Up to 500kW available, too.
While Porsche’s Mission E saloon, Stuttgart’s answer to the Tesla Model S, is still some way away, a very lucky handful of journalists have been given the opportunity to drive a prototype of the revolutionary model at Porsche’s test facility in Weissach, Germany. So protected is the prototype that to get behind the wheel demands approval from Porsche’s board of directors, and a highly-specialised crew to handle the computer-ey aspects of the car. It’s no wonder that, as of today only 4 people have been permitted to drive the Mission E prototype unsupervised. Least, that’s what Automobile tells us.
When it arrives, it will slot between the Cayenne and Panamera both size- and price-wise, though it’ll match both in terms of passenger volume. The utilisation of an electric powertrain has freed up rent of valuable space, while Porsche’s gone the extra mile by recessing the floor where passengers’ legs will go, further increasing the sensation of space.
“The production version is, in essence, a C-segment saloon with a D-segment interior. Visually, the car combines the 911 overtones with fresh proportions and a very good space utilisation, even though the Mission E is notably more compact than the Panamera.” — Stefan Weckbach, Mission E Project Team Leader, Porsche
Aside from space, one of the more obvious goals of the Mission E was to provide a truly Porsche experience while hurtling along. As such, Porsche’s thrown as much as they can at it, like a sharp steering wheel and tons of grip, as well as increasing the reliability of the electric powertrain. To do so, they’re employing a complex cooling circuit to ensure that the Mission E’s performance will be “constant” and “repeatable,” which is more than what can be said of the Tesla.
When it hits the market, Porsche will endeavour to offer three variants of their hyper-fast saloon. There’ll be an entry level model with 300kW on tap, a mid-range model with 400kW, and a top-flight all-bells-and-whistles variant with 500kW on tap, with power going through all four wheels as standard. A two-speed automatic transmission will help the car achieve its top speed of 250km/h, and also to enable full-throttle upshifts that will undoubtedly contribute to the 3-second century sprint time.
When it arrives in 2019, the Porsche Mission E will carry a sticker price around the $95,000 mark, putting it comfortably between the company’s existing SUV and ‘conventional’ saloon, and right up against its fiercest rival, the Tesla Model S.
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