A Porsche executive has dismissed the prospect of fully autonomous technology for the brand.
Speaking to German newspaper Westfalen-Blatt, CEO Oliver Blume suggested Porsche owners will always want to be in control of the vehicle.
“One wants to drive a Porsche by oneself,” he said, as translated by Reuters. “An iPhone belongs in your pocket, not on the road.”
The comments have been made despite commitments to modernize the Porsche fleet with plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. The first plug-in 911 will arrive on the market as early as 2018, while the Mission E (pictured) will spawn a production EV by the end of the decade.
Sports cars have been among the first cars to take advantage of electronic driver aids that intervene when the driver is about to lose control. Some analysts expect autonomous technology to play a similar role in future sports cars, providing an even higher level of limit-pushing experience without allowing a driver to go over the edge.
Porsche is not the only ‘driver’s car’ company to dismiss the potential for autonomous vehicles. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann recently told LeftLane the Raging Bull will not follow other high-end brands into the segment, arguing that its customers have a “willingness to drive the car.” Jaguar Land Rover R&D head Wolfgang Epple seems to agree, noting that “we don’t consider customers cargo.”
Image by Ronan Glon.
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