Designed in just six months, the mid-engine Mission S will be positioned above the 911 portfolio. CAR Editor Ian McLaren was at the New York reveal
The venue for the reveal of Porsche’s latest concept car was specific for several reasons, not least because the US remains the largest market for this German automaker. In 1953, Porsche delivered the first example of its vaunted 550 Spyder to this same pier in Queens, New York. While that car had barely made landfall before claiming class victory at the Carrera Panamericana races, significantly, the 550 was marketed and priced above its high-volume 356 sibling. Dubbed Mission S, Porsche’s newest supercar is similarly set to be positioned above the current 911 Carrera family.
Designed under the leadership of Tobias Sühlmann, the brief for the Mission S was to find the right balance between modern and heritage, while adopting the mantra of “race-born elegance”. Viewed in the metal, the low-slung product incorporates several nods to the brand’s iconic designs, including a flat front profile and roof-mounted air intake from the 911 GT1, alloy wheels inspired by the “telephone dial” items on the 928, a rear that pays homage to the 959, and an exposed air circulation fan, positioned above the mid-mounted engine bay, that harks back to the legendary 917.
According to Porsche, that engine bay can accommodate either a purely internal combustion powertrain or a hybrid setup. The show car certainly sounded like it had an angry eight-cylinder on board…
The brand also said the Mission S will likely be built with a choice of manual or PDK transmissions. To this end, this new flagship range will likely include more than one model and derivatives.
The show car’s interior was suitably minimal, yet the brand was keen to highlight the presence of a physical key fob, with the ignition sited on the traditional left-hand side of the steering column, instead of an altogether less visceral starter button.
“This vision model illustrates a fundamental strategic direction that we will soon be translating into our future product portfolio,” said Dr Michael Leiters, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.
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