Porsche is preparing to unleash a new era of performance, powered by electricity rather than petrol. And to help get both its cars and customers there, the German brand has revealed the striking Mission X concept.
Unveiled in Stuttgart but clearly inspired by Le Mans, the Mission X takes elements of the brand’s dominant 919 Hybrid Le Mans Prototype and its latest 963 LMDh machine. But instead of a hybrid powertrain like those two, this latest concept is an all-electric hypercar.
GALLERY: Porsche Mission X in detail
But the Mission X is not a concept car just for the attention, Porsche has made it clear that it is seriously considering pushing it into production as a successor to the 918 Spyder, Carrera GT and 959 that came before it as the brand’s halo supercars.
READ MORE: Porsche reveals electric future plans
However, there are some clear goals Porsche wants to achieve to ensure it can live up to the brand’s reputation. For starters it wants any production version to be the fastest road-legal car around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It also wants it to have a power-to-weight ratio of roughly one horsepower per kilogram, while also having more downforce than the 911 GT3 RS and better charging speed than the Taycan Turbo S.
Porsche chairman, Oliver Blume, made it clear that he has set the bar high for the Mission X because it will need to act as a hero model for the brand’s new era of electric sports cars, which will include the next-generation 718 Boster and Cayman – as previewed in the Mission R concept car.
“The Porsche Mission X is a technology beacon for the sports car of the future. It picks up the torch of iconic sports cars of decades past: like the 959, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder before it, the Mission X provides critical impetus for the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts,” Blume said. “Daring to dream and dream cars are two sides of the same coin for us: Porsche has only remained Porsche by constantly changing.”
At 4.5-metres long and only 1.2m tall, the Mission X has compact dimensions for a hypercar but its lines are clearly inspired by the company’s Le Mans prototypes, including elements of its classic 906 and 908 racers. But there are modern touches too, most obviously the doors, which hinge forwards and upwards to allow easier access into the cabin just like the current 963.
The interior is clearly focused on the driver, with Porsche even going so far as to give the driver’s seat and steering wheel a unique colour.
Speaking about the design, Michael Mauer, Head of Style Porsche, said it is meant to push the brand into the future.
“The Mission X is a clear commitment to the core of the brand,” Mauer said. “The continuing, enhanced expression of our brand and product identity is an important compass for us to navigate the development of our series-production models. The concept study symbolises a symbiosis of unmistakable motorsport DNA with a luxurious overall impression.”
Porsche Design has also created a unique stopwatch module for the interior, which has both a digital and analogue display, for use on both the racetrack and rally stages.
The Mission E is the first Porsche to wear the brand’s updated badge. The company spent three years subtly redesigning its famous crest, with only experts likely to pick the differences.
Discussion about this post