Mission X revealed as EV heir to 918 Spyder

Concept previews Porsche’s plans for production electric hypercar, due in 2027

- JAMES ATTWOOD

The stunning new Porsche Mission X previews an electric hypercar successor to the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder - with a production version set to follow in 2027.

The rear-wheel-drive two-seater has been developed with the goal of becoming the fastest road-legal car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and will fill the gap atop Porsche's line-up that has been open since the 918 Spyder went out of production in 2015. Porsche boss Oliver Blume said the model would be "a technology beacon for the sports cars of the future".

The Mission X name is a clear reference to the 2015 Mission E concept, which previewed the Taycan that went into production in 2019. In 2021, Porsche showed a Mission R, which hints at the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman successors that are expected to arrive around the middle of this decade.

Based on those timelines, a production version would be due in around 2027. It is understood that the concept isn't linked to Rimac, the Croatian hypercar firm in which Porsche holds a major stake, although it is possible that Rimac's expertise could be drawn on.

The Mission X is 4.5m long with a wheelbase of 2.73m dimensions that are a close match for the Carrera GT and 918 Spyder to which it is a spiritual successor. The car stands less than 1.2m tall and sits on 20in wheels at the front, with 21s at the rear.

Porsche hasn't divulged any technical details of the intended powertrain for the Mission X, but it has laid out a series of objectives that engineers are aiming to hit for it to reach series production.

These include breaking the production lap record for the 12.944-mile Nürburgring, where the current benchmark is 6min 35.128sec. The focus will be as much on efficiency and lightweight design - a traditional challenge for performance EVs - with an intended power-to-weight ratio of 986bhp per tonne.