Porsche was once known as being purely a sportscar manufacturer. That changed when SUV models such as the Cayenne and Macan started to outsell 911s and Boxsters. Now the diversification seems set to continue as Porsche and aircraft manufacturer Boeing signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the premium urban air mobility market. Essentially, the two companies will look at producing small flying Porsches.

Click here to read about the Audi flying taxi.

Straddling lanes

Porsche and Boeing are looking at the extension of urban traffic into airspace. Both companies will leverage their strengths in these arenas to study the future of premium urban air mobility vehicles. Boeing, Porsche and Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, are developing a concept for a fully electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle. Engineers from both companies will implement and test a prototype. So flying Porsches could be a reality sooner than we realise.

A 2018 study by Porsche Consulting forecasts that the urban air mobility market will pick up speed after 2025. The study also indicates that urban air mobility solutions will transport passengers more quickly and efficiently than current conventional means of terrestrial transport, at a lower cost and with greater flexibility. Porsche is therefore keen to get the jump on its main rivals in this, inevitably, lucrative space.

In their own words

“Porsche is looking to enhance its scope as a sports car manufacturer by becoming a leading brand for premium mobility. In the longer term, this could mean moving into the third dimension of travel,” says Detlev von Platen, member of the executive board for sales and marketing at Porsche AG. “We are combining the strengths of two leading global companies to address a potential key market segment of the future.”

“This collaboration builds on our efforts to develop a safe and efficient new mobility ecosystem, and provides an opportunity to investigate the development of a premium urban air mobility vehicle with a leading automotive brand,” said Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager Boeing NeXt, an organization that is laying the foundation for a next-generation mobility ecosystem in which autonomous and piloted vehicles can safely coexist. “Porsche and Boeing together bring precision engineering, style and innovation to accelerate urban air mobility worldwide.”