Back in November 2019, a report traveled through online car-centric mediums claiming that Porsche is serious about building a hypercar that would rule supreme on the top tier position of its lineup.

Rumors talked about a car that would bridge the gap between Porsche’s road-going vehicles and its motorsport programs with know-how provided by the company’s abandoned Formula 1 engine development program. Well, you can disregard that, because Porsche’s is not doing a hypercar. At least not in the short- to medium-term future.

Why Isn't Porsche Making an Electric Hypercar?

Speaking to Autocar via phone, Porsche Chief Designer Michael Mauer dismissed the idea of a super-powerful electric hypercar being built by Porsche and that his “other ideas” are aimed at “what is important for enthusiasts.”

He further argued that “these hypercars are not only heavy, they are very much driven by aerodynamics, so they end up looking very similar.” In addition, Mr. Mauer believes that a car’s character disappears when the internal combustion engine is replaced by an electric powertrain. Instead, we would prefer to develop “something smaller, something lighter, with more of a drivability focus.”

Obviously, the latter makes more sense for Porsche and its ethos. Porsches have always been about keeping the car as light as possible with enough power do make it a blast to drive on or off the track - think the 356 or the first 911 Carrera generations. And don’t get us wrong, Porsche could easily step into the electric hypercar arena if it wanted to, as it’s no stranger to building high-performance super sports cars (see the 959, the Carrera GT, and the 918 Spyder).

Can Porsche Pull Off a Small Hybrid or Electric Sports Car?

Interestingly enough, this report goes hand in hand with an interview with the same Michael Mauer published by Porsche’s online newsroom, where Mr. Mauer hinted that a mid-mounted, cheaper, entry-level sports car would make a lot more sense for the brand.

On one hand, it would attract young buyers, and on the other, it would respect the brand’s oldest values of offering light, fun-to-drive sports cars. So, is it doable? We believe so, especially since Porsche could use the 718 platform (albeit scaled down) to underpin such a nippy car.

If Porsche greenlights this project, then it could offer either a car that’s completely stripped away of electronic aids or one that would convert your typical Audi TT RS, Volkswagen Golf R32 buyer.

Regardless, should Porsche go ahead with the development, we’re all eyes and ears.

Pictured: Porsche 988 VISION on Behance