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Porsches are rear-engined. They are also front-engined. OK, sure, a few have also been mid-engined, but not that many. The truth is, Stuttgart has had great success with pretty much every kind of configuration; the midship supercars are just the least common (the Boxster/Cayman twins are superb, but not quite super). That’s a big reason why the newly debuted Mission S is so darn exciting, as Porsche is developing a new performance weapon with its engine behind the driver but in front of the rear axle. And better yet, it’ll be a permanent fixture in the lineup—not some one-off or limited-run hypercar.
Porsche ripped the sheet off the Mission S on Thursday, making it loud and clear that the production version of this car will sit above the 911. It looks wild, and you can bet it will drive that way too. That flattened front-end design is lifted loosely from the GT1 Le Mans racer, while the back half has tinges of the 959. Maybe my favorite styling element of all on this car is the whirling radiator fan sitting atop the engine, 917-style.
Golly, I hope that exposed fan reaches production. Porsche
While I’m sure you’re dying to know, we still aren’t sure what type of powertrain the Mission S will have. It will certainly make use of internal combustion, but Porsche purposely avoided disclosing which engine is underneath the hatch. Speculation is fun, and if I had to make a bold guess, I’d go whole hog and say it’s a newly developed flat-eight.
A German outlet named Handelsblatt reported in September that such a power plant was in the works at Porsche. Other aspects of that write-up seem to align with what we know about the Mission S, like the car’s position at the top of the line-up and possible half-million-dollar price tag. (That’s unconfirmed right now, but seeing as you can option a 911 beyond $300,000 if you try, it isn’t too far-fetched.)
The shifter looks like the Carrera GT’s, but it is no manual. Porsche
Porsche emphasized analog engagement at the Mission S debut, and although that knob might look like a manual or sequential shifter, I spy “PRND” written next to it. Metal paddle shifters behind the steering wheel further solidify that this likely has a PDK automatic transmission, which isn’t to say it’s bad. I’m just not sure we’ll ever see a stick-shift variant.
Still, the interior design is clearly driver-focused. Everything is canted toward that seat, and depending on the drive mode, the tachometer even extends closer to the driver for a clearer view. As is typical with Porsches, there are five circular gauges on the dash, and the key is inserted on the left.
Without your phone, there’s no center screen. Nice! Porsche
What should make all hardcore wheelmen and wheelwomen happy is the lack of a huge center screen. We almost never quote press releases here, but I want you to hear exactly what Porsche has to say about this notable omission:
“Porsche has deliberately chosen not to include a permanently integrated center display or a fixed passenger display in the dashboard. Instead, a retractable smartphone system compatible with MagSafe technology has been designed for use as needed. The user’s personal smartphone can serve as a navigation or information display if desired. A clearly structured and streamlined My Porsche App provides access to all functions and also allows users to select digitally rendered, historically inspired designs for the circular instruments. The result is an interior concept that puts the driving experience first while offering maximum flexibility and convenience.”
Even the comfort and driving control knobs situated below the phone mount pull out and push back in. It’s like Porsche took what was old, made it new, and stopped there. I love it.
Am I the only one who gets 928 vibes from the rear three-quarter view? The dial wheel design is definitely derivative of that car’s. But the protruding beltline with the squinting taillights strikes me as especially similar. Porsche
We still have lots to learn about the Mission S and the production car that will follow it. What’s exciting is that Porsche has confirmed you’ll be able to buy some version of this in the future as a “permanently available super sports car offer.” The manufacturer’s last concept of this ilk—the Mission X—was billed as a potential 918 Spyder successor back in 2023. “Where the heck is that at?” I ask as I tabulate how much money to move from savings into checking before the phone bill comes out.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
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From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
