The Porsche 911 Needs To Get Smaller, Says Porsche Design Boss

Saying that cars have gotten bigger over the years is a bit like pointing out that the sky is blue, or that the BMW XM is hideous: it’s really just stating the obvious. You need only look at the Porsche 911: between its launch in 1963 and today, the entry-level car has grown nearly 400mm in length and nearly 250mm in width.

Obviously, there are good reasons for this: safety, comfort, and technology. But anyone who’s threaded a modern car down a single-track country lane or negotiated an older multi-story car park will know that the growth spurt cars have undergone in recent years has its downsides.

One person who agrees is Porsche’s chief designer, Michael Mauer, who’s stated that he thinks the brand’s sports cars need to be zapped with a shrink ray. He was speaking to various media, including Australia’s Drive. “Personally I would love to, to see what the possibilities are in terms of packaging,” he said when asked about the possibility of designing smaller cars.

Mauer pointed out that it’s not just safety and tech driving the rapid swelling of cars’ dimensions: there’s also the fact that, on average, human beings are larger than they were in the middle of the 20th century. Ever-more performance also requires things like wider tracks, bigger tyres and beefier brakes, which further contributes.

“But there, I think, it is then important to find the right balance to respect and address the requirements and wishes of the customers and still, how should I say, stay true to your brand identity,” he continued.

However, Mauer holds out hope that electric cars will eventually start to drive a reversal in this trend: “I think as soon as range issues and infrastructure [problems] have been solved, that it is as easy to recharge the car as it is today to refuel it, then we will see smaller batteries.” This, he says, will allow for better packaging and, as a result, smaller cars overall.