Even an electric car can be noisy
Concept cars should fuel speculation. Their purpose is to hint, to point, to shake things up and loosen the tongues. They have to riot. Yes, even the electric ones. It helps that the Porsche Mission R has a lot to say. But of course he doesn’t really say anything. TG well: this may be the next Cayman. I wouldn’t have any problem with that. It looks fantastic and while we don’t yet know how the next 718 will be powered, we can already say that the stylistic approach of this Mission R is closer to that of a Taycan than that of a 911.
So an electric Cayman?
Porsche itself says they don’t know yet. Yes, I know another one. If you start from the normally used model cycle of eight years, the successor to the 982 generation will be at the dealers in about four years. The design will already be determined, as will the layout, which means that the technical specifications have already been determined. What’s called: the prototypes are probably already rattling around somewhere. Maybe it will be both hybrid and fully electric? All pure speculation.
But I’m more interested in what the Mission R says about Porsche’s attitude to motorsport. That it could be electric, for starters. But we already knew that they think so, because Porsche participates in Formula E. Hmpf, Formula E – motorsport in beige. If I were Porsche, I’d want to extend my electric motorsport program a little further than that. That’s where the Mission R comes in. Porsche’s claim that it delivers the same performance as a 911 Supercup car is interesting, and not just because it says something about the car’s track capabilities.
What does the Porsche Mission R have to do with F1?
The Supercup Championship is a branded racing series that follows the Formula 1 calendar. But we now know that you can race a 911. It is not very far-fetched to say that an electric brand championship is exactly the support act is what F1 needs to show that they have an answer to Formula E. That they are looking forward instead of back. But let’s look back for a moment: 40 years ago it was the BMW M1 Procar series that underpinned F1, a first step that heralded BMW’s entry into F1 itself two years later. Perhaps that will be the ultimate role of the Mission R: a launch pad for Porsche’s return to Formula 1 – if not Audi ahead of them.
This is a one off concept car that can drive, and it drives well. Because it’s a Porsche. The electric motors that power it – one on each axle – come from the Taycan Turbo S; although they don’t run on an 800-volt architecture here, but on 900 volts. Nothing new for Porsche, because the 919 Hybrid already did. And yes, the Mission R was conceived and developed by the same team as that car. Those people know what they’re talking about. More voltage means more power: 435 hp at the front, 653 hp at the rear.
Even more interesting than how fast the Porsche Mission R moves from its place is how fast it comes to a stop again
It’s fitted with regular disc brakes, but when I’m driving it, 60 percent of the braking on the front wheels and all the braking power on the rear wheels is through regeneration. It is able to recharge its battery with 800 kW during braking. Yes, 800 kW of regeneration. That’s unbelievable – the fastest charging speed it can have through a cable is 350 kW. Plus, it means roughly every watt that disappears from the car during acceleration is regained when you slow down. Okay, it’s not a perpetual motion machine, but it’s a very useful way to increase your range. A range that allows the Mission R to run at full power for about 30 to 40 minutes – about as long as a Supercup race usually takes.
Which brings us to the battery. Look how low the Mission R is: less than four feet from ground to roof. Think it’s going to be tight if you want to squeeze another skateboard of batteries under that? That’s right. Instead, they sit in a 250-kilogram box behind the seats, with a capacity of about 80 kWh. Positioning is key, Porsche says, not just to give it its anti-SUV look, but to lower the driver’s seat and improve driving dynamics. Centralizing the highest mass makes the Mission R easier to aim into a bend.
He changes direction very well indeed
At the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles, there’s a section where you drive full pore up a blind hill, then dive down, take a fast right into a long, skewed left turn, followed by another quick right-left combination. The steering wheel never stands still, but the Mission R blows through it seemingly effortlessly. No idea of the masses opposing him, although the negative effects of 1,500 kilos are also aptly suppressed by an appropriately wide set of slicks.
But there is enough power to break their grip. It’s bumpy here, the wheels are lifting off the ground and I’m reminded that this car hasn’t had a lot of development time yet. It bounces over the worst parts, there’s groaning understeer when the front tires hit their limits, but you still feel comfortable – because what the suspension lacks in race-car-worthy refinement, it makes up for in response time. The steering feel isn’t very strong halfway through the corner, but the huge thumping grip when turning gives you the confidence to push hard, knowing you can always fall back on the massive amount of braking power if needed.
The brake pedal is different
The brake pedal itself is a little squishy if you take the racing standard as a gauge, but I’m also kicking electrons instead of hydraulic fluid, and most importantly, Porsche has perfectly smoothed out the transitional moment between regeneration and brake discs. If there’s a transition at all, I can’t detect it. No complaints about the power pedal either. Of course there’s no build-up or lag with electricity, but there’s a lot of power to be distributed and it might as well have been too sudden and hectic. Instead, it’s intuitive, accurate and easy to vary – modulating your line into a turn is a breeze.
Point it straight when the slicks are still cold, and the Mission R manages to blow all four of them from a standstill. Porsche says that 0 to 100 km/h is done in 2.5 seconds. I say Porsche forgot to press stop for a few tenths. This car has almost the same power-to-weight ratio as a Bugatti Chiron.
No roll cage needed
The interior may not be very opulent, but there are some radical thoughts behind it. Currently, FIA regulations state that production car based race cars must have an additional steel roll cage within the existing body structure. That takes up a lot of interior space and adds quite a bit of weight. So the Mission R instead uses a carbon fiber exoskeleton that’s so strong it’s compliant on its own. Between the grilles in the roof are glass panels that let in the sun’s rays. It is light and airy in here, in line with the design.
3D-printed cushions cover the seat, which consists of one piece from the headrest to the seat area. It is made of the same material that you find on the doors. It looks a bit like carbon fiber, with a similar layered construction – but the fibers are natural, as is the glue they’re impregnated into. Not as strong as carbon, but certainly ethically responsible.
Even the aero of the Porsche Mission R has a soft side
There may be a giant spoiler on the back, but it’s not all about downforce. Hydraulic actuators could enable a low drag mode such as DRS. Because it’s a concept, Porsche hasn’t figured it out yet; neither are the more interesting elements on the nose of the car. The idea is that the aer flaps on the front of each wheel open and close to either stop the air or let it flow over the front wheel. The technicians state that this makes it easier to send in.
Do you have an idea of how many ideas Porsche managed to stuff into the Mission R? Concept cars are often accused of being nothing more than show ponies, designed to feed the designer’s ego rather than to propagate a brand’s future philosophy. This one is different. The Mission R contains many direct clevernesses as well as many indirect hints to possible directions for the future. Deduce what you want from it, but I especially like the following feeling. I was concerned about the future of motorsport in the electric age. More than any car, the Mission R ensures that I can sleep peacefully again.
