Will Porsche come with a van? The brand finds it 'very interesting now'

Ferrari long insisted they would never build an SUV (and claim they never have) and Mercedes probably didn't think they'd ever build a pickup (and no doubt wish they never had) . It may not be such a bad idea that you will soon be able to bump into the Porsche dealer for a van. Certainly not now that you see that the MPV is undergoing a renaissance in Asia with vans such as the Lexus LM and the Volvo EM90.

We chat with Porsche design boss Peter Varga shortly after the unveiling of the new Porsche Macan. We ask whether a van such as the Vision Renndienst from 2020 is possible. 'I'll find the van [uit 2020] very nice,” he immediately admits. But would a van fit the Porsche brand? 'I think so. It's a nice car, it looks good and why not? The van as a product, as an idea or concept for a new car, is now very interesting in combination with luxury.'

He makes a comparison with the special Toyota Alphard that drives a lot in Singapore, which took us to and from this event from the airport. These are luxury vans with separate seats in the back: 'Here [in Singapore] for example, you sit in the back of a van with large seats. You can go that way with a van. Perhaps for Porsche it is an interesting new product. That's my personal opinion.'

Don't make jokes about his name… | Photo: © Toyota

Because the Vision Renndienst is a study model, it has more exuberant features such as a central driving position. It probably won't make it if there were a production car: 'The only thing that wouldn't work is the central seating position for the driver. It doesn't work in everyday life. You don't see anything at all, you don't see the other drivers. It's a great driving position for a race car. Maybe we can design the van with a normal seating position.'

Is a Porsche van very easy in the electric future?

New electric platforms are often presented by car brands as a kind of self-supporting skateboards with batteries in the bottom. This gives the impression that they can just put a carriage on it and create a brand new model.

But unfortunately, it's not that easy. The designer explains: 'That's what we thought at the time [dat het zo makkelijk zou zijn]. You have the same technical requirements as a car with a combustion engine. You don't have any exhausts, but you have similar suspension, similar structure, so there aren't the big changes [in de ontwikkeling van een nieuwe auto].'

A van from Stuttgart will not be introduced tomorrow, but there is good news for Porsche drivers with a desire for space. The Cayenne will have a big brother, which will probably accommodate seven people. For now, Porsche will call this new SUV the 'K1'. And otherwise you can always get a Volkswagen ID. Had Buzz wrapped in red with some Renndienst logos on the flanks.