Porsche Mission E Will Destroy The Tesla Model S At The Track

The Tesla may dominate at the drag strip, but the Porsche will own lap times.

As development continues on the upcoming production version of the all-electric Porsche Mission E concept, we know this so far: there are separate motors for the front and rear axles, and there’ll be a combined output of over 600 hp, 0-60 mph time of less than 3.5 seconds and the sprint to 124 mph will be in under 12 seconds. Do a quick comparison and you’ll see the Tesla Model S is faster in a straight line, meaning a drag race. On track, however, it’s a different story.

Car and Driver spoke with Joachim Kramer, Porsche’s director of power electronic for the Mission E, who not only confirmed the Mission E is being developed for optimal track day performance, but also that “The quick-charge cooling demand on the system is not higher than the demand when we go on a racetrack. That’s our development goal: to perform on the Nurburgring and other racetracks.” This will specifically be made possible thanks in part to a single liquid-cooling system designed regulate control and regulate temperatures. For example, the battery itself will not exceed 185 degrees Fahrenheit, but the motor itself will work just fine at far higher temperatures.

Even the air-conditioning compressor plays a part in regulating and cooling the systems during fast driving and even fast charging. In other words, Porsche understands that waiting several minutes for the battery to cool off in between track runs won’t be acceptable for many buyers. What’s the point of a track day if one is constantly being interrupted by their EV’s battery needing some cool off time? Porsche has clearly done its homework and this technological advancement will serve it well especially once its Formula E racing team gets into action next year.

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Porsche Mission E Driven By Mark Webber Because He's Mark Webber

Life's good when you're a former F1 and Porsche driver.

Guys like Mark Webber don’t have to work hard to have exciting car related opportunities. Webber, for those who don’t recall, bolted Formula 1 back in 2013 for a racing career that just ended with Porsche. The latter saw him serving as one of Porsche’s drivers for the 919 Hybrid in the 2014-2016 World Endurance Championships. Today he works as a Porsche brand representative, which is a pretty awesome gig by anyone’s standards.

One of the many perks is the opportunity to drive Porsche’s very best, including models that haven’t even been revealed, such as the Mission E. Webber’s day job, as shown in this latest Porsche video, has some very, very serious tasks, like getting behind the wheel of an advanced prototype of the all-electric sedan at Porsche’s test track in Weissach.

Combined with his 919 motorsport driving experiences and his racing career in general, Webber’s opinions on what Porsche has done here matter. They definitely listen to the guy and take seriously and often apply any suggestions he may have. As for the Mission E, well, we don’t even know what its official production name will be. What we do know, and which Webber confirms, is that it’ll make at least 600 hp. While there’s no such thing as the “Mark Webber Test,” his seal of approval and input, especially for something as radical as Porsche’s first EV, are certainly good to have. The Porsche Mission E (name change to come) is set to happen next year.

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Porsche Mission E Platform Also Engineered For A Coupe And Cabrio

How about a reborn 928, but as an EV?

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.

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Porsche Mission E Platform Also Engineered For A Coupe And Cabrio

How about a reborn 928, but as an EV?

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.

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Production Version Of The Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Is Coming

It's just the first of future Mission E variants.

Take one look at the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Concept and it’s pretty clear it’s not your typical concept design study, but rather a nearly finalized production design. This makes sense because, according to Bloomberg, the Mission E Cross Turismo is slated for production. The four-door wagon/crossover likely won’t be ready to go until sometime after the production-spec Mission E sedan, due for the 2020 model year, goes on sale.

As we reported last week about the fact the Mission E all-electric platform has also been designed to accommodate a coupe and convertible, Porsche is about to unleash even more EVs and plug-in hybrids within the next few years. At a press briefing last Friday, CEO Oliver Blume reiterated the automaker intends for about a quarter of its global deliveries in 2025 to either be full-electric or plug-in. Launching the Mission E Cross Turismo is simply a no-brainer. Porsche is in an excellent position these days to heavily invest in battery technology, and has already doubled its electric car development budget to $7.4 billion by 2022.

