When Analog Becomes Novelty
As cars become more and more digital and software defined, there is a bit of fatigue with tech. There’s now a longing for simpler, analog cars, and automakers are well aware of that. There is some course correction going on with some bringing back more buttons in cars, but Porsche has taken it to a different level.
The folks from Stuttgart have unveiled the Mission S, and while it’s a prototype for now, at least it’s a functional car. That hints at it being relatively far into development, and the production model might not be far away. It’s a stark contrast to the Tesla Roadster that premiered on the same day, although that one wasn’t the actual car just yet.
Porsche
Old-School Touches
The Mission S has something that Porsches haven’t had in a while, which is a physical key. Yes, you actually have to insert it in the ignition and turn a key to start it. There’s no touchscreen inside, either, and in its place is a MagSafe phone holder for your in-car entertainment needs.
Buttons and dials are strewn across the dashboard, and you don’t get settings buried in sub-menus because there’s no touchscreen in the first place. If anything, we haven’t seen a Porsche interior this screen-free in decades. Also, there’s a variety of drive modes that can be activated via a dial on the steering wheel, but there’s also a button that shuts off all driver’s aids simply dubbed ‘On Your Own.’
Porsche
Powertrain specs haven’t been revealed yet, but if you’ve seen videos of it being started up, we just know that there’s a minimum of eight cylinders under its clamshell. It’s hard to tell if it’s electrified or not, but it’s making the right noises.
More Carrera GT than 918 Spyder
There’s no launch date locked in for the production version just yet, but Porsche is pretty serious about actually building it. And for news to delight the analog enthusiasts, Porsche CEO Michael Leiters has confirmed that a manual transmission is compatible for the Mission S.
Of course, there has to be enough actual demand in the first place to make that happen. Leiters told Road and Track that “Customer demand will define what we build on this platform.” Then again, this is a highly-specialized classic-style Porsche, and there will inevitably be those who will say the want three pedals and actually buy it. If the math works out, this will be the first Porsche hypercar in 20 years to be offered with a manual.
With that, it seems that Porsche isn’t making a successor to the 918 Spyder, as the Mission S highlights simplicity and raw ability. Instead, it’s making a modern interpretation of the Carrera GT. Aside from the possibility of it being available with a manual, Porsche designed the platform in a way that it can go full combustion or electrified. Again, this will be defined by demand, and it will be interesting to see what the final product will look like. If Porsche actually pulls off a flat-8-powered mid-engined hypercar with no electrification and a manual, we could start partying like its 2003 again.
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