Porsche Mission R is a 1,000-horsepower electric monster

Continuing with the electric theme of the Munich Auto Show, Porsche brought with it a thoroughly outrageous electric racecar concept. It's called the Mission R, and like the Mission E before it that previewed the Taycan, the company says this previews a future racecar, and likely a road-going sports car. And the specs make it sound like a riot.

The literal headline number is the horsepower. A 429-horsepower motor powers the front wheels, and a 644-horsepower unit powers the rear.  Combined output is 1,073 horsepower. Each motor features oil cooling lines within the stator windings for improved cooling and power lost to heat. The car itself, despite having an 82-kWh battery pack, weighs in at a pretty reasonable 3,307 pounds. Porsche claims it can get to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, and its top speed is 186 mph. The battery is good for around half an hour of racing. The battery also is a 900-volt system that has a maximum charging rate of 350 kW and can go from 5% to 80% charge in about 15 minutes.

The car itself is actually a bit smaller than a Porsche Cayman. The width is about the same, but it's 2.4 inches shorter than the little Porsche coupe. The chassis is based around a carbon fiber driver cell, sort of like how modern McLarens are built. This combined with items such as magnesium wheels and a number of natural fiber composite body and interior parts help it weigh as little as it does (for an electric car). Porsche also notes that the manufacturing of its natural fiber parts (something the company has been working on for a few years now) produce 85% fewer carbon emissions than equivalent carbon fiber parts. It's all suspended on fully independent suspension with double wishbones at the front and McPherson struts at the rear. Bringing it to a halt are six-piston front brakes and four-piston rears that are actuated by a brake-by-wire system.

While Porsche says the Mission R is a preview of real car yet-to-come, it gave no hint at a timeline. Going back to the Mission E and Taycan, the Mission E was revealed in 2015. The first model year for the Taycan was 2020. So it could be a few years before we see a real-world Mission R. Then again, Taycan was Porsche's first full-electric car. Maybe its next won't take as long.

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