Porsche has published a set of 15 different car designs from 2005 to 2019, which have until now been kept under lock and key, as part of its Porsche Unseen collection. The full collection will be released over the next few weeks, but to start things off, Porsche has given us a closer look at three of these models which never made to production, from initial sketches to finished clay models.
Porsche says that these models were not designed to be actual cars to go on the road, but instead as design studies to establish a “creative space and a relationship with the future”. In simpler terms, the studies are made to imagine how the Porsche brand might evolve in the future, acting sort of as guidelines for the design languages of all models in the long-term.
Porsche 919 Street
The first one of the three unveiled today is the Porsche 919 Street, which is basically the Porsche 919 LMP1 race car imagined for the public roads. The somewhat imaginary 919 Street concept takes on the same dimensions as the Le Mans racer, and is also built on the same carbon-chassis monocoque, and features the same 900 hp engine.
Certainly not for the faint hearted, but Porsche says it’s meant to “make the exhilarating driving experience of the LMP1 race car available to amateur drivers”. How incredible would it be if they actually made this an actual car to rival the likes of the Aston Martin Valkyrie?
Hidden behind one of the shots of the Porsche 919 Street is also another clay model of a compact SUV still in the works. Is this Porsche’s way of teasing the all-electric Porsche Macan that we’ve previously heard about? We’ll only know when the car is launched – but if true, that’s pretty sneaky!
Porsche Vision Spyder
The next model shown off in the Porsche Unseen collection is the Porsche Vision Spyder, a tiny little roof-less sports car that features design elements like nothing we’ve seen on any previous Porsche models – such as the slim vertical headlights up front.
Inspired by the Porsche 550-1500 RS Spyder from 1954, we choose to believe that this model also contributed to the 911 Speedster that was launched in our country earlier this year. Just like the Speedster, the Porsche Vision Spyder also features a pretty spartan and puristic cockpit – designed to keep the driver focused on the drive.
Porsche says that this study was designed specifically to further develop the “design identity” of Porsche, with a pool of ideas – such as the modern angular roll bar – to be used on similar models in the future.
Porsche Vision “Renndienst”
For us though, the most interesting of the lot here is the Porsche Vision “Renndienst”, which is a fully-electric van-like model of sorts – yes, you read that right. The futuristic “space shuttle” is designed to study how the iconic Porsche flavour can be transferred to an unknown vehicle segment for the brand.
The “comfortable and modular travel cabin” is designed to fit six adults, and the driver sits right front and centre of the cabin – like Gordon Murray’s GMA T.50, except this isn’t a sports car but a people carrier! Just like most modern electric drivetrains, all of the electric components of the Vision “Renndienst” are located under the passenger cell in the form of a skateboard, which helps increase its interior space.
The rest of the models will be slowly revealed by Porsche, and you’ll be able to see for yourself on their Newsroom. We’ll be taking a closer look at some of the more interesting ones – like the Porsche electric van here – as they are released, but if you’re an avid Porsche collector, all 15 models will be published in a 328 page Porsche Unseen book, filled with photos to show them off in all of their glory.
