Report: Apple Poaches Porsche’s Head Of Cayenne For Project Titan

The chatter about the Apple Car is getting louder by the day. Now reportedly, Apple has snagged a big fish from Porsche - Dr Manfred Harrer, the VP in charge of the Cayenne and chassis development boss, as per a report by Business Insider. The report doesn't outline the role Harrer will play, but it is clear he will have something to do with the chassis of the Apple Car that has been dubbed "Project Titan" internally at the Cupertino-based company. Harrer was formerly an engineer at Audi, which is a sister company of Porsche. Then he went to BMW where he was an expert for steering wheel systems. By 2016, he was back at the Volkswagen group in his most recent role as the boss of the Porsche Cayenne SUV project only recently. 

The Porsche Cayenne is its best selling vehicle 

He was also a well-paid executive with him making more than $700,000 annually at Porsche and BI states that he will likely be paid upwards of a $1 million in his new role at Apple. This will be a challenging role at Apple as the company has been at it for almost half a decade with Project Titan stopping and stalling, but this time around the momentum seems to be quite real. 

While the report seems to be legit, it should be noted the change in employment hasn't been reflected in his LinkedIn profile, even though his stint at the German company ended at the end of 2020. Harrer is not the only one from Porsche who has joined Apple. Apple in the past hired Alexander Hitzinger for the Apple Car. 

Giannandrea is Apple's SVP of AI and Machine Leaning strategy 

In recent times, there is chatter that Apple is partnering with Hyundai's sister brand, Kia, for the Apple Car which could be 3-5 years away. Apple has reportedly developed a self-driving system and is working on a sophisticated interior with the car being designed for a passive transportation experience. Apple recently handed reigns of the Apple Car project to its AI boss John Giannandrea which could speak towards the direction it is taking with the project. 

Porsche has made great strides with its electric car technology with the Taycan being lauded for its performance and driving dynamics. Apple is also working on breakthrough battery technology using its experience in semi-conductors and batteries to create a car that has an extreme range.