It’s been a decade since Porsche debuted their last hypercar, a V8-powered stunner that paired sporty performance with excellent fuel economy, thanks to its hybrid plug-in powertrain. As such, it’s long been anticipated that the outfit’s next one will go the full electric route. And while Porsche isn’t ready to roll out a new production hypercar yet, the Porsche Mission X definitely shows us what we can expect when it does happen.
A concept vehicle, the ride gives us a snapshot of what the outfit’s future electric hypercar is bound to look like and it’s a visual feast. It’s stocky, with thick voluptuous curves and dramatic shapes that keep it unapologetically exotic at every angle. Suffice to say, it’s one of those cars that’s just going to draw everyone’s attention any time it drives down the road.
The Porsche Mission X is built within the framework of a 900-volt electrical architecture, which would allow it to charge twice as fast as the outfit’s all-electric Taycan Turbo S. It’s been engineered to have a theoretical power ratio of one horsepower to 2.2 pounds while achieving downforce values well in excess of the current 911 GT3 RS, which, the outfit claims, would make it the “fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife,” a distinction that actually belongs to the Mercedes AMG One.
As of now, Porsche designed it to be powered by permanently excited synchronous motors (PSMs), which drive the wheels through a weight-optimized single-speed transmission. Being a concept, there’s no word on the kind of horsepower this thing will be packing, although if they truly intend to make a car that can beat the AMG One, we’re guessing it will have to produce 1,700 hp or higher. Yeah, that is one powerful ride. The battery, by the way, is meant to be integrated into the load-bearing structure behind the seats, similar to the way the powerplant is set up on sports cars with mid-mounted engines.
The Porsche Mission X is a two-seater, with absolutely no room in the back, which allows them to maintain the squat profile, which, we guess, would be integral to its weight and performance. Aerodynamics is craftily integrated into the body, with various adaptive aero elements that manage drag and downforce, while the motorsport-grade suspension can be controlled via four settings, all readily available from the steering wheel. It comes with 20-inch wheels out front and 21-inch wheels in the rear, with the wheels getting a turbine-like design that’s meant to direct air towards the brakes for efficient cooling.
How far off is a production version of Porsche’s electric hypercar? According to the outfit, current battery technology just isn’t conducive to achieving the kind of performance they’re looking to draw out in their next hypercar, although they believe that next-gen cells four to five years out will likely be what’s needed to get there. So… yeah, we’re not likely to get a next-gen all-electric hypercar from Porsche until the end of the decade, but this is a nice way to show us what probably awaits.
You can learn more about the Porsche Mission X from the link below.
