So, what actually makes a supercar special? Is it the speed, the sound, an eye-watering price tag, or the sheer audacity? Porsche CEO Michael Leiters has his views on it, and it certainly doesn’t involve a car somersaulting off a ramp. The timing is spicy: Porsche unveiled the Mission S concept on the same day, and the Roadster arguably stole the headlines; however, some would say real engineering ages better than a viral video.
Porsche
Taking Porsche Upmarket, Not Up In The Air
Michael Leiter is an engineer first, who spent 13 years at Porsche, including work on the Cayenne Hybrid, then eight years as chief technology officer at Ferrari, with the SF90, 296 GTB and Purosangue coming out under his watch. He then had a three-year stint as head honcho at McLaren, with four models coming out under his leadership, including the 750S. Back at Porsche since January this year, he has promised to restructure and make Porsches more desirable. Enter the Mission S, a concept that previews a permanent mid-engine line above the 911. The target is Ferrari, whose average selling price of close to half a million dollars is reportedly the ballpark Porsche would rather be playing in.
Speaking at a conference in Berlin, Bloomberg reports, he said Porsche wants to steer clear of effects and shows, aimed squarely at Tesla’s thruster-assisted Roadster demo. On the other hand, Ferrari’s own boss, Benedetto Vigna, rated Tesla’s launch “10 out of 10”.
The Mission S And Tesla Roadster: Fundamentals First
Strip away the theatrics and the irony is that the two cars sit at opposite ends of the same idea. The Mission S will come with a gas or hybrid powertrain, mid-engine, of course. Early details point to physical controls, fewer touchscreens, and an 8,000 rpm tachometer, all signs of a supercar that puts the driver first.
Porsche
The Roadster comes in three trims, including a single-seat, non-road-legal Rocket version, and claims 0-60 mph in under 1.6 seconds or under 0.9 seconds with the thrusters, with production slated for 2028. The Roadster reveal itself has been delayed over nine years, with promised range slipping from over 600 miles to just over 300 miles in the process, while the thrusters are to be used in short bursts only. The flying Tesla, in other words, is a party trick. Time will tell what the Mission S translates to in the real world, and the Porsche boss’ remarks give us hope.
