Porsches are rear-engined. They are also front-engined. OK, sure, a few were also mid-engined, but not that many. The truth is that Stuttgart has had great success with just about every type of setup; midship supercars are simply the least common (the Boxster/Cayman twins are superb, but not quite super). This is one of the main reasons why the new Mission S is so exciting, as Porsche is developing a new performance weapon with its engine behind the driver but in front of the rear axle. Best of all, it will be a permanent part of the lineup, not a one-off or limited-run hypercar.
Porsche tore the leaf off the Mission S on Thursday, making it loud and clear that the production version of this car will sit above the 911. It looks wild, and you can be sure it will drive that way, too. This flattened front design is loosely inspired by the GT1 Le Mans race car, while the rear half has 959 hues. Perhaps my favorite styling element on this car is the swirling radiator fan atop the engine, 917-style.
While I’m sure you’re dying to know, we still don’t know what kind of powertrain the Mission S will have. It will almost certainly use internal combustion, but Porsche has deliberately avoided revealing which engine is under the hatch. Speculation is fun, and if I had to make a bold guess, I’d go all the way and say it’s a newly developed flat-eight.
A German outlet named Handelsblatt newspaper reported in September that such a power plant was in the works at Porsche. Other aspects of this article seem to fit with what we know about the Mission S, like the car’s position at the top of the range and its possible half-million-dollar price tag. (It’s not confirmed at this time, but considering you can get a 911 over $300,000 if you try, it’s not too far-fetched.)
Porsche emphasized analog engagement in the Mission S’s debut, and while this button may look like a manual or sequential shifter, I spot “PRND” written next to it. The metal shift paddles behind the steering wheel further reinforce that this is likely a PDK automatic transmission, which isn’t to say it’s bad. I’m just not sure we’ll ever see a stick shift variant.
Yet the interior design is clearly focused on the driver. Everything is tilted towards this seat and, depending on the driving mode, the tachometer even moves closer to the driver for a clearer view. As is typical with Porsche, there are five circular gauges on the dashboard and the key is inserted on the left.
What should make all the hardcore drivers and wheel wives happy is the absence of a huge central screen. We almost never quote press releases here, but I want you to hear exactly what Porsche has to say about this notable omission:
“Porsche has deliberately chosen not to include a permanently integrated central display or a fixed passenger display in the dashboard. Instead, a retractable smartphone system compatible with MagSafe technology has been designed to be used as needed. The user’s personal smartphone can serve as a navigation or information display if desired. A clearly structured and streamlined My Porsche app provides access to all functions and also allows users to select historically inspired digital designs for the instruments The result is an interior concept that prioritizes the driving experience while providing maximum flexibility and convenience.
Even the comfort and driving control buttons under the phone holder remove and fold away. It’s as if Porsche took what was old, made it new and left it at that. I love him.
We still have a lot to learn about the Mission S and the production car that will follow it. What’s exciting is that Porsche has confirmed that you’ll be able to buy a version of this in the future as a “permanently available super sports car offering.” The manufacturer’s latest concept of this ilk, the Mission I ask, calculating how much money will need to be transferred from savings to checking before the phone bill comes out.
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Gn bussni
