Porsche's New Dedicated Supercar Is The Mission S

Porsche is in a world of financial pain at the moment, and rather than give us another SUV in the vein of the Cayenne and Macan to top up its cash reserves, it's doubling down on what it does best: sports cars. This is the new Mission S, and it previews not only a new design identity for the brand, but also teases an upcoming super sports car to slot above the 911.

The Mission S's design is quite unlike any other current model, yet still remains identifiable as a Porsche. It's clearly designed to support a mid-engine layout, giving it a classic supercar profile that combines elements from Porsche models of yesteryear. The front features obvious cues from the iconic 911 GT1 race car, including a large central intake, bulging 'torpedo' fenders, round headlights, and two large air vents on the hood.

For as striking as the Mission S's front is, the rear is perhaps even more dramatic. As the leak from earlier today revealed, there's a small fan sitting in the center of the engine cover, taking inspiration from the 917's radiator fan. Porsche's designers have also crafted a flowing rear wing that incorporates directly into the bodywork. It also features a large rear diffuser and four stacked exhausts.

If there's anything Porsche does better than design cars that look good from the outside, it's craft near-perfect, driver-focused interiors. It looks to have done just that with the Mission S, drawing on inspiration from the 356 and 550 Spyder. Like a current 911, there are five digital gauges to display all important vehicle information, but there's no central infotainment system in sight. Instead, Porsche has designed the Mission S to include a retractable smartphone system with a MagSafe connection, so the driver can use their phone for navigation or the Porsche app. There's no telling how well, or poorly, this setup would work in a production car, but it does wonders for the overall design of the concept's interior.

Other highlights of the interior include physical toggles in the dash that can be pushed or pulled to engage various comfort and driving functions. The interior also features a pair of bucket seats with racing harnesses and a carbon fiber shift lever.

This isn't the first time that Porsche has unveiled a dramatic new super sports car concept in recent years. Three years ago, it unveiled the show-stopping Mission X, planned as an all-electric successor to the 918 Spyder. However, it was launched at a poor time, just as interest in high-performance electric exotics started to decline, so it never got off the ground. The following year, Ferrari and McLaren unveiled their F80 and W1 hypercars, both with powerful hybrid systems, and it became clear Porsche had made a mistake pursuing an electric hypercar. The Mission S is its attempt to get things back on track.

Porsche has not explicitly said the Mission S will hit the production line in the form shown, but it has confirmed a new super sports car with the same "forward-looking design" as the Mission S is in the works. It won't be a limited-run model either, with Porsche saying this new flagship performance car will be available permanently.

"The Mission S provides a glimpse of the ideas and design features that will shape Porsche in the coming years," Porsche AG Chairman of the Executive Board Michael Leiters said. "At the same time, the Mission S represents a mid-engined super sports car platform positioned above the 911 – not as a one-off hypercar, but as a permanent and versatile addition to our customer offering."

A report last month indicated that Porsche is developing a powerful new eight-cylinder boxer engine for its new flagship, presumably the road-going version of the Mission S. With an engine like that, in a car that looks like this, Porsche may be on to a winner.