Porsche’s Unseen collection opened one last time… for now

Porsche’s final trio of models from its “Unseen” range of prototypes and design studies is poised to be the last for now in spite of Stuttgart having promised more in due course. This time around, all three fall under separate categories, namely Spin-offs, Little Rebels and What’s Next?

Spin-offs

Macan Vision Safari

Year: 2013

Introduced mere months before the Macan become a production reality, the Vision Safari is said to have been inspired by the 911 Safari and 959 that won the Dakar in 1984 and 1986, but never made it as far as a 1:1 hard model.

Equipped with extended plastic wheel arches, roof rails and skidplates at the front and rear, the Safari, unlike the actual Macan, features three-doors and a higher ground clearance with Porsche going further by describing it as representing the ideal way to “explore the remoter corners of East Africa or the Siberian steppe”.

Little Rebels

Vision 916

Year: 2016

Created as a tribute to the 916, a planned racing version of the 914 shown in 1972 that ultimately never raced or entered series production, the Vision 916 only made it as far as a 1:1 scale clay model, but in another homage to the past, would have utilised four electric motors mounted in the hub of each wheel in a layout used by the Lohner-Porsche of 1900.

Despite the electric motors, the Vision 916 would have still been a lightweight with Porsche going so far as saying that it would’ve “promised plenty of driving pleasure” had it entered production.

What’s Next?

Vision 960 Turismo

Year: 2016

Although used as a moniker on the shooting brake version of the Panamera today, the 1:1 hard scale model Turismo was initially envisioned as a four-seater with 918 styling cues, but according to Porsche’s Chief Designer Michael Mauer, the debate on whether it should have been rear-engined like a 911 or mid-mounted like the 718 Boxster/Cayman eventually led to it becoming the Taycan.

“In view of the question of the proportions and the emergence of the topic of electric mobility, we discovered that the idea could be realised even better with a purely electric powertrain,” Mauer said.

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