Of all the manufacturers in the automotive space, the ones that appear to be the most reluctant from outright embracing, actively investing, and/or innovating in autonomous or self-driving systems are the ones focused on sports and performance vehicles.
Porsche, unlike many of its competitors, also dabbles in the premium and luxury end of the market to some extent, although all its cars do have inherently sporting dynamics, the degree to which that can be extracted varies between model to model.
While the German automaker isn’t actively pursuing technology that could make their cars, particularly their sports cars, able to drive themselves independent of human intervention, its CEO Oliver Blume isn’t averse to the idea.
Unlike marques such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, Porsche’s stable of vehicles are generally more suited for daily use, making a stronger case for the conveniences afforded by the addition of self-driving functions.
Of course, there will be the purists who will resist any endeavour to branch away from any development deemed to not service driving pleasure. But that, like the addition of turbochargers on the new 911 Carreras and the proliferation of electronic power steering on all its current sporty offerings, is the price to pay for progress.
During a conversation with Autocar UK, Blume maintained that no matter how prevalent autonomous features may be in a given car, “When you buy a Porsche, you will drive it yourself, full stop.”
He continued: “For example, when you are going to work in the morning and you are in a traffic jam, there is a possibility to read the newspaper. When you go to a restaurant and you cannot find somewhere to park, the car will find somewhere to park itself and then fetch you after you leave the restaurant.”
The upcoming Mission E fully electric saloon that the company first showed off at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show would arguably be incomplete without autonomous driving capability, and parent company Volkswagen is investing heavily in both technological tangents, allowing Porsche to easily benefit from their breakthroughs.
Theoretically, a current-day 911 with self-driving features would not have its status as a ‘driver’s car’ diminished. After all, the sensor array, cameras, and extra computing hardware needed for autonomous highway cruising or keeping up with traffic crawls wouldn’t add a noticeable amount of weight or exterior blemishes to the car.
Instead, the added functionality will make the on-road experience and liveability that much easier, which is already aligned with a large reason why buyers choose a 911 over its competitors. Insofar as a hybrid or electrified Porsche sports car, though, Blume said:
"Today we don’t even think about an electric 911. What will be in the future I don’t know, but I think we will have co-existence for at least the next ten years of real combustion engines and electric cars. It is a good idea for Porsche to retain the classic 911 and on the other hand have the Mission-E.”
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