Porsche Unveils Mission X: A Stunning Electric Hypercar Concept

Porsche has unveiled the Mission X, an electric hypercar concept that marks the brand’s 75th anniversary. The two-seater is designed to be a lightweight ‘super-sports car’ with a high-performance electric powertrain, potentially offering around 1500bhp. The goal is for it to become the fastest road-legal car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, filling the gap at the top of the Porsche line-up since the 918 Spyder went out of production in 2015.

Porsche boss Oliver Blume said the Mission X would be “a technology beacon for the sports cars of the future”, picking up the torch of iconic sports cars of decades past. The Mission X name is a reference to the 2015 Mission E concept, which previewed the Taycan that went into production in 2019. Any production car based on the Mission X is unlikely to appear until around 2027.

Technical Details

Porsche hasn’t divulged any technical details of the intended powertrain for the Mission X, but it has laid out a ‘technical vision’, giving a series of objectives that engineers are aiming to hit for it to reach series production. These include a Nürburgring lap record target, with an intended power-to-weight ratio of one metric horsepower per kg. Porsche has not disclosed a target weight, but given the firm’s focus on lightweight design, the goal is likely to be close to a current 911 – around 1400 or 1500kg. That would suggest a power output of close to 1500bhp.

Porsche has confirmed that the battery will be installed behind the vehicle’s seats – effectively where the engine in a traditional mid-engined hypercar would sit. Termed an ‘e-core’ concept, it mirrors the approach taken by Porsche with the Mission R, and helps to both centre the mass in the car for better handling and allow for a lower floor than with a traditional battery skateboard chassis.

Another engineering objective is for the machine to produce downforce levels “well in excess” of the current 911 GT3 RS – which can create 860kg at 177mph. Porsche is also chasing “significantly improved” charging performance for its 900V architecture, with a goal for the Mission X to charge twice as quickly as the Taycan.

Design

The design of the car is intended to fuse performance with “modern luxury”, and a number of design cues from Porsche’s ultra-successful Le Mans 24 Hours sports prototypes are evident. There is a lightweight glass dome with a carbonfibre-reinforced plastic exoskeleton that extends over both seats. Le Mans-style doors, similar to those used on the legendary 917 racer, are fixed to the A-pillar and open forwards and upwards.

The machine features a reworked version of Porsche’s ‘four-point’ light graphic, with vertical headlights inspired by the 906 and 908 consisting of framed LED light modules. At the rear, there is a full-length light unit and transparent, illuminated Porsche lettering.

The aerodynamic design focus can be seen throughout the machine, in both its general presence and in smaller details, including near-transpired aero blades on the rear wheels, which feature a turbine-like design to offer improved cooling to the rear brakes.

Inside, the driver focus of the Mission X is signalled by the motorsport-style asymmetrical layout – and the use of different colours for the two seats. Both racing seats feature six-point harnesses, and there is a motorsport-style open-top steering wheel that has paddle shifters attached.

Conclusion

The Mission X was unveiled on 8 June, the 75th anniversary of the day the marque was granted a permit to begin production of the 356 No 1 Roadster, effectively the birthday of the brand. The Mission X is a clear reference to Porsche’s past iconic sports cars and provides critical impetus for the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts. With its stunning design, high-performance electric powertrain, and advanced engineering objectives, the Mission X is set to become a technology beacon for the sports cars of the future.