Miguel Angel Bahri is an industrial design student in Barcelona Spain. What you see below is his vision of a Porsche electric motorcyle. Created for his school’s “two wheels project”, Bahri used Porsche’s 911 turbo, 917, 918 and 919 models as his main inspirations.
Miguel’s mission was brief and concise:
- Develop a two wheel electric motorcycle
- Design a package proposal with batteries and electric motor
- Research applicable technology
- Apply Porsche’s DNA to the exterior design and typology of the motorcycle
As we already know, Miguel’s design inspiration is Porsche and his analysis is based on the 911 Turbo
Miguel called his project the ‘618’ because it would be the entry level two wheels vehicle for the brand (presumably piggy backing off the concept of the new 718 line-up). He wanted to represent the spirit and character of Porsche with a futuristic-looking, pure electric power cruiser style motorcycle.
The influence of Porsche’s DNA is most obvious in profile where we see the center fan, Le Mans style doors over the trunk compartment and the 917 tail like seat.
Because Miguel’s 618 concept is powered by a 120 KW electric engine, mated to an advanced CVT transmission, a lot of the normal mechanical bulk found on a gas powered machine is missing. The result is expanded storage space for a roomy trunk that Miguel styled using what he calls “Le Mans inspired doors” from the 919 Hybrid.
Reaching further back into Porsche’s history, the 618’s advanced aerodynamics incorporate a 917 inspired fan to create the best airflow possible for the battery system. While the system will use refrigerant when needed for cooling, the concept is first and foremost “air-cooled”.
Like most of Porsche’s designs, Miguel’s concept utilizes advanced technologies and lightweight chasis design to gain efficiencies. Extensive use of carbon fiber and high strength Magnesium components keep weight down while a center hub steering mechanism makes for optimal braking and stability.
While I don’t think we’ll see Porsche jump into motorcycle manufacturing anytime soon – Porsche Design already partnered with Harley Davidson for that – it is nice to see such a well thought out, if not overly futuristic, concept such as this Porsche 618 project.
