Discover the record-hunting, innovative new Mission X hypercar concept
The Porsche Mission X hypercar aims to be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife
Porsche has unveiled a thrilling new car to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Meet the Mission X, an all-electric, two-seater hypercar concept that’s the spiritual heir to such iconic Porsche sportscars of the past such as the 959, Carrera GT and 918 Spyder. Packed with technology, and with motorsport DNA running through it, you’re looking at an exciting vision of what the future of hypercars can be. The Mission X concept wowed the fans when it made an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2023What are the exterior design highlights of the Mission X?Every car that Porsche has created since 1948 has that unmistakable Porsche DNA designed into it. The design of the Mission X is no exception. Its aerodynamics are inspired by racing cars, which here includes clear nods to the legendary Le Mans-winning 917K, with its rising line from the low, flat front bodywork and up over the wings. If the front end looks offset from the rear, like the two sections have been pushed into each other, then that’s on purpose – it allows for airflow to be directed through the front end with maximum efficiency.One of the standout exterior design features of the Mission X is its cockpit and roof – a lightweight glass dome – that’s reminiscent of the cockpit of an aeroplane. Again, there are distinct 917 vibes here too. One extra intriguing detail is the larger side windows which incorporate smaller windows that can be lowered. And, in keeping with the lightweight focus of the Mission X concept, its exoskeleton is made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic. This design study of the Mission X shows how close the built concept is to the vision of the Porsche team who designed itAnother head-turning addition is the Le Mans-style doors, which open forwards and upwards – another echo of the 917. There are further acknowledgements of Porsche motorsport history in the lights of the Mission X. The headlights were inspired by the likes of the 906 and 908 racecars, being drawn down into the road while at the rear, the lighting structure appears to float in the air. There’s also a fun little detail too in the form of the ‘e’ in the Porsche logo pulsating when the car is charging.What is the interior like in the Mission X?As you might expect from a pioneering hypercar such as the Mission X concept, its interior is focused around the driver. Driver and passenger sit in carbon fibre-reinforced plastic seat shells fixed in the monocoque. These can be customised with 3D-printed, bodyform full bucket seats, a bit like a race car’s seats. Both driver and passenger seats have race-style, six-point safety belts. Even the integrated headrests are removeable, useful if you are driving the Mission X on the track and are wearing helmets and neck restraints.The Mission X concept features striking Le Mans-style doors that thrust forwards and upwardsThe steering wheel of the Mission X is a talking point – it’s open at the top, with the two leather-upholstered grips fitting smoothly into the hand. Like in the current 911 GT3 RS, it incorporates four individual mode switches. Meanwhile, the curved instrument cluster features a display that in Track mode can switch to show more dedicated track-focused content. The climate controls can even be operated with racing gloves on.The Mission X allows you to record video footage inside the car too. There’s a camera mounted in the roof alongside two cameras in the doors, next to the digital exterior mirrors, that can record what’s happening in the cabin in real time. Another design touch that reflects the race-bred focus of the Mission X concept is a stopwatch module embedded in the instrument panel on the passenger side that can be quickly attached and detached. Porsche Design created a special timing module for the car with an analogue and digital display. It’s intended as a throwback to when co-drivers used to fit a plate with stopwatches on classic racing and rally cars.The cockpit of the Mission X features a unique aeroplane-style cutaway steering wheelHow big is the Mission X?The Mission X measures 4.5m long with a 2.73m wheelbase and is just 1.2m high – although this rises to nearly 2m when the doors are open. In these respects, the Mission X has a similar-sized footprint to that of two truly great Porsche sportscars of the past 25 years – the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder. The Mission X wheels and suspension: designed for racingThe Mission X concept is fitted with concave, deep-dish wheels which are slightly covered on the front axle, while the rear wheels are fitted with near transparent aeroblades. These have been designed like turbines for better brake cooling, with double spokes that have been designed in a way that combines lightweight construction with excellent stability. The wheels also differ between each axle for aerodynamic purposes – 20-inch at the front, 21-inch at the rear. The tyres on the driven rear axle are 6cm wider than on the front axle too.The damper technology and suspension are another area of the vehicle derived from motorsport. Like the current 911 GT3 RS, the driver is supported by a number of different chassis systems. These can be accessed quickly by four individual mode switches on the steering wheel, with dampers that can be adjusted individually. It’s a chassis purpose-built for hunting down extraordinary lap times.One of the aims of the Mission X is to break records at the Nürburgring Nordschleife – just like the 918 Spyder, one of its spiritual predecessorsHow fast and powerful is the Mission X?The Mission X is powered by a centrally mounted battery behind the seats, which helps make it supremely agile. Each wheel is driven by individual motors. It has a remarkable power-to-weight ratio of roughly 1PS to every 1kg of weight and can deliver more downforce than the current 911 GT3 RS. Its high-performance battery uses state-of-the-art technology, twinned with a 900-volt system architecture, to deliver huge performance without the need to make compromises on its weight. It can charge at around twice the speed of the 2023 Taycan Turbo S.As it’s a concept, there are no definitive facts and figures about performance. However, a clue to how quick the Mission X will be if it goes into production is that Porsche aims for it to be crowned the fastest road-legal vehicle on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
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