Porsche’s Future Prophetic E-Racing Concept Build, A Look Into The Electrifying Mission R

Porsche’s latest vision for sustainable mobility comes in the form of an all-electric GT racing car, the Mission R, a foretelling of the future of customer motorsports.

Thus far, unveiled at the IAA Mobility, the Mission R is still a concept study. Nonetheless, Porsche has given some insight and a deep dive into its build, a look at the body, chassis and drive.

First off, the body and chassis. Many of the Mission R's add-on parts are made of natural fibre reinforced plastic (NFRP), a material made from agriculturally produced flax fibres.

Notably, unlike conventional plastics, natural fibres have an ecological benefit of 85 percent less CO2 generated in their production than in the comparable process used for carbon fibres.

Also, the natural fibres are roughly as light as carbon fibres and deliver the stiffness required for semi-structural components with a low additional weight of less than 10 percent.

On the Mission R, most of its exterior is made of NFRP, e.g., the doors, front splitter, rear wings, diffuser, rocker panels and rear centre section.

Besides that, it also has a new roll-over protection concept. ‘Exoskeleton’ is the name Porsche engineers and designers have given to the eye-catching carbon cage of the Mission R.

Instead of a conventional steel cell welded to the bodyshell, it uses a cage structure made up of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP).

Said carbon fibre composite cage structure combines high protection potential for the driver with low weight and a distinctive look.

Like a half-timbered construction, it provides a framework around six transparent segments made of polycarbonate.

Its protective structure forms the roof section and is visible from the outside, enabling those racing the car to enjoy a new feeling of generous space.

Most importantly, it includes a removable escape hatch for the driver, which is based on the FIA requirements for racing vehicles used in international competition.

Adding to all that lightweight material, the Porsche Mission R e-racing car is further built with aerodynamics that exerts maximum downforce.

With its advanced Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA), the Mission R can adapt its aerodynamic characteristics optimally to what the driver is doing on the race track.

This is courtesy of its Drag Reduction System (DRS) that comprises three louvres in the air intakes on each side of the nose section as well as an adjustable, two-section spoiler.

To apply maximum downforce, the louvres are closed, and the spoiler is deployed to its steepest position.

Furthermore, to deflect as much air as possible, the wheel arches are vented via openings at the top of each front panel. Technically, the front wheels are almost completely uncovered in the rear area.

Speaking of which, the Porsche Mission R rolls on 18-inch, five twin-spoke milled magnesium cup centre-lock wheels with smooth-surfaced carbon aeroblades that are also flow-optimised.

As for the rubbers, Porsche’s long-standing tyre partner, Michelin, has developed new slicks exclusively for the Mission R with a 30/68 for the front and 31/71 for the rear tyre format.

They consist of bio-based and renewable materials, which means they are a key with regard to the overall sustainable concept of the Mission R.

These exclusive tyres also have a high resistance to wear and are protected against damage caused by deposits on the race track.

Interestingly, the tyres can be fitted with sensors that communicate with the onboard electronics during a race in real-time and provide the driver with information relating to tyre conditions.

That’s not all, the chassis is also fitted with a double-wishbone axle at the front and McPherson struts at the rear, hence the Mission R has independent suspension all around.

Ball joints on all control arms ensure the chassis is properly connected to the suspension system, and the steel subframes also contribute to high-performance driving dynamics.

On top of that, in the Mission R’s brake-by-wire braking system, a control unit models the interaction between the hydraulic and electric brakes, which is known as brake blending.

Due to the high recuperation output of up to 800 kW, the conventional brakes are subjected to a significantly lower load and could thereby be reduced in size.

Thereby, the diameter of the brake discs is now 380 and 355 mm at the front and rear, respectively, with six-piston callipers fitted at the front and four-piston at the rear.

Indeed, being an e-racing car, everything is electrified down to its steering. With Electric Power Steering (EPS), a torque sensor receives the driver's intended directional change as a signal.

