The automaker isn't actually against autonomy. Porsche explained at Rennsport Reunion VI last month that while self-driving cars are fun, they want to make sure that their drivers can have full control of their vehicles whenever it pleases them.
"All these assistance systems help you in certain traffic situations to give away some of the burden of driving, and there are certain traffic situations where it’s just not enjoyable. Our take rates for (adaptive) cruise control are just as high as any other car brand, and that’s why in certain traffic situations, our customers will want that car to take them home without engaging personally.
. . .
Our plan is to always have the steering wheel and always have the pedals and potentially to even have the manual gearbox to really engage with the car and to do it all yourself. But, our customers always want it all. They want the possibility to use autonomous drive mode but they want to really engage with the car as well."
Since Porsche is part of the Volkswagen Group, they have access to all of the self-driving research. Currently, they've developed a Level 3 autonomy system, which allows vehicles to drive themselves, but still requires a driver present. The highest level is 5, in which a vehicle could operate in its entirety without a human on board.
Don't expect any weird, pill-shaped transport pods by Porshe any time soon. Or ever, really.
