Porsche Mission X: The successor of the 918 Spyder and Carrera GT
On the brands 75th Anniversary, Porsche has proudly launched a new ‘concept’ hyper-car: the Mission X. One of the first things we noticed, is that it is wearing the recently updated Porsche Logo. They are planning for this to be the fastest road legal car on the Nurburgring, which is not something you normally hear on a ‘concept’. If history is anything to go by, Porsche announced another electric concept in 2015, the “Mission E”. That concept led to the development of an almost identical designed Porsche Taycan. Based on this, we believe that the Mission X is likely to not stay as a ‘concept’ for very long.
The engine and design of the car are both bold and radical for Porsche. Porsche’s key focus for this hyper-car is on the power-to-weight ratio. The Mission X will produce an estimated 1500bhp, combined with a weight around 1500kg, aiming at a perfect 1:1. They have confirmed that the battery will sit behind the rear seats, similar to a current mid-engined supercar. Just like a combustion mid-engine, this will greatly improve the handling of the vehicle due to the centre mass. Porsche have also said that they want the overall downforce to be in excess of the 992 GT3 RS, which creates 860kg at 177mph. Not just aiming to be fast on the road, the 900V battery will be able to charge in twice the time of the Taycan Turbo S.
The design of the car is something very different for Porsche. When looking at the cars of the past, this is rather different, and one we may start to see more of in the future. The Mission R, shown in 2021, has some similarities to the Mission X, with the lower roof and large flat surfaces, alongside a large LED rear light and a design for enhanced aerodynamics. It has a fighter jet style glass canopy and 917 Le Mans inspired doors.
The car is not going to be huge, in fact it is quite compact at 4.5m long, 2m wide and less than 1.2m tall. A very interesting design element we have noticed is that there are shifting paddles on the F1-style steering wheel. I had to go back and check that I saw it correctly when looking over this new concept, why would there be shifters in an all-electric car? Only time will be able to tell us, perhaps Porsche is aiming for an electric car with a gearbox?
A road legal hyper-car, but where are the side mirrors? They have gone with the cameras, and these are positioned further back than a traditional “mirror housing” area. They are also designed to assist with aerodynamic and downforce.
As for the interior, the Mission X has been shown with Carbon fibre seats, a 6 point harness, a Ferrari-like start button coming out from the centre. There are also long LED strips overhead with that beautiful fighter jet styled canopy. The colour of the passenger seat and cabin is Andalusia Brown, whilst the driver sits on Kalahari Grey. This design of having the driver in a different colour is often found in some old racers of the past. In front of the passenger is a new Porsche Design timepiece, set up for both analogue and digital. The interior also has pre-fitted cameras, so you can record your best moments whilst on track.
There is a new range of Porsche’s on the horizon, and looking like the future is going to be electric. With the recently updated Porsche badge, alongside this new concept, could this become the future flagship? Will it even look to replace the 911? Many questions with only time to give us the answers…
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