The five best Porsche concept cars

Porsche 911 Spyder Concept – 1966

This is the only Porsche created in collaboration with Bertone. Distinctly Italian in appearance until – on closer inspection – red and gold crests and a 911 badge reveal its true identity. Perhaps not a shape you would expect to see on a Porsche concept car list!

The 1966 911 Spyder is also unique in that it was actually conceived by a Southern Californian Porsche importer and dealer named Johnny Von Neumann. In the mid-1950s Von Neumann had been involved with New York importer Max Hoffman in recommending to Porsche they build a “boulevard racer”. To Von Neumann’s customers that meant a stripped-out, cheaper, open-top 356 ‘Speedster’ that looked great on the kerbside in the week but would go like stink on the track at the weekends. A keen and successful racer himself he forwarded the idea to Hoffman who did the deal with the Porsche factory. On this occasion, Hoffman ultimately took credit for the creation, but Von Neumann had made good business out of it in So.Cal. too.

By 1963, the 911 had replaced the 356 and Von Neumann’s customers were left without a new generation Speedster. The first Targa-topped 911 was on the horizon, but Von Neumann was convinced his customers – with their stifling Californian climate – were after a true drop-top sportscar. Von Neumann saw an opportunity. First approaching renowned Italian car designer Nuccio Bertone to sculpt a 911 Spyder, Von Neumann then asked Zuffhausen for a donor car. Ferry Porsche himself was hardly enthusiastic at the idea of an Italian-designed Porsche. Ultimately – though begrudgingly – Ferry agreed for release of a single chassis to be delivered to Bertone for redesign. Only one concept was to be produced and despite Von Neumann funding the project, no confirmation was given that Porsche would commit to produce any more. The final concept was revealed at the 1966 Geneva Auto Show alongside Porsche’s own Targa. The Bertone car was well-received but it was priced above that of the Targa which went on to become the open-top norm for 911s until the cabriolet was reintroduced in 1982. With no extra orders for Von Neumann’s 911 Spyders, this concept remains the only one: a jewel in the dusty part of Porsche’s history books.

You might also enjoy our video: Four Bonkers Bertone concepts that shaped car design

Porsche Tapiro Concept – 1970

The radical Porsche Tapiro concept was penned by the genius designer Girogetto Giugiario and first unveiled at the Turin Auto Show in 1970. To many, the iconic squared wedge profile of Giugiario’s early ‘70s shapes with Italdesign is instantly recognisable. Giugiario had experimented with the wedge design on the both the Bizzarini Manta and Alfa Romeo Iguana concepts, partially inspired by Bertone’s Alfa Romeo Carabo that preceded it. However, it was the Porsche Tapiro that Italdesign see as their first true ‘wedge’ design: a silhouette that would reappear in classic designs like the BMW M1 and Lotus Esprit to name just two.

The gorgeous Italdesign body was fabricated to sit on top of Porsche’s 914/6 chassis. Complete with gullwing doors, the finished product was quite overwhelming. Even today the Tapiro looks space-age, to such a degree it would look at home on either the 2001: A Space Odyssey or even Blade Runner movie sets. Quite why Porsche settled ultimately for the unsophisticated and boxy 914 shape is beyond the reasoning of this author. That said, the Taprio was not simply a rolling chassis: it ran with an uprated 914/6 223PS (164kW) 2.4-litre flat-six matched to a five-speed manual capable of up to 152mph. True enough, the Tapiro had the speed to match the looks.

The concept ultimately was sold and was used as a daily driver by the recipient: über-cool. Unfortunately, in its rather mysterious early ownership period it met with a rather fiery end. Many stories exist as to how the Tapiro was left burnt out: one suggested that it was crashed whilst another proposes that it was targeted by a firebomb in Spain. However this concept met its fate, all but some of the chassis is a scorched wreck. The remains were eventually bought back by Giugiario who displayed it for a while outside Italdesign’s company HQ. Plans to restore the car to its former glory fell through, but its futuristic aesthetic combined with its unique and mysterious history makes the Tapiro one of the more interesting cars in Porsche’s concept catalogue.

Porsche 984 Concept – 1987

The Porsche 984 was a small, convertible sports car with a 2.0-litre four-pot that produced around 152PS (112kW). An emphasis on lightness meant the car weighed only 880kg, making it capable of up to 137mph. Rumours that a four-wheel-drive version would be available too only upped the charm. The best thing? It was aimed to be sold at around £12,000. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it? After all, MX-5s are driven by grandmas and nice older Lotus Elan’s are way out of that price range. Initially developed as the Seat PS, it was later redubbed and upgraded as the Porsche Junior. Despite huge development and large efforts to make the project viable, the project was canned in 1987 in the midst of a sales crisis and the stock market crash. If only things had been different…

Porsche Boxster Concept – 1992

Unlike the rest of the cars on this list so far, this concept actually made it into production. To a casual observer in 2020 there seems nothing too fascinating about the Porsche Boxster. However, in 1992 it hailed the design direction for Porsche’s future 996 and Boxster models while making the contemporary 964 and 968 look rather dated. I am no big fan of Porsche’s ‘fried-egg headlight’ period, but this concept was a clear step in a direction away from the round 911 lights of old onto something entirely new. To add to that, the concept evoked the rose-tinted memories of Porsche’s 1950s and early-’60s race cars the 550 and RSK. It sowed the seeds for the return of the two-seat, mid-engine roadster to Porsche’s stable, thankfully without taking over styling cues from the 914!

Porsche Mission E – 2015

Our last Porsche concept is another important design forerunner. The all-electric Porsche Taycan was more or less a direct production run of the Mission E concept first seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2015. The Mission E concept unequivocally lay out Porsche’s intentions for the future: not simply stylistically but in terms of substance too. Aiming at producing an all-electric grand tourer with a range of 300 miles but hoping to reconcile that with performance that will melt your brain? No pressure. Certainly in 2015 such a feat seemed a long-shot. I might have laughed at what Porsche were able to make reality in just five years. So yeah the Taycan Turbo S, only tops out at 200 and a bit – not 300 – miles, but Porsche certainly delivered on a 0-62mph under the 3.0 second mark and it still only takes a long-ish coffee break to charge on a 50kW rapid charger! Only the staunchest of petrolheads aren’t charmed by Porsche’s record in conceptualising and executing the development the first semi-usable electric supercar. With greater battery and charging infrastructure on the way, Tesla should be worried that when Porsche set their sights on something they do it, and they do it well. Has anyone else seen a new Tesla Roadster yet?