Porsche explores self-driving style with Renndienst concept

Porsche has offered a first look at the inside of its Renndiest concept, revealed as part of last year’s incredible Porsche Unseen exhibition.

Shown here in white instead of last year’s red (Guards red?), the Renndiest concept opens its doors to reveal a spacious cabin with a single seat up front for the driver, and four seats at the rear.

The driver’s seat can rotate 180 degrees when the vehicle is in self-driving mode, enabling a more sociable atmosphere. The second row features a pair of captains’ chairs, while the third is a standard fixed design.

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Speaking on the concept, chief designer Michael Mauer said: “We thought about how we could still give a distinctly Porsche flair to a passenger compartment that is so far removed from the classic sports car interior. And how autonomous driving could be designed."

Wisely, Mauer notes that most Porsche buyers are unlikely to seek an entirely driverless experience, which is why there’s still a focused sporting look to the driver’s seat, steering wheel and dash.

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“When I want to drive, I have more cockpit feeling than in any other car. And when I don’t, the driver’s seat can be rotated 180 degrees – with one swivel, it turns to face the other passengers. We worked on materialising these basic ideas for about a year.”

Porsche has no plans to introduce the Renndienst concept to market, but what we see here could be a preview of what to expect down the road someday.

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