Porsche is developing a car to sit above the 911. At a Capital Markets Day at its Weissach development center on October 7, the company said it is working on a "mid-engined super sports car platform that will enable a model line that sits above the iconic 911 sports car."
The first look comes on October 15, when Porsche shows a concept called the Mission S. The teaser gives almost nothing away. Road & Track counted a standard-looking Porsche headlight, blurred taillights, the crest, and centerlock wheels, set to music with no engine sound.
Porsche's release calls the platform a potential addition, but CEO Michael Leiters sounded more certain when speaking with Evo. "We are developing a super sports car platform, and we intend to use it as the basis for a new mid-engined car, a car that will sit clearly above the 911," Leiters said, as quoted by Road & Track.
The spot has been empty for a while. Hagerty notes that Porsche hasn't had a car above the 911 since the 918 Spyder, pictured above, left production 11 years ago. We reported in September that Porsche's next supercar may get a flat-eight, an engine Porsche has only ever raced.
The same plan settled the 718's future. The next Boxster and Cayman will be electric only, and Porsche expects their first full year of production in 2028. A year ago Porsche had said top gas versions would come back, but InsideEVs reports the company has now made the EV-only plan official.
The 911 is going the other way. Porsche promises "highly emotive 911 derivatives" and wants to raise the average selling price of its top models by about 20 percent. It didn't name them, but Motor1 points to a new 911 GT2 RS, with test cars already seen at the Nürburgring. Leiters has said the 911 will never be fully electric.
Porsche also raised its stake in Nürburgring tuner Manthey to 67 percent, and it plans to build complete "few-off" cars with the company. Its custom Sonderwunsch program is supposed to grow its sales sixfold.
The SUV lineup changes too. A new small SUV with gas and plug-in hybrid power will be presented in 2028 and sold next to the electric Macan, and Porsche is exploring a bigger SUV above the Cayenne. To pay for it, Porsche plans about 20 percent fewer model variants, 40 percent fewer management jobs, and the 9,000 job cuts it has already agreed with its workers.
Will the Mission S look worthy of the 918's spot? Vote once it's out on WhipJury.
Sources:
The strategy, the supercar platform, the October 15 preview, the 718 timing, the 911 plans, Manthey, SUVs, and cost cuts: Porsche
The Mission S teaser, the Leiters quote, and the gas 718 statement to Motor1: Road & Track
The gap since the 918 Spyder: Hagerty
The EV-only 718 and the electric 911 pledge: InsideEVs
The 911 GT2 RS and the Mission S name: Motor1
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Ethan Llamas and Tokumeigakarinoaoshima (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Jeffrey Wiley has spent more time than he'd like to admit thinking about what makes a car look right. He writes about automotive design, car culture, and the opinions people have strong feelings about. He lives in north Georgia.
