Tobias Sühlmann, Porsche’s New Design Chief, Likes to Work Quickly

Tobias Sühlmann stepped into his role as Porsche’s vice president of style in February, immediately diving into a fast-paced development cycle. Just months after starting, Porsche CEO Michael Leiters called him on a Saturday evening to pitch a mid-engine car positioned above the 911. This conversation sparked the development of the all-new Porsche Mission S, a production-ready two-door mid-engine super sports car revealed in New York. Sühlmann thrives on speed, stating that a clear vision and a unified team mindset make rapid development possible. Before joining Porsche, Sühlmann led design groups for McLaren, Bentley, Aston Martin, and Bugatti, giving him extensive experience in the sport and luxury category. Growing up as a fan of the brand, he immersed himself in Porsche’s history, visiting the museum and archives to understand its foundation. Among his favorite historical models are the original 911 F-Model, the form-follows-function 550 Spyder, the audacity of the 959, and the underappreciated 928 transaxle model. One of Sühlmann’s initial responsibilities involved structuring Porsche’s future vehicle development into three distinct categories: Halo supercars like the Mission S, Plus vehicles offering more space for passengers and cargo such as the Cayenne, Macan, and Panamera, and Core vehicles anchored by the 911 at the center of gravity. He also helped establish overarching design standards derived from the 911 and 356, including torpedo front fenders, a flyline fastback roof profile, a clean wraparound main body line, and a muscular rear haunch. Addressing the weight of legacy, Sühlmann views the brand’s heritage positively by treating all Porsche models as athletes with different characters and body shapes, comparing the varied physiques to a boxer versus a cyclist or sprinter. The Mission S project notably incorporates a manual transmission, analog switchgear and gauges with an analog gauge needle, and excludes integrated LCD touchscreens, a direction driven by client feedback where customers stated the only screen they need is the windscreen. Regarding whether this direct engagement might filter into other categories, Sühlmann notes that different models serve different needs, comparing it to Porsche’s powertrain-agnostic philosophy offering hybrids, EVs, and full combustion charge engines to give customers choices. Personally, Sühlmann drives a 992 GTS daily and a Taycan in London for his family, and previously owned a black-on-black manual 996 3.4-liter as his first Porsche.