Porsche will be aiming for a Nurburgring record with the production version of the Mission X.
On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, Porsche has unveiled a stunning two-seater concept called the Mission X. The rear-wheel drive electric hypercar concept is a potential spiritual successor to the likes of the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder. It is intended as a lightweight ‘super-sports car’ with the high-performance electric powertrain potentially offering over 1500hp. Porsche also aims for it to be the fastest road-legal car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
- Mission X takes design inspiration from Le Mans hypercars
- Porsche says lightweight is what is at the core of the Mission X
- Will be spiritual successor to the 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar
Porsche Mission X: dimensions, exterior design
The Mission X has relatively compact dimensions at around 4.5 metres long with a wheelbase of 2.73 metres – which, Porsche notes, makes it a close match for the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder that it shares a philosophical lineage with. It stands less than 1.2 metres tall and sits on 20-inch wheels at the front, with 21-inchers at the rear, a move designed to optimise aerodynamics.
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 carbon fibre-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 Mission X 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.
Porsche Mission X: interior
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.
To ensure that any future Nürburgring records can be captured, the car features numerous built-in cameras, which are activated by a special record button on the multi-purpose controlled. The passenger side has a ‘bayonet system’ built into the instrument panel that a stopwatch module can be fixed to, in order to provide lap times or other driving data during road or track use.
Porsche Mission X: 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 that Nürburgring lap record target – the current record is held by the Mercedes-AMG One, which lapped the 20.83-km circuit in 6 minutes 35.18 seconds. The focus will be as much on efficiency and lightweight design – a traditional challenge for performance EVs – with an intended power-to-weight ratio of one metric horsepower (hp) 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, in turn, would suggest a power output of about 1500hp.
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 285kph.
Porsche Mission X: battery and charging
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.
Meanwhile, Porsche says it 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. The Taycan can charge at a peak of 225kW, which suggests Porsche is aiming for a speed of 450kW. Such fast charging would help to enable the car to be offered with relatively small batteries, thereby reducing weight.
Porsche has given no details on what type or size of batteries the concept will use, but its hypercar performance means the firm is likely to be looking at high-performance units developed for motorsport or hypercars.
Porsche Mission X: when will it make it to production?
The Mission X name is a clear reference to the 2015 Mission E concept, which previewed the Taycan that went into production in 2019. In 2021 Porsche showed a Mission R, which hints at the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman successors expected around the middle of this decade.
Based on those timelines, any production car based on the Mission X would be unlikely to appear until around 2027. It is understood that the concept is being developed purely by Porsche and isn’t linked to Rimac, the Croatian hypercar firm Porsche holds a major stake in.
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.
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