Porsche has unveiled the Mission X concept as their latest halo car shortly after its Formula E driver Pascal Wehrlein won Round 10 in Jakarta.
The Misson X concept car was developed to commemorate 75 years of Porsche sports cars. It teases a daring, brand-new all-electric hypercar with a clear focus on setting new records.
The brand’s path to electrification was established with the Mission X concept back in 2015. Since then, the German sportscar manufacturer has started a number of electrified projects, including its ABB FIA Formula E World Championship-leading squad.
The sleek, Le Mans racer-inspired idea made its public appearance in the days before the 100th anniversary of the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was created to commemorate 75 years since the classic 356 “No 1” Roadster first hit the road. Porsche frequently dominates the field in racing where they have extensive experience with notable winners including Andre Lotterer.
Porsche has set some challenging technical goals for the Mission X, despite the fact that no official performance numbers have been disclosed. The first is to take on the infamous German Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in the fastest road-legal vehicle.
Porsche is certain that its electrically powered version will push it to the top of the timing sheets given that the championship is now held by Mercedes’ Formula 1-derived AMG One hypercar at 6m35s. The manufacturer will be attempting to translate some of its Formula E success to the road through the Mission X, drawing on lessons learned from nearly four seasons of all-electric racing.
The second goal is a one-to-one power-to-weight ratio, which, based on the numbers associated with comparable electric hypercars like the Rimac Nevera, may produce north of 1000kW (1500hp). With that, should the ‘idea’ ever go into production Porsche’s Nürburgring record dream may very well come true.
In addition to the above performance goals, the Mission X’s third objective is to charge about twice as fast as the Taycan Turbo S at the moment. Rapid charging is a practical option with 900-volt system architecture.
The Mission X offers incredibly quick refills given that the Taycan Turbo S can charge from zero to 80 percent when connected to an 800-volt charging station in just over 20 minutes.
The fighter jet-inspired glass canopy and the upward-opening doors on the outside are design cues from the legendary 917 Le Mans racer. Michael Mauer, Porsche’s Head of Style, and his team created its lean, elegant, and aerodynamic design.
He declared at the concept’s introduction that “The Mission X is a clear commitment to the core of the brand.” The concept study represents a fusion of recognizable motorsport DNA and an opulent overall image.
“The Mission X claims to be an excellent road-going racer with more than a hint to Porsche’s numerous motorsport programmes.
“The Porsche Mission X is a technology beacon for the sports car of the future,” said Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche at the car’s unveiling.
“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.
“Daring to dream and dream cars are two sides of the same coin for us: Porsche has only remained Porsche by constantly changing.”
Porsche has a remarkable track record of making sure designs prevail, despite its futuristic appearance. If Stuttgart gives it the go-ahead it deserves, be prepared to see something quite similar on the road.
