Will the Porsche Vision “Renndienst” be able to create a new booming segment?
The Porsche Vision “Renndienst” is a free variation of the family-friendly van for up to six people that can already be found in many garages today standing directly next to a sports car from Zuffenhausen. It even has an ancestor in the brand’s brand history, the legendary Volkswagen race service van.
However, it was clear to Michael Mauer right from the start that a van from Porsche should not be conceived and designed as a puritan and practical bus, but had to step out into new territory. This is a big risk, especially these days when the mighty SUV reigns supreme and the only real contender it may have is the pickup truck.
Moreover, the team therefore designed a futuristic “space shuttle” with exciting proportions, which combines sportiness and comfortable travel in a completely new way, but which is still immediately recognisable as a Porsche. I disagree and I personally do not see any resemblance to any Porsche I have seen before.
Its seamless, flat-fronted body, powerfully flared wheel arches and asymmetrical window design mean that all conventional categories can be forgotten. In the interior, passengers find an extremely comfortable and modular travel cabin. Look out Honda N-Box, your electric reckoning is here? I doubt it.
The driver of the Porsche Vision “Renndienst” sits in a central lounge chair. The single seat provides a sporty driving experience, gives the rear passengers a clear view to the front and takes up less space than a conventional seat row in autonomous driving mode. Parents of children will really appreciate this.
On top of that, the all-electric drive technology is also located in the underbody to save space. As a result, passengers can enjoy an unexpectedly generous space and travel experience. Of course the Porsche Vision “Renndienst” is still only an idea but such experimental visions are of essential importance for the brand.
They help to explore new possibilities and question accustomed ways of thinking and conventions. Only in this way is it possible to repeatedly reinvent the wheel. While Porsche is a brand known for innovation, I personally am worried that even the German giant is going too far this time as too much of a good thing is bad.
Still, I don’t know how much success Porsche will see with the Vision “Renndienst” electric vehicle (EV) because at the end of the day, EV popularity seems to be declining in the West so it may happen soon in the East too and the demographic who looks at vans is a very small one anyway.
