Porsche’s design chief Michael Mauer says the German car manufacturer has no interest in joining the ever-growing list of companies launching electric hypercars with upwards of 2,000 hp.
In a recent interview with Autocar, Mauer said the new array of electric hypercars are too heavy and not as driver-focused as a Porsche must be.
“I think now it is so challenging with the weight of batteries to find the best compromise of performance, drivability and lower weight,” he explained. “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,” Mauer said.
Read More: Porsche Considers Using Aborted F1 Engine For New Hypercar
For some time, there had been speculation that the successor to the 918 Spyder could adopt an all-electric powertrain. However, it is now being reported that a plug-in hybrid powertrain will be used because solid-state battery technology has not progressed as rapidly as the brand had hoped.
It’s claimed the plug-in hybrid could be based on the powertrain recently developed for Porsche’s proposed entry into Formula 1 as an engine supplier for the 2021 season. While Porsche won’t enter F1, this engine could see the light of day in a new road car.
Reports claim Porsche’s next-generation hypercar remains in the conceptual stage and that such a vehicle won’t launch before 2023. If this new model does indeed use a turbocharged V6 hybrid engine like Porsche developed for F1, it could directly rival the Mercedes-AMG One, another hybrid hypercar using technology from the highest form of motorsport.
