While the Mission E concept was showcased in 2015, the idea actually existed long before that. The whole thing started in the early 2010s when Porsche was turning the 918 Spyder concept into a production model. The idea was penned by Porsche chief designed Michael Mauer after he saw a sketch of the 918 that seemed to have rear doors.
“When walking past, I saw a schematic representation of the Porsche 918 on a designer’s drawing board in our studio. A line had been redrawn with a felt-tip pen to clearly show the falling contour. From the corner of my eye, it looked like a rear door joint. I was astonished!” Mauer said.
The 960 Turismo is clearly inspired by the 918 Spyder. The front fascia looks very similar to the supercar that Porsche introduced in 2013, while the massive vents in the rear doors also hint at a mid-engined layout. The rear section is a blend between the 911 and the Panamera. Porsche says the 960 Turismo was originally envisioned with a mid- or rear-engined layout, but the design team eventually decided that an all-electric drivetrain would be a better choice. The 960 Turismo eventually morphed into the Mission E, which spawned the Taycan we can now find in showrooms.
While I think the Taycan is a gorgeous EV, I can’t help but wonder what if Porsche designed and sold a four-door version of the 918 Spyder?
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