Vision Renndienst Concept: A VW Bus from Porsche
In a new published book titled "Porsche Unseen,” the company unveils previously top-secret concept vehicles. It documents 15 unique design studies from 2005 to 2019, showcasing the unfettered creativity that takes place within Porsche outside of the realm of producing road-going vehicles. Of the various concepts revealed, one caught my eye in particular: Porsche Vision Renndienst.
Porsche Vision Renndienst
The Vision Renndienst is a microbus, inspired by the iconic Volkswagen Bus, and infused with Porsche DNA. The exterior design is pure sci-fi galore. Smooth flowing surfaces combined with sharp connecting contours creates visual balance between streamlined and edged. Design details such as the upward narrowing side windows, full light-bar taillights, slim headlights, and Porsche insignia on the side contribute to a futuristic look. With it being a microbus, the overall shape is understandably bubbly, but thanks to short front and rear overhangs and a wheel and tire setup that confidently occupies the wheel wells, the Renndienst looks properly poised.
Sadly there are no photos of the interior, but I can imagine that it is a luxurious and classy cabin, as one would expect from Porsche. The driver sits in the center, and there’s seating for six.
Vision Renndienst next to a classic Volkswagen Type 2 “Bus”
Renndienst means “racing service” in German. This implies that it could be intended as a service vehicle for a racing team, for transport of people and supplies, in addition to being a potential commuter car for families.
While the Vision Renndienst won’t be headed for production, a new German microbus vehicle is soon to be reality thanks to Volkswagen’s I.D. Buzz concept, which is confirmed to begin production in 2022.
Volkswagen I.D. Buzz Concept
The main attractions of a microbus are comfort and utility. I believe there is a place in the market for a new VW Bus, considering that larger vehicles such as crossovers and SUV’s have taken precedence over sedans and other smaller vehicles, because of their spacious cabins and large storage capacities, which buyers tend to prefer nowadays.
Perhaps in an alternate reality, a Porsche microbus is being sold right along side the Panamera, Macan and Cayenne as part of Porsche’s “utility” lineup. But in our reality, the Vision Renndienst remains a one-off concept that is one of many examples of the kind of creative thinking that takes place within Porsche’s design studio in Weissach, Germany. Vision concepts serve as potential future directions of design and technology, and help propel Porsche into the future.
