- Tobias Sühlmann is confirmed as Porsche’s new Head of Design.
- He replaces Michael Mauer, who’s leaving the post after 21 years.
- Sühlmann is only the fifth design chief in Porsche’s entire history.
Porsche has handed the sketchpad to a new boss, a big moment for a brand that usually changes designers about as often as North Korea changes leaders. Tobias Sühlmann is stepping in as Head of Design, taking over from long-time design chief Michael Mauer, and the move leaves another well-known performance brand with a vacancy to fill.
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Sühlmann arrives from McLaren, where he most recently served as Chief Design Officer. His résumé also includes time spent at Volkswagen, Bugatti, Aston Martin and Bentley, so he knows his way around both heritage brands and modern supercar drama.
And he’ll have to use all of his skills and experience to address some major problems at Porsche. Global sales have slipped by 10 percent, China is no longer the growth machine it once was, and Taycan demand has tanked despite a fairly recent facelift. Keeping Porsche desirable in an era of EV fatigue and shifting luxury tastes is going to require careful visual leadership.
History Matters
Porsche’s distinctive look is one of its biggest assets, but also a bit of a millstone for designers. Buyers expect evolution, not revolution, especially with the 911. Sühlmann will have to walk that tightrope between protecting the DNA and making sure new models feel fresh enough to tempt customers who have more options than ever.
Ex-McLaren Ally
There is at least one friendly face in Stuttgart, one that was no doubt instrumental in helping Sühlmann make the move away from Woking. New Porsche CEO Michael Leiters previously worked with him at McLaren, so there is already a shared language between the design studio and the top floor.
That kind of alignment can be powerful when tough product decisions and bold design choices need to be agreed on quickly.
“Michael Mauer shaped an era at Porsche,” said said Porsche boss Leiters, who used to be boss of McLaren. “Together with his team, he has carefully brought the iconic design of the 911 into the modern era and at the same time unmistakably transferred the Porsche design DNA to new model series.”
Sühlmann, 46, also follows a genuine legend. Michael Mauer, now 63, led Porsche design for more than two decades and helped shape everything from the Panamera to the 918 Spyder, not to mention the brand’s first EV, the Taycan. Sühlmann is only the fifth Porsche design boss in the company’s history.
Where Next?
“With this change, Porsche is undergoing a generational change,” the company said of Sühlmann’s appointment, but is it just the personnel that’s changing, or will the shift go deeper? Should Porsche play it safe, or is this the moment to be more adventurous? If you were handed the crayons in Weissach, what would you do?
