The toolbox contains four-cylinder, V6, V8 and ‘boxer’ six engines. From the low height of the Mission S’s rear deck, the classic 911 engine, with horizontally opposed cylinders reducing its height, looks best-placed to fit that space. “There are a variety of solutions we can incorporate,” R&D boss Michael Steiner told us. “In principle it could be a very pure, lightweight [combustion] sports car or combine performance hybridisation to take advantage of chassis systems.”
The 911 Turbo S has electric turbochargers to eliminate lag and active anti-roll, powered by the 400-volt T-hybrid system. A motor in the transmission adds more power and torque into the driveline too. Porsche’s last hypercar, the 918 Spyder, was a plug-in hybrid but executives vow there also remains room for uncomplicated sports cars – with naturally aspirated engines and even manual transmissions – in the portfolio.
Performance will be heightened by rigorous engineering to keep weight down. “We’ll use materials that are best for the characteristics [we’re targeting]: that’s not pure aluminium or pure carbon-fibre but what fits best,” said Steiner.
The cockpit blends cutting-edge tech with old-school clarity. Like the clean exterior design, the dashboard loops around the occupants and flows into the doors. And the dials seek to prioritise exactly the correct amount of driver detail: in track mode, peripheral information is stripped away, “and the rev counter comes to you,” says Sühlmann.
Porsche won’t be drawn on when the production Mission S will blast into existence. It’s juggling multiple new model introductions – next year’s electric Boxster, an SUV to replace the discontinued Macan in 2028 and potentially a halo SUV above the Cayenne. But with the sports car maker slashing development times to 30-months and determined to take its brand – and price points – upmarket, expect the supercar to arrive and take on Ferrari before the end of the decade.
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