Tobias Sühlmann succeeds Michael Mauer as Porsche’s Head of Design
28.01.2026By Richard Lindhorst
An era at Porsche is coming to an end. Michael Mauer has been Head of Design at Porsche since 2004 and will pass on the baton on February 1, 2026. His successor as Head of Design at Porsche will be 46-year-old Tobias Sühlmann. The fifth Porsche Head of Design in total was until recently Head Designer at British sports car manufacturer McLaren.
“He carefully brought the iconic design of the 911 into the modern era” – Michael Mauer shaped Porsche for almost 22 years
Following Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, Anatol Lapine and Harm Lagaay, Michael Mauer was appointed Head of Porsche Design in 2004. The first models to emerge under his leadership were the second generation Cayenne, the Panamera and the Porsche 918 Spyder. Mauer was also responsible for the transformation of Porsche’s design into the age of electromobility.
For Dr. Michael Leiters, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, Mauer’s departure marks the end of an era. “Michael Mauer has shaped an era at Porsche. Together with his team, he carefully brought the iconic design of the 911 into the modern era,” says Leiters, summarizing the work of the native of Hesse. According to him, Mauer’s work also “shaped the style of the Porsche brand and will remain visible in the future.”
It was a great pleasure and honour for me to be able to help shape and develop Porsche’s design philosophy over such a long period of time.
Michael Mauer, Porsche Head of Design 2004-2026
The outgoing Head of Design himself says of the past two decades as the person with overall responsibility for the visual appearance of the sports car brand: “Timeless design needs both: durability and new impulses. In view of Porsche’s strategic realignment, now is a good time to bring new perspectives to the design as well,” says the 63-year-old.
Tobias Sühlmann earned his spurs at Bugatti, Aston Martin and McLaren before his appointment as Head of Design at Porsche
For his part, Mauer’s successor Tobias Sühlmann can also look back on two decades of experience in the design of sports and super sports cars. After starting at Volkswagen in 2005, he moved to Bugatti. He then took on the position of Head of Exterior Design at Aston Martin and a first position at McLaren. In the meantime, Sühlmann played a key role in the design of the Bentley Batur before taking over responsibility for McLaren’s designs as Chief Design Officer from 2023.
Dr. Michael Leiters and Tobias Sühlmann also got to know each other at this station. As McLaren CEO, Leiters was already the designer’s superior at the time. The fact that Leiters, who has only been CEO since the beginning of the year, has installed a new Chief Designer within the space of a month is certainly likely to be seen as a decision for the future. Mauer will, however, remain with the parent company Volkswagen as Head of Brand Design.
Porsche’s profile to be sharpened – Will the design become even sportier in future?
Porsche expects Tobias Sühlmann as the new Head of Design to further sharpen the brand’s profile. He is said to have a very sporty, technical design language. We are already excited to see what the first models under his responsibility will look like in a few years’ time. There is no doubt that the Management Board is convinced of Sühlmann’s qualities: “Tobias Sühlmann can build on a unique design philosophy,” Leiters concludes.
