The Mission E Could Be The Future Porsche 911

Porsche Mission E concept (Credit: Porsche )

The mainstream media doesn’t seem too impressed that all Porsche 911s will be turbocharged, but instead is completely enamored with the Mission E concept. It’s understandable, because up until now it seemed that Tesla would remain the champion of all-electric performance vehicles, what with its Ludicrous mode for the Model S P85D. What most people get wrong is that they assume the concept electric model is previewing the design for a future Panamera, but some people have caught on that the exterior is an early look at the next-gen 911.

Will the next 911 include an all-electric version? Maybe, maybe not. That’s the real mystery at this point. This is, of course, blasphemy for many Porsche enthusiasts. After all, a good chunk of them are still bent out of shape about the switch from air to liquid cooling, or the hideous monstrosity called the Cayenne. The powertrain from the Mission E will probably find its way to the Panamera lineup, allowing that model to take on the Tesla Model S on more equal footing.

The Mission E looks seriously mean and it should be ready for production in about five years. While it shares a four-door layout with the Panamera, that doesn’t really mean anything. Travis Okulski from Road & Track astutely points out that Porsche is crafty with its concept vehicles. For example: the Panamera Sport Turismo from 2012 actually was testing the waters for the new Macan, Porsche’s smallest SUV. Yet at the time, many thought that the car was a signal of where the brand’s sedan would be headed. In a strange twist, the powertrain from the concept did actually make its way into the Panamera lineup.

Porsche Mission E concept (Credit: Porsche)

If you look closely at the lines on the Mission E, it appears to be more like the classic shapes from the 911, albeit with a fair amount of Tron mixed in there. Sure, people are getting hung up on those extra doors, but if you Photoshopped them out you would have something that is most obviously an evolution of the 911, and Porsche will not let another model encroach on that territory, not ever.

This is huge, because if the next-gen 911 looks anything like the concept, it will be a real head-turner while still staying true to the car’s amazing legacy.