Shortly before the world premiere of the Porsche Macan, Michael Mauer, head of design at Volkswagen Group and Porsche, talks about the challenge the design team faced in completely revamping the model. “The new Macan is the first model that we electrify from an existing and established product identity. Every new sports car has to be clearly recognisable as part of the Porsche product family and the model in question, but it also has to be perceived as new.” Mauer believes that this visual consistency is crucial for the Porsche brand, and finding the right balance between ‘typical Porsche style’ and ‘innovation’ is sometimes a tricky task.
The switch from the internal combustion engine to electric in the new Macan was a challenge for the Porsche design team, but at the same time offered new opportunities. “The technical requirements of the car are always absolutely crucial,” Mauer continues. “This is considered a lot in the design process as is the arrangement of the various components in the car. Packaging is crucial to get the basic proportions right: the classic Porsche line would not be feasible with any arrangement of components. The electric powertrain offers new levels of flexibility but poses challenges in this respect: ‘Removing the engine block allows us to improve the distinctive shape of the bonnet. At the same time, the battery is still a rather large component that requires a lot of space and could disturb the width-to-height ratio. And of course aerodynamics play a big role in terms of the range of an electric sports car. The success of the close collaboration between designers and aerodynamic engineers is evident from just one number: with a CX of 0.25, the electric Macan is one of the most aerodynamic SUVs on the market.
