Porsche unveils minibus prototype in Asia, debuts at Singapore studio

Previously unseen outside of Porsche's Weissach R&D centre in Germany, the futuristic vehicle is a six-seater shuttle which explores the concept of a multi-purpose monobox Porsche for the family (with plenty of money and a 911 or two).

The Vision Renndienst was built in 2018 but never shown in public, only appearing online and in the pages of a coffee table book in 2020 under 'Porsche Unseen', together with 14 other, strictly internal design studies from 2005 to 2019. 

Ingo Bauer-Scheinhutte, head of Porsche's Advanced Design Team, who presented the Vision Renndienst in Singapore, called it a bus with the logic of maximum space. 

It is an asymmetric exterior design, with the left side different from the right, where there is a pair of sliding doors which open in opposite directions to reveal a six-seat cabin with a distinctive 1+2+3 configuration.

Described as modular and comfortable, the interior provides a solo, central seat for the driver facing the cockpit and wraparound windscreen, plus two separate bucket seats diagonally behind, and a third-row bench seat. The driver's seat can swivel 180 degrees to face the passengers on board.

Porsche Vision Renndienst opens the door to a future lifestyle-support vehicle.

This unusual layout provides the second-row passengers with a good view of the road ahead and their individual dashboard screens for infotainment, while the lounge-inspired third row allows different sitting positions to facilitate conversation, out-of-office working, and "lounge lizard" relaxation.   

The Vision Renndienst could also function as a support vehicle for a motorsport outfit, as implied by the name itself - "Renndienst" means "race service" in German. 

Another telltale sign is the red paintwork, inspired by the Volkswagen Transporter/T1/T2 service vans which supported Porsche racing teams in the 1950s to 1970s by bringing mechanics, tools and spare parts to the racetracks, and also serving as temporary accommodation for engineers and other essential personnel. 

Porsche envisions an all-electric drivetrain for this supervan, with the battery pack in the underbody between the front and rear axles. 

The Vision Renndienst is not destined for production, at least not in its current form which is more exotic than realistic. 

Interestingly, Porsche Deutschland and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles revived the Renndienst tradition last year with a pair of retro-look VW ID. Buzz electric minibuses, which were used as support vehicles for two Porsche racing series in Germany.

The Porsche Vision Renndienst is on display at Porsche Studio Singapore till the end of March 2024. 

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This article was first published in Motorist.