Porsche has no desire to follow the array of electric hypercars with four-figure power outputs into the market, according to the brand’s design chief.
Talking to Autocar in a phone interview that would have taken place at the cancelled Geneva motor show, Michael Mauer expressed that he has other ideas about what is important for enthusiasts.
“I think now it is so challenging with the weight of batteries to find the best compromise of performance, drivability and lower weight,” he said.
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“These hypercars are not only heavy, they are very much driven by aerodynamics, so they end up looking very similar. There is also the fact that [with an EV] the engine [power and character] is not a big deal any more, and therefore I would love to do something different.
“What I personally find very challenging is not to have another hypercar with 2000bhp, but for the Porsche brand to look into something smaller, something lighter, with more of a drivability focus.”
The comments reinforce an Autocar report from last November that plans to launch a pure-EV hypercar to succeed the 918 Spyder had been wound back as solid-state battery technology has not progressed as quickly as hoped. It is believed instead that Porsche engineers are pursuing a plug-in hybrid drivetrain originally developed by its motorsport division for an aborted return to the Formula 1 grid as an engine supplier.
Such a powertrain should give it the engineering integrity, performance and character to compete head-on with other motorsport-inspired hypercars such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG One.