The Munich Motor Show kicked off this week. At the show, Porsche unveiled a new electrified race car called the Mission R Concept. The Porsche Mission R Concept is more than a 1,000+ horsepower race car; it’s also a vessel to foreshadow future production models, in much the same way as the 2015 Porsche Mission E concept would become the 2019 Porsche Taycan. As to which model the Mission R concept will later become, many describe the concept as “Cayman-shaped.”
Powering the Porsche Mission R is an all-wheel drive with a twin-motor setup featuring oil cooling systems to prevent power drop-off. These two motors have a combined max output of 1,073-hp, with 419-hp produced by the front motor and 626-hp at the rear. Set to qualifying mode, the Porsche Mission R unleashes its full power allowing it to reach 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph.
The construction of the Mission R also highlights how Porsche plans to build future models. Its bodywork is made out of natural renewable fibers infused with plastics. The interior upholstery uses 3D-printed knitting techniques to minimize fabric waste. Inside the Porsche Mission R, the driver sits inside a carbon exoskeleton. The driver controls the car using a butterfly-style steering wheel placed in front of a center-mounted display screen. Porsche engineers designed the Mission R concept’s cockpit to be a self-contained unit. As a result, a racecar driver can theoretically practice in a simulator that can accurately mimic the Mission R’s behavior in a virtual track.
Back to its looks, the Porsche Mission R hints at a possible future Cayman model. Porsche’s design boss Michael Mauer was quoted saying the Mission R is “packed to the gills with signs that hint of a future production model.” As to what year this foreshadowed model will appear, we won’t know until the future becomes the present.
For more Porsche news, check out the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S Tribute to Pedro Rodriguez.
