The Porsche Mission E Gets High Marks From Pro Racer

author: Eric Walz   

The upcoming Mission E, the luxury electric sedan from Porsche is expected to compete directly with the Tesla Model S, giving Tesla its first real competition in the luxury electric car space. Although the car is not available yet, Porsche invited one of the world's top professional racecar drivers to put a Mission E test car through its paces on the track and show off its power and handling.

The car is still in development, but Porsche allowed former F1 driver and Porsche 919 Hybrid endurance car driver Mark Webber to take a turn behind the wheel at the Porsche development center in Weissach, Germany. The company released his test drive on video, along with his impressions, where he gave the car high marks.

The Mission E Dashboard

After driving the Mission E for the first time, Webber said "Yeah, that's gonna be a game changer." Quite literally, it is stealth in motion, he said after his test drive. He added that the Mission E is a gorgeous piece of machinery and that Porsche engineers have done an amazing job.

"I thought that the Mission E could feel a little heavy but the driving experience is seriously dynamic: the four-wheel steering, the performance and the braking ability were a really amazing experience."

In the video, Webber notes that it feels a bit like the 919 race car running in full EV mode. He also likens the view over the Mission E's front fenders to that of the view in the 918 Spyder hypercar. He added that the Mission E feels quite nimble for being so heavy, and he also noted that the car will deliver 600 horsepower from its electric powertrain.

The Mission E is expected to hit dealers in 2019. Porsche promises extremely fast charging of 80 percent capacity in just 20 minutes using 800-volt fast chargers. Like Tesla's Superchargers, the company is currently working on installing these high-voltage chargers around the U.S. to take advantage of the quicker charging rate.

In addition to its ultra-fast charging, Porsche also promises that the Mission E will live up to the Porsche heritage, will be able to handle serious driving on the track, as well as on the open road.

Contributing to its handling, the Mission E battery, based on the latest lithium-ion technology, extends the full length between front and rear axles. This distributes the weight equally along the wheelbase, assuring optimal balance. In addition, the center of gravity of the entire vehicle is extremely low, providing the feeling of a true sports car.

"I've got many Porsche moments that will stay with me forever—winning the WEC in the 919 Hybrid would be one and I think I've just experienced another" Weber said about his experience on the track with the Mission E.

It looks like Tesla CEO Elon Musk needs to look over his shoulder as automakers move into the luxury-electric performance space currently occupied by the Tesla Model S.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.