New Porsche Mission R concept hints at future electric Cayman

Designed to support customer racing, the Mission R points towards a pure-electric Porsche Cayman for 2024

Porsche has revealed the Mission R concept at the 2021 Munich Motor Show – a pure-electric race car designed to compete in a single-make race series, much like the brand’s existing 911 GT3 Cup and GT3 R models.

While only a concept for now, the Mission R hints at the possibility of a future electric sports car, similar in size to the current Porsche Cayman and Boxster models. The team behind the Mission R project confirmed they are “working on production cars at the same time” – with the same team responsible for both projects.

The Mission R features a battery of ‘around 80 kWh’ powering a pair of electric motors producing a total of 800kW (1,072bhp) in so-called ‘qualifying mode’, or a constant 671bhp in ‘race mode’. The race car will do 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds with a top speed of over 180mph.

The team confirmed that the front motor is mainly responsible for the regenerative braking set-up, however, allowing the system to feed power back to the battery – boosting range and potential track time. The positioning of the hardware will, Porsche claims, offer a traditional mid-engine – or “mid-battery” driving experience.

Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG said: "The [Mission R] is our vision of all-electric customer motorsports. The Mission R embodies everything that makes Porsche strong: performance, design and sustainability."

Porsche doesn’t offer a WLTP-rated range, but claims the Mission R is capable of “30 to 45 minutes” of track driving on a full battery – depending on track layout and performance usage. Utilising a brand-new 900-volt electrical architecture (100v greater than the production Porsche Taycan), will allow the Mission R a five-to-80 per cent charge in just 15 minutes, at speeds of up to 340kW.

From the front, the Mission R shares much of its design cues with the Taycan, with identical four-point LED daytime running lights, incorporated within the main headlamp unit. The lower bumper houses the Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA), which in conjunction with the huge rear wing, should help generate significant downforce at circuit speeds.

To the side the concept has more in common with the Cayman or 911, with a two-door layout and sloping roofline. The newly developed, single-piece roll cage is made from carbon fibre and integrated into the design of the car and cabin; this set-up doesn’t yet meet FIA approval, but Porsche is hoping it can influence changes in regulation in time for the car’s eventual production.

At the rear there is a single-piece rear light bar with integrated Porsche lettering. This forms part of the car’s structure and is likely to be repeated in production models in the future. That sizeable active wing finishes off the back-end styling.

Inside sits a single bucket seat with 3D-printed and 3D-knitted seat foam. The spartan dashboard comprises a pair of displays; a conventional instrument cluster, plus a separate screen on the steering wheel, flanked by myriad buttons and switches. There are two cameras – one fixed and one moveable, allowing drivers to broadcast their stints in the car during testing and racing.

Partnership
Need to sell your car?
Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy.

While most cars of this ilk are conceived off the back of an existing model, the Mission R has apparently been designed alongside the production car from the outset. This “close collaboration” will influence future production models, including possible electric Cayman and Boxster variants.

“We can definitely take a lot of design cues and production methods and implement them in future production cars,” said Ingo Bauer-Scheinhütte, Porsche’s Manager for Advanced Design Exterior Style. “We are working on production cars at the same time; it is the same teams.”

While Bauer-Scheinhütte refused to nail his colours to the mast, he went on to confirm that the Mission R is “very similar to Cayman/Boxster size” – hinting towards the possibility of a two-seat electric sports car when the current cars reach the end of their lives around 2024.

What do you make of Porsche’s Munich Motor Show concept? Let us know in the comments below…

Deputy editor

Richard has been part of the our team for over a decade. During this time he has covered a huge amount of news and reviews for Auto Express, as well as being the face of Carbuyer and DrivingElectric on Youtube. In his current role as deputy editor, he is now responsible for keeping our content flowing and managing our team of talented writers.

Recommended

Best new cars coming in 2025 and beyond
Best new cars coming in 2025 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best new cars coming in 2025 and beyond

From electric cars to supercars, this is our list of all the best new cars coming in 2025 and beyond
8 Dec 2023
New BMW Neue Klasse SUV to use next-generation EV tech in X3 size package
BMW Neue Klasse SUV - front cornering
News

New BMW Neue Klasse SUV to use next-generation EV tech in X3 size package

This all-electric SUV will sit on BMW’s new Neue Klasse platform
7 Dec 2023
Best new cars coming in 2024
Best new cars coming in 2024 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best new cars coming in 2024

There are some big new models from the likes of Audi, BMW, Citroen, Ford, MINI, Skoda and more on the way in 2024
20 Nov 2023
New Renault Scenic E-Tech to beat Tesla Model Y on price
Renault Scenic - Munich front
News

New Renault Scenic E-Tech to beat Tesla Model Y on price

The new all-electric Renault Scenic focuses on family practicality and sustainability, while offering a range of up to 385 miles
15 Nov 2023

Most Popular

New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power
Nissan Qashqai exclusive image - front
News

New Nissan Qashqai to get radical look and all-electric power

Major investment in Nissan’s Sunderland plant underpins the new fourth-generation Qashqai
8 Dec 2023
New Omoda 5 to take on the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson when it arrives in early 2024
Omoda 5 - front
News

New Omoda 5 to take on the Nissan Qashqai and Hyundai Tucson when it arrives in early 2024

The new Omoda 5 SUV will only be available with an all-electric powertrain when it hits the UK next spring, but a hybrid option is expected later
8 Dec 2023
Polestar 4 awarded Car Design of the Year by Car Design News
Polestar 4 - front studio
News

Polestar 4 awarded Car Design of the Year by Car Design News

Car design’s most auspicious peer-awarded prize goes to Polestar 4, while Dacia Manifesto wins Concept Design of the Year
7 Dec 2023