Porsche Is Officially Developing a Mid-Engine Supercar Above the 911

• Porsche is developing a mid-engine supercar that will be positioned above the 911.
• Previewed by the new Mission S concept car, the new supercar marks the first time Porsche has developed a permanent model that will sit above the iconic 911 in the lineup.
• Details are still in short supply, but we know that Porsche wants the interior to have minimal screens and that the exterior design takes inspiration from historic models.

What’s that? The world turned upside down? And are those pigs flying? Oh, it’s an announcement from Porsche that the 911 will no longer be the top of the lineup? That’s basically the same thing.

Porsche is incredibly protective of the 911’s image and its place at the top of the brand’s lineup. Usurpers in the form of the 959, Carrera GT, and the 918 have all been allowed to pop in for a quick stay but not long enough to supplant the 911 in any way, and the same has been true for the 718, which has traditionally not been allowed to surpass the 911 in terms of performance. Now, though, for the first time, Porsche is officially developing a permanent line above the 911. And it’ll house its engine in the middle, like a proper supercar.

While we don’t yet know the production name, Porsche is calling this concept the Mission S. The styling inspiration drawn from Porsche’s history is easy to spot. The round headlights are right from a 911, the front end and roof scoop are an homage to the 911 GT1, as is the car-in-a-car look at the back, and the rear wing is a clear tribute to the 959. The radiator fan over the engine looks like a copy/paste situation from the Porsche 917 racer, while the wheels are a new design derived from the 928’s dial design.

Porsche hasn’t committed to a specific powertrain yet, at least not publicly, but told Car and Driver that the production line will have support for pure gasoline powerplants as well as traditional hybrid and plug-in options. If the rumor mill is correct, the combustion portion of the equation will be handled via a flat-eight engine located between the axles. The automaker confirmed to C/D that the line won’t have a fully electric offering because there is no demand for one in the segment.

Despite selling its stake in Bugatti earlier this year, Porsche clearly learned a thing or two from the French company. If you’ve seen the interior of the Bugatti Tourbillon, the analog focus of the Mission S will come as no surprise. Porsche cares about how its new supercar makes the driver feel. That means a blend of analog and digital controls, with real switches as well as modern displays.

Instead of a push-button starter like those found on nearly every other car on sale today, Porsche opted for a physical key. The automaker also decided to forgo a center screen entirely. In its place there’s a retractable magnetic smartphone holder. If you want navigation or any other info, you’ll have to use your phone.

Pricing remains a mystery, as does the timeline for the production version’s arrival, but given that Porsche recently announced plans to increase the price of its GT models, we wouldn’t be shocked if the new line starts around $500,000. As for its arrival, the Mission S looks fairly production-ready, but we expect that we’ll have to wait until 2029 at the earliest before the new car arrives.

➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.