Porsche’s Mission X concept is an exhilarating taste of the future of electric hypercars.
There’s nothing more exciting than a luxury concept car, not just because of its breathtaking lines or high-octane potential, but because of all the potential that it represents. So it is with the Porsche Mission X, a spectacular reinterpretation of a hypercar with Le Mans-style doors that open upwards to the front and a high-performance, efficient electric powertrain.
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Launched to coincide with the 75 Years of Porsche Sports Cars exhibition opening at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Mission X promises to be technology beacon for the sports car of the future, one that takes its cues from some of the marque’s most iconic models, including the 959, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder while providing critical impetus for the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts.
Measuring approximately 4.5 metres long and two metres wide, the Mission X concept study is relatively compact, for a hypercar. Low-slung bodywork finished in Rocket Metallic, an elegant paint colour specially designed for the concept, is paired with carbon-weave elements, varnished in a satin finish, and a rear axle fitted with almost transparent aeroblades, to convey a sense of potent potential.
A lightweight glass dome with an exoskeleton made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic extends over both occupants, who enjoy an asymmetrical interior, where the two seats are coloured differently: leather pads in Andalusia Brown for the passenger, and Kalahari Grey for the driver. Beyond the CFRP seat shells, and their six-point seatbelts integrated into the monocoque, further motorsport parallels include the open-top steering wheel, which has mode switches and shift paddles, and multiple onboard cameras, the activation of which starts as soon as the driver presses the Record button (REC) on the multi-purpose controller.
More than just good looks, the concept car promises a power-to-weight ratio of roughly one PS per kilogram; downforce values in excess of those delivered by the current 911 GT3 RS; and significantly improved charging performance with its 900-volt system that charges roughly twice as quickly as Porsche’s current frontrunner, the Taycan Turbo S.
That battery is installed centrally behind the vehicle’s seats. This ‘e-core layout’ centres the mass in the car. As with a conventionally powered mid-engined car, this provides the basis for excellent agility.
