MICHAEL MAUER is not a psychic. He doesn’t have tarot cards, nor would he likely be heard discussing palmistry in the Northern Rivers. The latter perhaps being because he lives and works in Germany as Porsche’s chief designer.
But because of his role, Mauer is often required to make attempts at predicting the future, or at the very least exploring its possibilities. Since 2004, Mauer has taken that part of his role within Porsche very seriously.
Michael Mauer is the man who designed the Porsche Panamera, is responsible for the way Porsche’s SUVs look, gave the 997 GT3 its mojo and the 991 911 that came after… and he is why Porsche’s 918 Spyder looks so completely stunning.
Mauer admits during a virtual meeting in December 2020 that he’s stressed. Not due to our call, or even work. Due to traffic. But once Mauer is comfortable at his desk he seems delighted to speak with us about the significance of his longest-running project.
In late 2020, Porsche began to roll out snippets of information on a top-secret project headed up by Mauer that was, in its infancy, never intended for public consumption. More than a dozen concept cars, ranging from scale models to functional vehicles, have been developed within the walls of the Porsche Design Studio in Weissach, the epicentre of creativity for the Stuttgart-based brand.
“You could say this idea started when [former CEO] Mattias Mueller was here,” Mauer tells Wheels, “and now is really pushed by [CEO] Oliver Blume even more, saying: ‘Just give me some ideas, possibilities, and what the brand could look like in 10 or 20 years… Show me possibilities that inspire me as a CEO, that inspire the whole brand.’”
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Wheels Australia Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ROUGH DIAMONDS
GO OUT AND SEE AUSTRALIA. BUY ONE OF THESE AND YOU'LL MAKE IT HOME TOO
WORK IN PROGRESS
WHEN YOUR LIVELIHOOD DEPENDS ON IT, DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES
RABID RESPONSE
EVEN IF YOU'RE PULLING IN THE FINANCIAL HORNS, YOU WON'T NEED TO COMPROMISE ON FUN
PREMIUM BLEND
HERE'S HOW TO ENJOY CHAMPAGNE ON A VAGUELY BEERY BUDGET
GO LARGE, SAVE BIG
WE BRING YOU A SELECTION OF LARGE FAMILY SUVS THAT ARE UNLIKELY TO BREAK THE BANK
MIDDLE CLASS
THE AUSSIE FAMILY DREAM USED TO BE A QUARTER ACRE AND A PICKET FENCE. NOW IT'S A LITTLE MORE MODEST
SHORTY AWARDS
VALUE FOR MONEY CAN BE A RARE COMMODITY AMONG SMALL SUVS. HERE ARE THREE THAT ANSWER THE CALL
MID SIZE MAX VALUE
THE MEDIUM RANGE SECTOR IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF GETTING ALOT OF CAR FOR YOUR DOLLAR
HATCH MATCH
WANT A HATCH THAT'LL PUT A SMILE ON YOUR DIAL SECOND TIME ROUND? TRY THESE...
MODE ΤΟ ΤΟΥ
PORSCHE'S LATEST HOT 911 IS THE NEW FRONTIER FOR ON-THEFLY CHASSIS ADJUSTABILITY, OFFERING THE DRIVER A WORLD OF CONFIGURATION - BUT IS IT WORTH THE HASSLE?