With the Taycan—first seen as the Mission E—Porsche broke with previous design tropes to create a completely new automobile. And how great it is! Nothing need divert us from a reminder of how and why it was so created.
“Welcome to Porsche’s vision of 2050 motoring.” This was the unmistakable message of the Mission E concept, which both inside and outside was a bold commitment to the future made by al3eding technological company.
Departing chief Matthias Müller left behind a philosophy for Porsche—and more. At September 2015’s Frankfurt Show he unveiled a shock surprise, a new and gorgeous concept car. Dubbed the Mission E, it was conceived as an all-electric four-passenger, four-door sports car completely reliant on electric power. Developed under R&D chief Michael Steiner by a team led by project chief Stefan Weckbach, it was a powerful evocation of Porsche principles.
By positioning Matthias Müller next to its Mission E concept at Frankfurt in September 2015 Porsche showed that its new electric car was by no means as big as early images suggested.
The Mission E was dimensioned as smaller than the Panamera—a “Pajun” in fact. “We don’t want to substitute our Panameras or SUVs,” said Weckbach, “so we have targeted a smaller segment.” It was also an all-or-nothing electric car, Tesla-style, created for an uncertain future. The question, said Weckbach, was “Will there be battery-car enthusiasts in four- or five-years’ time or will there just be people who want a nice-performing car?” He added that the package and structure were unsuited to propulsion by a conventional engine: “It’s not under discussion. We want this to be the first full-electric Porsche. There will be no version with a combustion engine.”
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