When you’re the Volkswagen Group’s most profitable brand by return on sales, the money is clearly there for future investments. Last year, for example, Porsche’s global sales increased by 4 percent and its operating profit rose by 7 percent. This rapid growth indicates to Porsche that customers are more than willing to buy Porsches that are not 911s or 718 Boxsters and Caymans. In fact, the Macan SUV played a major role in those stellar sales figures. While not everyone was thrilled with the Mission E Cross Turismo, Porsche is apparently confident it’ll sell well, although it won’t be the brand’s first SUV/crossover EV. That honor is expected to be given to an electrified version of the Macan.

Porsche realized a few years ago that because of tightening emissions regulations it had no choice but to invest in battery tech. "For the next 10 years, Porsche is banking on three pillars: optimized combustion-engine cars, plug-in hybrid models and purely electric-powered sport cars," Blume said in a speech at the company's Stuttgart headquarters. "The world's regions are developing differently. Therefore, we're preparing to be as flexible as possible."

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Say Hello To The Porsche Taycan: Mission E Has A Brand New Name

What do you make of that name?

As the Porsche Mission E continues to get closer to production, we figured the name Porsche has used for its first fully electric model was already set in stone. Instead, Porsche has announced that the production Mission E will actually use a new name: Taycan. Roughly translated, the word means "lively young horse" in German, which likely references the horse in the Porsche crest. "Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it's a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom," Porsche chief Oliver Blume said in a statement.

The Taycan has been one of the most hotly anticipated cars of the decade, and this new name only makes us even more excited. The most powerful variant will use two synchronous electric motors producing more than 600 horsepower. Porsche expects the Taycan to do 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, and have a driving range of more than 300 miles on a single charge. There will likely be different versions of the Taycan, including one based on the Mission E Cross Turismo Concept. The Taycan will be Porsche's first all-electric model, which will be followed up by more electrified cars. By 2025, 25% of all Porsche cars will be fully-electric or hybrid.

The name change from Mission E to Taycan makes a lot of sense. Mission E sounded cool, but it didn't share much connection with the rest of the Porsche lineup. The name Taycan will fit in nicely with the Macan, Cayenne, Cayman, Boxster, and Panamera, while the 911 retains in its own unique numeric naming scheme.

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Production Version Of The Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Is Coming

It's just the first of future Mission E variants.

Take one look at the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo Concept and it’s pretty clear it’s not your typical concept design study, but rather a nearly finalized production design. This makes sense because, according to Bloomberg, the Mission E Cross Turismo is slated for production. The four-door wagon/crossover likely won’t be ready to go until sometime after the production-spec Mission E sedan, due for the 2020 model year, goes on sale.

As we reported last week about the fact the Mission E all-electric platform has also been designed to accommodate a coupe and convertible, Porsche is about to unleash even more EVs and plug-in hybrids within the next few years. At a press briefing last Friday, CEO Oliver Blume reiterated the automaker intends for about a quarter of its global deliveries in 2025 to either be full-electric or plug-in. Launching the Mission E Cross Turismo is simply a no-brainer. Porsche is in an excellent position these days to heavily invest in battery technology, and has already doubled its electric car development budget to $7.4 billion by 2022.

When you’re the Volkswagen Group’s most profitable brand by return on sales, the money is clearly there for future investments. Last year, for example, Porsche’s global sales increased by 4 percent and its operating profit rose by 7 percent. This rapid growth indicates to Porsche that customers are more than willing to buy Porsches that are not 911s or 718 Boxsters and Caymans. In fact, the Macan SUV played a major role in those stellar sales figures. While not everyone was thrilled with the Mission E Cross Turismo, Porsche is apparently confident it’ll sell well, although it won’t be the brand’s first SUV/crossover EV. That honor is expected to be given to an electrified version of the Macan.

Porsche realized a few years ago that because of tightening emissions regulations it had no choice but to invest in battery tech. "For the next 10 years, Porsche is banking on three pillars: optimized combustion-engine cars, plug-in hybrid models and purely electric-powered sport cars," Blume said in a speech at the company's Stuttgart headquarters. "The world's regions are developing differently. Therefore, we're preparing to be as flexible as possible."

View the original article here