Consequently, it calculates the optimum steering assistance required and passes on the data to an electric motor, which then supplies the power needed to complete the change in direction.

Porsche’s brand ambassador, Timo Bernhard, remarked, “It's indescribable, the immediate surge of power from the two electric motors is something you simply have to experience for yourself. The only time I've ever experienced such an amazingly powerful boost was in the Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid car.”

Moving on to the Mission R’s electrifying drive. Porsche claimed that it is on a par with the performance level of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Significantly, the power output remains constant over the duration of the race, meaning no thermally induced de-rating, a major plus for the e-motors with direct oil cooling made by Porsche.

The electric motor on the front axle produces up to 320 kW (435 PS) in race mode, in qualifying mode, its system output peaks at more than 800 kW (1,088 PS).

However, the all-wheel-drive car’s continuous system output under race mode is up by 180 kW (245 PS), making it surge with 500 kW (680 PS) of power.

Top speed is more than 300 km/h and the 1,500 kg lightweight electric racing car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2.5 seconds.

In terms of the battery’s capacity, which also incorporates high-end cells and direct oil cooling is designed and meant for sprint racing.

Based on the 800-volt technology of the three-time Le Mans winner, the 919 Hybrid, the Mission R raises the bar a notch higher with a voltage rating of more than 900 volts.

Thanks to the 900-volt technology, it can charge the battery with DC fast charging from five to 80 percent State of Charge (SoC) in about 15 minutes with a maximum charging capacity of 350 kW.

Above all, upon ignition, the car starts with a battery status of 85 percent SoC, and an energy recuperation of up to 800 kW is possible in almost every driving situation.

Meaning, depending on the race track, more than 50 percent of the energy can be recovered and is available for use.

Detailing further, the high-end battery with a total capacity of 82 kWh sits behind the driver in an e-core layout, and it is designed for a sprint race format distance of 25 to 40 minutes.

Power output from the two electric motors is transmitted to the front and rear wheels via straight-toothed input gearboxes and mechanical limited-slip differentials.

Its drive system’s modular design also helps to improve cost efficiency, in which the gearbox, electric motors and pulse-controlled inverters (PCI) on the front and rear axles are identical.

Porsche’s Mission R is pre-equipped for over-the-air technology. Thus, when problems occur during the race, Porsche Motorsport experts can access data from the customer cars via a remote interface.

Equally important, for the Mission R, Porsche is offering a preview of the next generation of electric motors.

The most important innovation of these permanently excited synchronous machines (PESMs) is the direct oil cooling of the stator.

For instance, it enables very high peak and continuous power output levels and delivers a very high level of efficiency.

While in conventional electrical machines, the cooling fluid flows through a jacket outside the stator, in the case of direct cooling, the oil flows directly along the copper windings.

This allows more heat to be dissipated directly at the source, and the slots in the stator can be made smaller, which leads to greater efficiency in real driving cycles.

Akin to the Taycan's electric motors, the hairpin winding contributes to a high yield of power and torque while maintaining compact dimensions.

Their shape is reminiscent of hairpins hence the name, and the coils consist of rectangular wires that are bent and then inserted into the stator's laminated core.

There is also a unique high-voltage alert system explicitly designed for the pit crew. In which its safety concept meets the same high standards of safety required for series production vehicles.

Owing to that, in the event of a collision, the battery connections to the vehicle and the high-voltage consumers are automatically disconnected to ensure no voltage is present.

Special LEDs behind the windscreen and on the roof provide fast and detailed information on the operating status of the high-voltage system.

If the LEDs light up green, the Mission R is high-voltage safe. If the LEDs are red, then only high-voltage trained personnel should approach the vehicle.

Finally, there is also a light in the roof module behind the speed-measuring pitot tube, which is included in this colour-coded warning system.

Overall, with this all-electric GT racing car, the Mission R, Porsche is taking a step beyond redefining the nature of customer motorsports and the future of e-racing altogether.