Porsche revealed the Mission S on October 15 on a pier in Queens, New York. The first pictures of the 550 Spyder, taken on this same pier, went around the world in 1953. The car is a vision model, Porsche’s term for a show car, and it previews a new mid-engine super sports car platform that will sit above the 911.
We think it’s a strong answer to a hard design problem. The Mission S looks new, and you’d still know it’s a Porsche from across a parking lot.
A vision model that previews a permanent car
The Mission S is not a production car. Dr. Michael Leiters, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, said it represents the new platform “not as a one-off hypercar, but as a permanent and versatile addition to our customer offering.”
Porsche gave no price or performance figures, and it didn’t name a platform or a powertrain. It hasn’t said whether the car will come to the US.
Porsche history in one body
Leiters also summed up the design brief: “A Porsche must be recognizable as a Porsche at first glance.” The car backs that up with cues lifted from across the company’s history:
- Round headlights and torpedo-shaped fenders from the 911
- Shut lines (the gaps between body panels) that run into the lights, borrowed from the G-model 911 of 1974 to 1989
- A flat front and a car-in-car rear from the 911 GT1
- A roofline from the 959 and a cooling setup that nods to the 917’s radiator fan
- Wheels in the 928’s dial design
- Racing colors in white, gray and red
Our favorite pick is the nod to the 917’s radiator fan. It’s a deep cut from Porsche’s racing past, and it shows the designers went well beyond the 911 for ideas.
The cabin is the boldest part
Inside, Porsche went further than we expected. It pairs classic switches and buttons with modern displays, and the dashboard gets new push-pull controls. The five-tube instrument cluster puts a tachometer with an analog needle in the middle, with a display behind it.
There is no fixed center screen. Porsche says it “has deliberately chosen not to include a permanently integrated center display or a fixed passenger display in the dashboard.” A retractable phone holder that works with MagSafe lets your phone act as the navigation or information screen when you want one. The key holder sits to the left of the steering wheel.
We think other brands should take note, Audi included. Plenty of drivers want real buttons, a real tach needle and fewer screens fighting for their eyes, and Porsche just showed a new design built around that idea.
Where Audi fits
The Audi connection sits elsewhere in the Porsche lineup. Porsche says its new SUV series above the Cayenne will launch with combustion and plug-in hybrid power only. According to Autocar, that SUV will share Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture with the Audi Q9. Neither Porsche nor Audi has confirmed that link, and Porsche doesn’t sell an SUV above the Cayenne in the US yet.
The Q9 is on order now. Audi revealed it in New York in July, and deliveries start in November 2026. The US model uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. If you want a big three-row Audi now, you can configure a Q9 at audiusa.com or through a dealer. Autocar reports the Porsche version is about a year behind.
We’ll share the official gallery and any new details on Instagram at @audi_obsession.
Concept cars are fun to look at, but you can’t buy one. If a used car is on your list instead, say a Q8 or e-tron GT, our Audi PPI checklist spells out what a good shop should look over before you sign.