Interview: Porsche Design Boss Michael Mauer Talks Panamera

Michael Mauer has been head of design at Porsche since 2004 and has overseen a massive expansion of the brand's model range and sales. We caught him at the reveal of the second-generation 2017 Panamera, the long-awaited redo of one of Mauer's most successful and controversial cars.

I notice the biggest change is the rear haunches, the rear three-quarter; it's  911-like. I once took an architecture tour of Paris. The architect was explaining that, in Paris, every building must answer to the Eiffel Tower. You can't ignore the fact that it exists. So, I'm wondering, with a Porsche, do you have to, or are you always, referencing the 911?

You can't ignore that we have the 911. No, I mean…if you talk about our design strategy, about our design language, the DNA in its basic elements, it refers to the 911. So Porsche doesn't have a grille, it has an air intake because the 911 has the engine in the back. The Panamera [and] Cayenne have it in the front. Still, we don't have a traditional grille. We have this topography over the fenders and the hood. We have the strong shoulder over the rear. There are, yes, certain elements that at the end of the day refer to the 911, but what I always try to explain is that as soon as you define this kind of design strategy too exact, you kill all the creativity. So, what the design team knows, there is I'd say a certain corrector they have to stick to. But otherwise they have all the freedom to explore all the possibilities. And, yes, sure, it is a Porsche; the best known Porsche in the world is a 911, so, in a way it's the same as this architect that explained to you with the Eiffel Tower.

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With theprevious-generation Panamera, a lot of people criticized, specifically, the C-pillar.

First of all was the question, "Do we stick to this design concept?" Which in this segment and this class has a very strong character, but still it was just cast again: should we stick to this kind of silhouette? But then the decision was taken as Porsche is very often sticking to its ideas. We stick to that idea, but there is room for improvement. And, I mean, there was never a discussion [about the first-gen Panamera] that…you have to bring in four adult people and two adult people in the back with enough head room, and to combine this with a kind of coupe-ish roofline in the sports car proportion is really something you have to manage, and we knew that we can do it better. We learned a lot over the last few years, so that was definitely something where we said, "that we can improve." And, on top of this, we tried to get this car even more of a sports car appeal.

From the very beginning when the car was launched, we were not one-hundred percent happy with it. So, let's say Day 1, 2009, of the launch we started to investigate what we can do. Without compromising the head room, whatever, and so we had enough time and we found the millimeters we needed.

I think what Porsche managed very well over the years is in a way to stick to these kind of design cues, but always managed to make them very modern. We never fall into this trap that a new Porsche looked like an old Porsche.

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Is it true that thePanameralooked a certain way, and then Martin Winterkorn got in the back seat and said, "No, I'm too tall. Make the roof higher. "

No, it was another person with a W in the beginning of their last name.

We said we wanted to be the new kid on the block in this segment, where [there are] really strong players like Mercedes S-Class. They were already there. So we said we have to find a way to offer really a comparable interior space -- no compromise in that corner, and still to have the more sporty look, most sporty look that [we arrived at] in the end.

Yes, at that time, was Dr. Winterkorn, and other people, the Board members. But we all knew that we have to offer the best interior space; otherwise, it would not have been a really competitive car in this segment. We should have done it like this from the beginning, but I think that the first generation anyway was a big success.

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ThePanamerais on theMSB group platform; is it challenging knowing that this platform is going to be used byAudiandBentley? Are you limited by hard points because the platform has to be used by other brands to make other vehicles; does that interfere with the design?

No, I would not see this as a limitation since we discuss up front very intensively what are the requirements from the users. And, we have, as well, a very good connection among the designers. You could say the proportion of this platform is driven by performance requirements by this -- well, by design requirements. So in the end of the day, we have, I think, a very nice architecture when we talk about proportion, and then it's the task of the designers to have enough differentiation.

From my point of view, it even helps that there are different parties trying to discuss and to do the best. I admit there are meetings where sometimes it seems that one brand wants to have it like this or that. We could think, "Okay, maybe in that one single point it would be easier without these guys." But in 50 other cases, it helps.

Is there anything that you wanted to do with this car that you didn't get to do?

Yeah, sure.

There are always things you want to do as a designer, and there are limitations from the law, from…the material, the whatever, always. But, we keep it as a secret and for the next generation. We try to work it out.

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Speaking of the future, theSport Turismo Concept; where is that? Is it coming?

Sure. One day.

OK…

I'm wondering, and I'm looking forward to if this car will be successful in U.S.?

No.

Wagons have a little bit…this kind of reputation of Mom's car. But I still hope that that car has the potential to change the perception.

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