Porsche headquarters in Zuffenhausen with 911 vehicles: The series is one of the classics at Porsche. Photo: dpa
Stuttgart, Düsseldorf. The sports car manufacturer Porsche is replacing its chief designer. As company circles confirm to Handelsblatt, Tobias Sühlmann is replacing long-time head of design Michael Mauer. Mauer is handing over operational design responsibility in Zuffenhausen, but will remain with the group as head of brand design in the Volkswagen Group. “Manager Magazin” first reported on the personnel.
The change is seen as the first clear signal from the new Porsche boss Michael Leiters, who has led the sports car manufacturer since January 1st. Leiters, previously head of development at Ferrari and CEO of McLaren until spring 2025, is relying on a close confidant in Sühlmann: The 46-year-old already worked at McLaren under Leiters and has been chief designer there since 2023.
We hear from company circles that Leiters and Mauer know each other well and have always gotten along well. For his new start at Porsche, Leiters apparently wanted a solution at the most important point right from the start that would last for several years.
The 63-year-old Mauer has shaped the image of Porsche for more than two decades. Under his leadership, key models such as the Panamera, the Macan and the 918 Spyder super sports car were created.
VW CEO Oliver Blume with design boss Michael Mauer and Porsche Cayenne (r.): Two decades of design influence. Photo: AFP
Since 2022, Mauer has also been responsible for group-wide design under Volkswagen boss Oliver Blume. His withdrawal from the operational Porsche role nevertheless marks a deep turning point – and a generational change at the brand’s design leadership.
With Sühlmann, Leiters brings in a designer who stands for a more performance-oriented, technically influenced design language. The 46-year-old was previously head of design at McLaren, previously worked at Bentley, Bugatti and Aston Martin, among others, and worked for the Volkswagen Group for more than ten years.
Industry experts see his appointment as an attempt to sharpen Porsche’s design skills – also with a view to the sports car manufacturer’s new drive and platform strategies.
Tobias Sühlmann: Switches from McLaren to Porsche. Photo: McLaren
The personnel change comes during a phase with declining sales and declining profitability. After years of growth, deliveries fell by around ten percent in 2025, with recent declines particularly in Germany and China.
In addition, there are high depreciations for a change in drive strategy, which have a noticeable impact on the result. VW CEO Oliver Blume, who also headed Porsche until the end of the year, corrected his previous electric course in the fall and announced that he would again focus more on combustion engine and hybrid developments.
The leader is faced with the task of realigning the company strategically and operationally on this basis. Design plays a central role here.
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In Stuttgart, the change is seen less as a routine personnel change and more as a targeted strategic decision. After less than a month, Leiters has made it clear that he wants to set his own tone – even in an area that is traditionally seen as defining identity at Porsche.
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According to information from those close to the company, Sühlmann will take on the new role soon. Porsche itself initially did not want to comment on the personnel.