On February 1, 2026, **Porsche has announced that former McLaren chief design officer Tobias Sühlmann will replace Michael Mauer as its head of design. ** **
Mr Sühlmann, who worked on the McLaren 750S and Artura Spider sports cars, will replace Michael Mauer, who has been with the German sports car maker since 2004.
Mr Mauer oversaw the design of several generations of vehicles, having previously worked at Mercedes-Benz, General Motors and Smart.
During his more than 21 years at the brand, Mr Mauer had the task of evolving the design of the Porsche 911, one of the most recognisable and iconic sports cars, through the 997, 991 and current 992 generations.
He also led the design of the Boxster, Cayman and Cayenne, while overseeing the visual identity of new nameplates such as the Panamera, Macan, 918 Spyder and the electric Taycan.
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In a statement, Porsche CEO Michael Leiters said ‘Michael Mauer created an age at Porsche. His work has influenced the style of the Porsche brand and will remain visible in the future. – ’.
Mrleiter said ‘Tobias Sühlmann can be based on a very different philosophy of design. His experience in the design of sports and super-sports cars will also help sharpen Porsche’s profile further. , ” and.
Mr Mauer will back the arrival of Mr Sühlmann – who has worked on the Bugatti and Bentley brands since McLaren, Aston Martin and Volkswagen where he was working on.
A “Timeless” style requires both strength and new impulses. Mr Mauer said in a statement that the time is right to bring new perspectives, especially as we see Porsche’s strategic realignment.
Mr Mauer is one of several high-profile designers to have left their posts, with Mercedes-Benz’s Gorden Wagener resigning from the company in late 2025 after almost 30 years.
Jaguar Land Rover also reportedly dropped Gerry McGovern – responsible for the look of decades of Land Rover and Range Rover models, as well as the controversial reinvention of Jaguar – in late 2025, though the company later denied doing so.
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