Porsche Mission S Concept Will Sit Above the 911
Porsche has confirmed a permanent mid-engine supercar superior to the 911.
Porsche unveiled the Mission S in New York on October 15, 2026. It is a concept model for a mid-engine supercar that Porsche says will sit on top of the 911 as a permanent member of its car range.
Porsche showed the Mission S on a pier in Queens, New York, where the 550 Spyder was photographed in 1953. Porsche calls the 550 Spyder its first super sports car and credits it with shaping the company’s identity.
A Permanent Platform Above the 911
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Porsche CEO Michael Leiters said the Mission S represents a mid-engine super sports car platform. He said it is a permanent addition to the company’s range, not a one-off hypercar. That sets it apart from the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder, which were limited editions. Porsche ended production of the 918 Spyder in 2015.
The car is part of Sportwagenschmiede ’35, a strategy Porsche presented at its Capital Markets Day on October 7. The plan is to sell fewer cars and more expensive ones. Porsche wants the share of luxury models to grow from about one third to almost half, and it wants the average price of its 10,000 most expensive cars to rise from €270,000 to €330,000 by 2030.
The time isn’t suitable. The Truth About Cars reports that Porsche’s operating margin fell to 1.1% in 2025 from a peak of 18%. Michael Leiters previously worked at Ferrari and McLaren, and media reports describe the Mission S as a rival to Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini. However, Porsche has not released specifications, so a direct comparison is not yet possible.
Design
Tobias Sühlmann, Vice President of Style Porsche, led the design. He took responsibility on February 1, 2026, after working at Volkswagen, Bugatti, Bentley, Aston Martin, and McLaren, where he served as Chief Design Officer. He says the project began six to eight months before the reveal, when Michael Leiters called him and suggested a vision model above the 911, possibly with a mid-engine layout.
Porsche says the design took inspiration from earlier models:
- 911: round headlights and torpedo-shaped front fenders
- 911 G model: shut lines that merge into the light graphics
- GT1: flat front and a “car-in-car” rear section
- 959: roofline beneath the rear wing
- 917: cooling fan above the engine
- 928: wheel design, based on its dial wheels
The car also has a fully integrated active rear wing.
Interior
The Mission S concept car has no permanently integrated center display or fixed passenger display. Instead, it has a retractable, MagSafe-compatible mobile holder, letting the driver use a personal smartphone for navigation or information. The My Porsche app gives access to vehicle functions and lets owners choose historically inspired designs for the round instruments.
There are five round instruments behind the steering wheel. The central rev counter has a needle and moves closer to the driver depending on the driving mode. The other instruments also change position. Dashboard controls provide easy access to comfort and driving settings. The key holder sits to the left of the steering wheel, following Porsche tradition. A steering wheel button called “On Your Own” reduces driver assistance systems to a minimum.
The interior design is inspired by the Porsche 550 Spyder and 356. Its white, grey, and red colors are taken from classic Porsche racing cars.
Powertrain and Gearbox
Porsche’s official release does not name an engine. Leiters said at the reveal that the new Mission S platform can take a pure combustion engine or a hybrid system. He also said Porsche isn’t planning a battery-electric version because there is no demand for electric hypercars. The all-electric Mission X concept from 2023 did not reach production.
The Mission S platform also supports both PDK and manual transmissions. Asked about a manual, Leiters said customer demand will decide what Porsche builds on the platform. A manual is therefore possible, but not promised. The Mission S show car itself appears to use an automatic, as pictures show PRND markings on the shifter and metal paddles behind the steering wheel, pointing to a PDK.
What Is Still Unknown
Porsche has not revealed the engine, power output, performance figures, price, or production date. It has also not said how closely the production model will follow the concept. Sühlmann said the vision model’s proportions are somewhat exaggerated, but said a production car based on the same design language is conceivable.
