If you told me the Dodge Tomahawk went electric and showed me the above photo, I’d probably believe you. However, this clean, mean machine is the Porsche 619 electric concept by Jackson Zhang, an automotive designer and CGI artist based out of California.
Designed as a response to Porsche’s goals of going electric by 2030, the 619 gives the automotive giant its first proper electric motorcycle (even though Porsche has experimented with e-bicycles before). Its unique design quite literally puts Porsche’s automotive DNA in the backseat, while starting entirely afresh. The key, for Zhang, was to create something minimalist, geometry-driven, and iconic. The result is an eclectic beast that borrows a limited amount from Porsche’s design semantics, but pretty much charts its own journey with a bold, blockish form factor that’s still comfortable to sit on and ride around in. The segmented LED matrix headlight boldly reinterprets the one seen on the Taycan, while the taillight wraps around the seat, complete with the word “Porsche” integrated into the outer cover.
Designer:
The Porsche 619 concept was made for the enthusiast, not the functionally-driven user. Everything about it screams speed, enjoyment, and luxury all wrapped around in one giant parcel. It isn’t designed to be hyper-aerodynamic like Porsche’s four-wheelers, but has the wheels of a motorbike that means absolute business.
Zhang designed the 619 in two distinct variants – a slightly plan version above with a leather seat and a rear cargo rest, and a more luxurious variant below that has a fuller seat, although still designed only to seat one rider. The lower variant with the cargo rest appeals to a utility-driven audience, but ditches the iconic branded taillight. The higher-end version, however, comes with all the bells and whistles, including Porsche branding on the sides as well as on the taillight, and even LEDs built into the spokes of the wheels, creating a dramatic light show while you blitz down the tarmac.
Zheng attributes the block-ish design to the presence of a large battery unit that drives the 619. A charging port on the top lets you juice the battery, while a hatch right in front lets you disengage the battery and remove it for charging externally or swapping out with a fresh battery set. Power from the battery is guided to a rear-wheel motor that’s connected to the main motorbike’s body using a generatively designed rear wheel fork. Zheng’s pursuit for minimalism led him to rely on generative/parametric design to create a fork that has a high strength-to-weight ratio. The rear wheel also has a single shock that attaches to the underside of the seat, giving you a comfortable ride even on rough terrain.
Although conceptual, the Porsche 619 is certainly a looker. It does for the car brand what Motorrad did for BMW, and what Ducati did for its parent companies Lamborghini and Audi. While Porsche hasn’t made any explicit plans to branch out into motorcycles, the Porsche 619 concept is wishful thinking and desirable aesthetics at their best!
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