Porsche’s dramatic-looking, two-seater hypercar concept, the Mission X and the purist, lightweight 911 S/T make their regional debuts at the Geneva International Motor Show in Qatar as the centre pieces of Porsche’s 75th Anniversary celebrations.
For three quarters of a century, Porsche has combined heritage and innovation to realise the sports car dreams of customers around the world which began on 8 June 1948 when the first Porsche, the 356 ‘No. 1” Roadster received its general operating permit. It continues today with the Mission X Concept picking up the torch of more recent Porsche super sports cars like the 959, the Carrera GT and the 918 Spyder to continue the evolutionary development of future vehicle concepts.
“Ferry Porsche famously stated that, unable to find the car of his dreams, he decided to build one for himself and this determination has continued for 75 years till today and remains a defining part of our future vision,” said Dr. Manfred Bräunl, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Middle East and Africa.
Porsche’s brave colour choices used over the decades, from Speed Yellow and Rubystar to Lava Orange, Neptune Blue and Forest Green, capture the essence of the Anniversary year theme ‘Dream in full colour’. This reflects not only on Porsche’s energetic choice of colours, but also its innovation and courage to not be afraid, just as Ferry did when he dreamt himself a better car that became the Porsche 356,” Bräunl added.
The future can be seen in the Mission X Concept that is a spectacular reinterpretation of a hypercar with Le Mans-style doors that open upwards to the front and is powered by a high-performance, efficient electric powertrain.
The vision of Mission X, should it go into series production, is for it to be the fastest road-legal vehicle around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with a power-to-weight ratio of roughly one PS per kilogram and achieving downforce values well above the level of the current 911 GT3 RS.
60 Years of 911
Porsche is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the 911 with the limited edition 911 S/T that is restricted to just 1,963 units and makes its regional debut at the Qatar show.
It’s the first time the high-revving 525 PS, 4.0 litre, six-cylinder boxer engine from the 911 GT3 RS has been matched with a short-ratio manual gearbox and lightweight clutch in a specification that combines the GT3 RS with the Touring Package.
The 911 S/T weighs approximately 40kg less than a manual GT3 Touring at just 1,380 kilograms thanks to the use of lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the front bonnet, roof, front guards, doors, rear axle, anti-roll bar and shear panel.
It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 300 km/h.
The 911 S/T pays homage to the 911 S of 1969 which was known internally as the 911 ST and included modifications to the chassis, wheels, engine and body to improve performance and handling before the era of large spoilers and aerodynamic aids.
Icons of Porsche, 25-26 November
The largest classic car festival in the Middle East, Icons of Porsche, returns to ‘The Slab’ in the Dubai Design District (D3) under the familiar, iconic backdrop of Dubai’s city skyline which welcomed more than 15,000 visitors last year. The two-day festival will ramp up the spectacle even further, not just for Porsche purists but for all car enthusiasts and their families.
Once again, Icons of Porsche will host not only the biggest display of classic Porsches anywhere in the region but also artwork installations from renowned artists, live music from local musicians, celebrity appearances, popular food and beverage vendors and displays from TAG Heuer, Porsche Lifestyle as well as a special Porsche merchandise pavilion.