The press pics of the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo are pretty slick. They show the car in a fine light looking all purposeful and Porsche-ish. But in person, here at the Geneva Motor Show, it looks a little more rough than ready.
The press release contains this gem: “Limited light and special lighting angles emphasise the car’s design.” And in the shiny press pics contained with it show a moody looking thing, a classic Porsche shape that looks pretty damn appealing.
In the cold, cold light of the auto show it’s a different story. Its big wheels look awkward and the cladding over the wheel wells don’t suit its sleek body at all. Hell, Porsche gave it nostrils with LEDs.
It sits oddly high, and the whole package seems to be at odds with itself.
What Porsche could have done here is take the new Mission E ethos and throw it at some of its heritage—it could have created a new take on the legendary 959 Dakar car. Instead it’s ended up with something that looks aftermarket.
The promised tech, range, and self-driving capabilities are all very promising. It’s the kind of thing Porsche should be doing after all.
That said, it’s been a while—almost three years—since the original Mission E Concept first appeared. Like the upcoming Toyota Supra, it’s not a matter of if but when; it’ll happen seeing as Porsche has said it’ll bring an EV to market eventually. And given market conditions, an SUV or crossover variant seems inevitable.
We’ve been waiting a while, Porsche, and not for a German version of a Volvo V90 Cross Country. Hopefully you can do better next time.