Click for more.
Porsche AG (P911.DE) said today that a generational change will see Tobias Sühlmann (46 left) succeed Michael Mauer (63 right) as Head of Design at Porsche from 1 February 2026. Sühlmann comes from, ahem, the British sports car manufacturer McLaren. Michael Mauer “will continue to support his successor Tobias Sühlmann in a transitional period,” Porsche said.*
“Michael Mauer shaped an era at Porsche. Together with his team, he has carefully brought the iconic design of the 911 into the modern era and at the same time unmistakably transferred the Porsche design DNA to new model series,” said Dr. Michael Leiters, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.
[The Panamera, the first sports sedan in the history of the sports car manufacturer saw Mauer as head of design and Leiters as product strategist launching the controversial four-door model in 2009. – AutoCrat]
Michael Mauer started in 2004 as the fourth Head of Design in Porsche’s history. His predecessors were Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Anatol Lapine and Harm Lagaay. Mauer studied automotive design at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and came to Porsche via positions at Mercedes, Smart and Saab. At the beginning of his tenure at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, he was responsible for the revision of the Cayenne, the new Panamera and the 918 Spyder sports car.
“Timeless design needs both: durability and new impulses. In view of Porsche’s strategic realignment, now is a good time to bring new perspectives to the design as well. It was a great pleasure and honor for me to be able to help shape and develop Porsche’s design philosophy over such a long period of time,” said Mauer.
Sühlmann also studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Pforzheim. The future Head of Design started at Volkswagen in 2005 and then moved to Bugatti. As Head of Exterior Design, he went to Aston Martin before working for McLaren for the first time. At Bentley, he was later “significantly” involved in the design of the Batur. In September 2023, he joined McLaren as Chief Design Officer.
“Tobias Sühlmann can build on a unique design philosophy. With his experience in the design of sports and super sports cars, he will further sharpen Porsche’s profile. His broad knowledge and extensive experience will help him to design a large number of different vehicles in the high-end sector,” said Leiters.
“A Porsche must appeal to all the senses – that is Michael Mauer’s leitmotif. The Panamera is one of many convincing examples. I have known Michael Mauer for many years and appreciate him as an excellent professional and extraordinary personality. His work has shaped the style of the Porsche brand and will remain visible in the future. We thank him for his outstanding work and wish him all the best for the future,” said Leiters.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Porsche Head of Design – Sühlmann Succeeds Mauer
Click for more.
Porsche AG (P911.DE) said today that a generational change will see Tobias Sühlmann (46 left) succeed Michael Mauer (63 right) as Head of Design at Porsche from 1 February 2026. Sühlmann comes from, ahem, the British sports car manufacturer McLaren. Michael Mauer “will continue to support his successor Tobias Sühlmann in a transitional period,” Porsche said.*
“Michael Mauer shaped an era at Porsche. Together with his team, he has carefully brought the iconic design of the 911 into the modern era and at the same time unmistakably transferred the Porsche design DNA to new model series,” said Dr. Michael Leiters, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.
[The Panamera, the first sports sedan in the history of the sports car manufacturer saw Mauer as head of design and Leiters as product strategist launching the controversial four-door model in 2009. – AutoCrat]
Michael Mauer started in 2004 as the fourth Head of Design in Porsche’s history. His predecessors were Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Anatol Lapine and Harm Lagaay. Mauer studied automotive design at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and came to Porsche via positions at Mercedes, Smart and Saab. At the beginning of his tenure at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, he was responsible for the revision of the Cayenne, the new Panamera and the 918 Spyder sports car.
“Timeless design needs both: durability and new impulses. In view of Porsche’s strategic realignment, now is a good time to bring new perspectives to the design as well. It was a great pleasure and honor for me to be able to help shape and develop Porsche’s design philosophy over such a long period of time,” said Mauer.
Sühlmann also studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Pforzheim. The future Head of Design started at Volkswagen in 2005 and then moved to Bugatti. As Head of Exterior Design, he went to Aston Martin before working for McLaren for the first time. At Bentley, he was later “significantly” involved in the design of the Batur. In September 2023, he joined McLaren as Chief Design Officer.
“Tobias Sühlmann can build on a unique design philosophy. With his experience in the design of sports and super sports cars, he will further sharpen Porsche’s profile. His broad knowledge and extensive experience will help him to design a large number of different vehicles in the high-end sector,” said Leiters.
“A Porsche must appeal to all the senses – that is Michael Mauer’s leitmotif. The Panamera is one of many convincing examples. I have known Michael Mauer for many years and appreciate him as an excellent professional and extraordinary personality. His work has shaped the style of the Porsche brand and will remain visible in the future. We thank him for his outstanding work and wish him all the best for the future,” said Leiters.
*AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.