Porsche is moving fast into the world of electric vehicles, evidenced not only by the Mission E concept, but also the Mission E Cross Turismo concept, shown last week at Geneva. Consider the latter to be somewhere in between a sedan and a crossover, though with an all-electric powertrain. But don’t think for a moment Porsche is planning to offer only two different body styles on a platform they’ve invested heavily in. According to Car and Driver, that platform has also been engineered to handle a future coupe, convertible and even rear-wheel-drive.
Speaking at a roundtable event, Stefan Weckbach, head of electric-vehicle development at Porsche, said that “If you talk about two-door cars or convertibles, the (Mission E) platform will be ready for that.” This is not to say that the Mission E platform will also be used to underpin a future generation 911. Think beyond that. What other sports cars has Porsche built in somewhat more recent years, aside from the 718 Boxster and Cayman? The 928, for example. Now, this is purely speculation on our part, but we would not at all be surprised to see Porsche launch a reborn 928 as an all-electric grand tourer.
Adding further ammo to this theory is that Weckbach also acknowledged not all future Mission E variants will utilize its dual electric motors and all-wheel drive. “We’re definitely discussing rear-wheel-drive options right now,” said Weckbach. As with all EVs, weight is a serious issue, but leave it to Porsche to come up with creative weight-saving solutions. For example, Weckbach also said the most powerful Mission E will be “almost the same or a little bit heavier than the Panamera.” Take away one electric motor, shorten the platform and add a new body, then voila! A 928-style GT EV with rear-wheel drive. We’d even be down for a convertible as well.
