With a combustion engine or electric – the future at Porsche will be one thing above all: fast. For the 75th anniversary of the brand, the Zuffenhausen-based company presented the study of an all-electric super sports car with 900-volt technology. And Boss Oliver Blume explains where the journey is going.
Whether a Tesla Model S Plaid washes away the Taycan’s Nordschleife record with its performance shouldn’t matter to the gentlemen, even if it may itch them a little. Pure performance was never what made a Porsche fast. And so the study just presented does not have the brute performance of the Nevera from the partner forge Rimac. They do not reveal how much power will be in it, but the power-to-weight ratio should be one kilogram per horsepower. If the Mission X had the same performance as the Nevera, it would have to weigh over two tons – and that is not to be expected. “Mission X is a commitment to the core of the brand” Where is Porsche heading in the future? Combustion or electric? Will the cars become autonomous or will the driver keep the steering wheel in their hands? “The Mission X is our commitment to the sports car core of the Porsche brand,” said the top driver in Zuffenhausen. “It bridges the gap between hybrid and fully electric drives.” A clear indication of the legacy of Mission X: that of the 918 Spyder. On the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, the 887 hp super sports car broke the seven-minute mark with a lap time of 6:57 minutes, becoming the first vehicle with international road approval. Mission X should now undercut it. And presumably also the current record for road-legal vehicles of 6:35.183 minutes held by the Mercedes-AMG One. “The racetrack,” says Oliver Blume, “has always been our test field.” And Blume has not yet confirmed that the 1.20 meter flat super sports car with the Le Mans-style doors that open upwards at the front will go into series production. But concept vehicles also have the task of scanning the market and setting the course for the future. Above all, however, they should show what is technically possible. “The Mission X is our technology beacon for the sports car of the future,” emphasized Blume. “Apart from the 918 Spyder, it follows in the footsteps of our super sports legends, the 959 and Carrera GT.” Its compact dimensions with extremely short overhangs match this. The sports car, which is only around 4.50 meters short, has a relatively long wheelbase of 2.73 meters. As in the Le Mans racing car, the doors hinged at the top and on the A-pillar fold forward when opened. A reminiscence of the Porsche 917. The vertical headlights also take on the shapes of classic racing cars such as the Porsche 906 or 908. The rear is characterized by an almost floating light unit with an illuminated Porsche logo in the middle, with an “E” that pulsates during the charging process a pane of glass gives a glimpse of its battery. Not without reason. On the one hand, the battery is a central component of the 900-volt system architecture, which allows super-fast charging times. At a suitable charging station, the electricity should flow twice as fast as with the brand’s current top model, the Taycan Turbo S, which would mean a peak charging power of over 500 kW. On the other hand, the central position should center the mass and ensure neutral cornering behavior. Drive values are set that are well above the level of the current 911 GT3 RS. Which means: At top speeds, more than 300 km/h, and a production version should break the 100 km/h mark in less than three seconds.Carbon dome for twoAs with all sporty electric vehicles, lightweight construction is an elementary building block. The driver and front passenger sit under a glass dome made of carbon fiber composite. The interior with the seat shells made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic integrated into the monocoque is asymmetrically oriented towards the driver. Should the car go into series production, Porsche is aiming for a power-to-weight ratio of one kilogram per horsepower. That would be well over 1000 hp. If you want, you can document your fast laps on the race course at any time. The trigger for the numerous on-board cameras is located on the valance, which is open at the top. Because something else became clear on this anniversary of the brand: It can take a while for a car from Zuffenhausen to drive fully autonomously. “The last car with a steering wheel will be a Porsche,” predicted chief designer and Vice President Michael Mauer. And one more thing was confirmed on this 75th birthday: The future is definitely electric. By 2030, Porsche wants to deliver 80 percent of all vehicles with a fully electric drive. The E-Macan is coming as early as 2024, followed shortly afterwards by the E versions of the 718 models, i.e. the Cayman and Boxster. Also the Cayenne. Even upwards there are no limits: An E-SUV above the Cayenne has also been announced. (SPX, SMS)
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