Grand Prix and WEC winner likens the Mission E/Taycan to the 919 race car.
Even when they have their development mules covered in line-obscuring cladding and eye-tricking black-and-white swirl wraps, many vehicle manufacturers try to keep prying eyes (and camera lenses) from seeing them. That’s why spy shots exist. When it comes to the upcoming Mission E, Porsche doesn’t seem to care who sees the prototype version of it. In fact, it shot a video of champion racer and Porsche brand ambassador Mark Webber driving it around the Weissach test track and posted it on Youtube.
Much of the Mission E test vehicle is completely uncovered, allowing us to see that, like many production cars, the final version of the Mission E, the Taycan, will not look exactly like the concept that inspired it. Unlike the Concept Study Mission E, the car Webber takes around the course doesn’t have rear suicide doors. However, it looks as if what cladding is in place is there to hide headlights and tail lights which may end up looking close to their concept counterparts.
That all remains to be seen. The good news is that Webber makes it clear that the Mission E mule has 600 horsepower, which is in line with the concept’s projected output figure.
Webber likens driving the powerful, all-electric Porsche to being behind the wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid LMP1-H Le Mans race car. Looking out over the front wheel arches makes Webber think of being in the driver’s seat of the 918 Spyder. Despite its weight, the Mission E prototype possesses a surprising agility.
We’re looking forward to seeing the finished, production-ready Taycan…but probably not as much as Tesla. Webber calls it a “game changer.” Porsche brand ambassador or not, he’s right. The Mission E is going to change the game of electric performance cars.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
