W H E E L S
Porsche Mission R
R FRENZY ’LECTRIC Extra touches include 3D-printed seat pads contoured to each driver’s cheeks, and a helmet-holder with disinfectant spray built in.
Rtba (concept) / porsche.com Ooooh, a new Porsche. It looks, erm, potent… So right. How does 1073bhp from an 800kW electrical drivetrain sound? And one that can be charged from 5% to 80% in just 15 minutes for that matter? It’s a proper weapon… but one that’s destined for the racetrack only. And that’s if it even makes it that far, as the Mission R is just an extremely handsome concept for now. That’s a shame, but how would we get a go in one? Well, Porsche is planning a customer race series for 2025, whereby very well-heeled fans purchase one of these beasts and then get to compete in a Carrera Cup-esque racing season of globe-trottin’, champagne-poppin’ action. So engineers have developed this beast to run for 30-40mins before its batteries run dry.
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This all sounds highly expensive and unattainable. Of course it is. The Mission R has cost millions to develop – but like so many things in the upper echelons of the racing world, you have to see it as a halo product, whose tech will trickle down to potential future customer cars. After all, there’s still a big question mark hanging over the upcoming Boxster and Cayman models, which many people believe could go fully electric. So might this be a preview of the upcoming Cayman? We don’t want to mislead anyone, but the Mission R is small and purposeful, much like the Boxster and Cayman… and there’s also the addition of the clever motor technology found in the much larger Taycan Turbo S, which has been cleverly shoehorned into this compact package – proving it can be done.
NEWS DASHBOARD
A LIFE MORE ORDINARY
Oh, here comes yet another shiny electric VW… well, yes, but the ID.Life is an EV that’s set to cost about the same price as a petrol-driven Polo does now… and its 172kW (234hp) electric motor means this cute number accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 6.9 seconds. Cheap thrills indeed.
MOTORRAD’S RAD MOTO
It’s a… scooter? Scrambler? Monkey bike? All three? We’re not entirely sure what the BMW Concept CE 02 is, but it aims to bridge the gap between an entry-level scooter and a learner-legal motorcycle. It’ll do 88km on a charge and, hey kids, you can use a skateboard as a footrest!
THERE GOES THE SPHERE
This is the Audi Grandsphere concept, and it’s as close to a private jet for the road as money can buy… or will be able to buy when they hurry up and make it. This monolith of luxury is clever too, with Level 4 autonomy allowing the driver to relax and enjoy the CinemaScope TV screens.
