Just on the eve of its hybrid 963 racing car's debut at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Porsche is busily serving up another mid-engined wonder to celebrate its 75th anniversary. This is the Porsche Mission X.
Revealed on Porsche's official birthday
A dramatic, race-car like coupe with headlights that clearly link back to the bright white LEDs of Le Mans racers, the Mission X has been unveiled on a special date: June 8, 1948 was the day when the original 356, the first Porsche ever, was revealed to the world.
That original 356 used a mildly-tuned Volkswagen Beetle engine with barely 40hp. The Mission X is going to be... a mite quicker. "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," said Oliver Blume, Porsche's chairperson. "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, with a 2.73-metre wheelbase, the Mission X more or less mirrors the dimensions of Porsche's previous mid-engined dream-machine, the 918 Spyder. The concept gets staggered wheel sizes, with 20-inch rims at the front and 21-inch wheels at the back. Those at the rear have what Porsche calls 'almost transparent aeroblades, which are designed like turbines' to help cool the brakes.
In styling terms, Porsche says that the car is designed to not look particularly aggressive, with classiness higher on the agenda, hence the dark brown 'Rocket Metallic' paint, specially developed for the car, rather than a more attention-grabbing red or yellow. Look closely and you'll spot a carbon-fibre weave - with a see-through top coat - below the beltline. Michael Mauer, Porsche's head of design, said: "The Mission X is a clear commitment to the core of the brand. 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."
Carbon exoskeleton
The roof and windows form a 'lightweight glass dome' supported by a carbon-fibre exoskeleton rather than internal pillars. The doors are hinged on the front and the top, and open forwards and upwards like those of a Le Mans racer.
Another eye-catcher is the headlight signature; for the Mission X, the designers have produced a new version of the distinctive Porsche four-point graphic. The vertical base form of the headlights was inspired by historic racing cars such as the Porsche 906 and 908 and drawn well down towards the road. A high-tech support structure frames the LED light modules and presents the exposed narrow elements of daytime running lights and indicators.
At the back, there's a full-width light bar that seems to float within the body structure, and the car is the first to use Porsche's newly-redesigned badge. There's also Porsche, spelled out in letters, across the rear of the car and the 'E' in Porsche is illuminated when the car is charging.
1:1 electric powertrain
Charging? Oh yes, this sucker's electric. No power figures have been announced as yet, but Porsche claims that it will offer a 1:1 power ratio - one horsepower for each kilo of weight and 1,500hp is being spoken of. It also has fully-active aerodynamics, which can match the downforce of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and has a high-power 900-volt electrical architecture for repeated high-speed runs. To help keep the overall height of the car as low as possible, the battery is mounted behind the seats, not under the floor, a trick taken from the electric Mission R concept.
How fast will it be? Well, Porsche says that the avowed mission of the Mission X is to "be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife." That would mean beating the 6:30.705 time set by the Mercedes AMG One (a barely road legal car, but road legal all the same) set in 2022, and it would also annihilate the 7:25.231 recently set by the Tesla Model S Plaid, which took the fastest electric production car record.
Inside, the Mission X gets a unique cabin in which most of the surfaces are covered in a rich, deep brown 'Andalusia' leather, while the driver's seat is finished in a contrast 'Kalahari Grey'. There are also six-point race car-style seatbelts attached directly to the car's carbon monocoque. There are other motorsport touches, including an open-top steering wheel, which has mode switches and shift paddles, and multiple cameras mounted around the car allowing you to record and save your favourite trackday laps.
Is it a production reality? No confirmation yet, but Porsche has a long record of putting these dream-boat concept cars into dealerships so don't bet against it. If it does go on sale, expect to see it on the road by 2027.