Porsche has confirmed a major changing of the guard at the top of its design ranks, with Tobias Sühlmann appointed as the new head of design from 1 February.
The 46-year-old succeeds Michael Mauer, who is stepping down after more than 21 years in the role – a period that spanned the introduction of the Macan, Panamera, 918 Spyder and Taycan and also included the design evolution of the Boxster, Cayman, 911 and Cayenne.
The move, announced today, marks a generational shift under new Porsche CEO Michael Leiters – who previously worked with Sühlmann at McLaren.
Mauer, 63, joined Porsche in 2004 as only the fourth design boss in the company’s history, following in the footsteps of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Anatol Lapine and Harm Lagaay. He previously held roles at Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Saab and Smart.
His early years at Porsche were defined by facelifts of existing models and new model introductions, including the revised Mk1 Cayenne, the Panamera saloon in 2009 and the 918 Spyder supercar. His philosophy that “a Porsche must appeal to all the senses” became a brand hallmark.
More recently, Mauer has been credited with translating Porsche’s classic styling elemenets to its electric cars, most notably the Taycan, while shepherding the 911’s design through its 997 facelift and 991 and 992 generations.