelessness rather than fashion. He said he wants cars that still look right in 10 or 20 years, and he argued that many current designs change for the sake of being different. On technology, he said the company will use screens only where they make sense for the driving experience, and he pointed to the Carrera GT's uncluttered cabin as a model.

He also addressed the next 911, which he called both exciting and daunting. He said he cannot start from a blank sheet, and that the job is to refine an icon rather than replace it. Sühlmann works with engineers from the outset on packaging questions such as where the radiator goes and how bodywork shoulders affect aerodynamics, a process he says is essential to good design.