TITLE: Head of design
COMPANY: Porsche
BASED: Weissach, Germany
AGE: 58
NATIONALITY: German

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Mauer studied car design at the Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences. After five years at Mercedes-Benz Cars, he took over as executive director of design at Saab. In 2004, he was named head of design at Porsche, becoming just the third person to hold that title in the company’s history. The first project he managed from start to finish at Porsche was the original Panamera. Since then he has gone on to design other all-new models such as the 918 Spyder. From 2015 until April, he also served as head of VW Group design.

REASON FOR WINNING

Remaining true to the design of the stunning 2015 Mission E concept, the Porsche Taycan full-electric grand tourer has reinterpreted the brand’s styling, giving it a distinctly progressive look for the zero-emissions era. The face of the car is dominated by a futuristic lighting signature showcased by two LED matrix headlights. They are combined with air curtains and flaring front fenders that house 21-inch alloy wheel to form a muscular stance. The modern interior also broke new ground with the first fully digital instrument cluster, replacing Porsche’s signature analog rev counter that was the centerpiece of the dashboard for decades.