- Manfred Harrer was appointed head of Genesis & Performance Development Tech Unit.
- German engineer worked at BMW and Audi and led the team developing the Porsche Taycan.
- Harrer was previously part of the team developing the iCar until Apple killed the project in February.
When Hyundai revealed the Ioniq 6 in 2022, Porsche fans were quick to point out the visual similarities between it and their favorite brand’s vehicles. But Hyundai’s latest hire could mean an Ioniq 6 successor won’t only look like a Porsche, but also drive like one.
The Hyundai Motor Group has signed up Manfred Harrer, a 51-year-old German engineer who spent 14 years at Porsche, where he worked on vehicles like the Cayenne SUV and also the Taycan EV, for which he was VP of chassis development.
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Harrer’s resume also includes stints at BMW and Audi, but by far the most intriguing bit of his work history includes the time he spent working on the iCar, following his move to Apple in the spring of 2021. But Apple killed the iCar – codenamed Project Titan – in February of this year.
No doubt his new Korean coworkers will be fascinated to hear what went down there, but Harrer’s number one priority is to make sure the Hyundai Group’s various performance and luxury products drive like true enthusiast cars.
As Executive Vice President and Head of the new Genesis & Performance Development Tech Unit, he’ll work under the umbrella of the Hyundai-Kia Research and Development operation on upcoming cars from both Genesis and Hyundai’s sporty N sub-brand.
Hyundai-Kia R&D boss Yang Heui-won seems as keen on the clout Harrer’s name brings within the industry as he does his expertise, stating that his appointment enhances “the image and reputation of our mobility brands,” though he’s no doubt hoping there’s more to Harrer than a nice set of antique business cards.
“My commitment to Hyundai Motor Group is driven by a profound belief in their visionary approach to advanced mobility solutions,” said the press officer who wrote these words we’re meant to believe Harrer spoke himself.
“With my extensive experience in the automotive and tech industry, I am dedicated to playing a pivotal role in the future evolution of Genesis and high-performance vehicles within the Group.”
