The Stuttgart-based outfit recently caused quite a stir with the release of the best coffee table book since 1000 Record Covers. Porsche Unseen delves into a few of their most influential design studies of the past 15 years, such as a roofless Boxster paying homage to the nimble mountain-climbing Bergspyder 910 of the 1960s, or a sneak-peek at the otherworldly road cars that we can expect to come from the WEC's new Hypercar class.
15 prototypes grace 328 pages, no renders allowed: every single subject in the book was brought to life as a 1:1 model. But what conclusions can we really draw from these un-framable masterpieces? Are we really about to see wingless Le Mans cars with license plates? As long as the future of design rests with Zuffenhausen, apparently we have little to fear.
Beauty in Simplicity, That's What Porsche Is All About
There are few who can't draw a mental picture of Porsche's 911 from name alone, one reason being the car's silhouette hasn't really changed all that much over its 50-year existence: from the earliest 356s to the 992, Porsche has emphasized their legacy with an exceptional albeit unique design language.
Not to say the German marque doesn't let their design team loose every once in a while, as proven by the Carrera GT and 918. While examples such as these are easily recognizable as Porsches even to the untrained eye, they are reminders that the brand's image doesn't only come in 911-shaped boxes.
That said, there is a reason behind the 911's success even past its semicentennial birthday. There is a simplicity in its beauty, and vice versa: part of Porsche's attraction is its timelessness, and they realized the profitability of their heritage a long time ago. My guess? Sometime during the mid 80s when designers in Stuttgart were penning the first sketches of the 964.
Porsche Unseen offers just a glimpse of what goes on behind the doors at Porsche Design. Oddly enough, very few prototypes appear to be based on the 911. Considered to be the most tame of the list, there are a few 911-esque examples: a lifted 991 with overfenders or a four-door rear-engined 911/918 lovechild one could easily mistake for a Panamera or Taycan.
Most of the other examples seem as though they've been plucked straight out of a futuristic video game. That's not too far from reality, however, as Porsche recently unveiled their contribution to Playstation's Gran Turismo series, the Vision Gran Turismo, as a 1:1 model.
One example, the Vision 920 (pictured above), was designed with the customer racer in mind. Inspiration taken directly from the marque's LMP1 department, Porsche's Newsroom media outlet describes the Vision 920 as a combination of "the established Porsche design language with the highly functional, aesthetically impressive features of the prototype racers".
Sound familiar? Porsche's no stranger to customer racing, as demonstrated by the hugely successful Mobil 1 Supercup and newly introduced Mission R.
Porsche is using the gradual electrification of the industry to its advantage. No more internal combustion engine means much more freedom in terms of space, which is heavily reflected in their studies; the future of the automobile is coming, and it's looking mighty curvaceous.
Porsche Car Design: The Renaissance
The Volkswagen Auto Group (specifically Porsche) has seen major steps in design and its overall creative direction since the diesel emissions scandal a few years back. Porsche understood their position within the company to combine their traditionalism with investment in EV infrastructure and has increased their online media presence, as well as reinforced their position as the face of the company's motorsports efforts.
With the inevitable transition from beloved ICE engines to the monotonous drone of a battery-powered future, Porsche has taken it upon themselves to retain the nostalgia of a time when the automobile was much more than a means of transportation. While these prototypes will never see the production line, we can count on Zuffenhausen to steer us from an econo-boxed fate.
Porsche Unseen is a ray of sunshine among dreary square hatchbacks and SUVs. What we've been gifted with is a glimmer of faith for the direction of the company, and a hope other manufacturers will follow their lead.