The Porsche Mission X dreams of a faster, electric sports car future
Porsche kicked off its 75th anniversary Thursday with an electrifying reveal: a battery electric hypercar concept the automaker described as a “technology beacon for the sports car of the future.”
For Porsche, that means more than splashy details like an “E” on the rear that illuminates and pulses when being charged — although that is in fact on this concept. Porsche is aiming for a sports car evolution that is futuristic, tech-centric and fast while fitting in with its sports car predecessors.
Nuts and bolts
The Mission X is a low-slung battery-electric hypercar that’s about 177 inches long and 78.7 inches wide and has a wheelbase of 107.4 inches. Those dimensions are inline with the Porsche Carrera GT and 918 Spyder. Staggered tires — 20-inch wheels at the front and 21-inch wheels at the rear —not only improves the aerodynamics, it also gives the impression that the Mission X is ready to leap forward the moment the driver accelerates.
In a nod to the Porsche 917 racing car, the Mission X has Le Mans style doors, which open forwards and upwards. A “rocket metallic” paint, components varnished in a satin finish and carbon-weave touches help complete the look. The company also gave its iconic crest a modern look that includes a “refreshed” heraldic beast and more subtle gold color.
Porsche went beyond window dressing, however. The rear axle is fitted with almost transparent aeroblades, which are designed like turbines for better cooling of the brakes and a lightweight glass dome with an exoskeleton made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic extends over both occupants, according to the company.
Notably, the Mission X is equipped with a 900-volt system architecture, allowing for even faster charging.
Motorsports inspired
Porsche is pushing the motorsports theme in the Mission X right down to the interior, which includes six-point seatbelts and an open-top steering wheel, which has mode switches and shift paddles. The vehicle is also equipped with multiple cameras, which the driver can use to record their runs at the track.
That track cred matters to Porsche. While Porsche stopped short of announcing that Mission X would go into production, the company did outline what the hypercar should be able to do if it did make it to the marketplace. The company said as a production vehicle it would have to be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife and have a power-to-weight ratio of roughly one PS per kilogram, downforce values well in excess of those delivered by the current 911 GT3 RS. (The Mercedes-AMG One is the current record holder at 6:35.183 minutes on the full 12.9-mile track)
Oh, and it would need to charge about twice as fast as the Taycan Turbo S, which currently powers up 5% to 80% in about 22 minutes.
The Porsche Mission X dreams of a faster, electric sports car future by Kirsten Korosec originally published on TechCrunch