The Mission E

The Mission E, Porsche’s first all-electric production car, had me thinking: “The Panamera is great, but the Mission E looks so good. It’s so futuristic and stylish that when it goes on sale, I might start having second thoughts about my Panamera.”

*Source: Porsche Japan official website

Then the other day, I came across this article.

“Porsche’s first EV, the Mission E, reveals a glimpse of its potential in the bitter cold of Scandinavia!”

I was intrigued and clicked through right away—but the photos stopped me in my tracks.

…What is this? That’s not the Mission E! ( ﾟдﾟ )!!

This is the Mission E:

…So how did we end up with this? ↓

So I turned to my husband and said, “That’s nothing like the Mission E! What’s going on?”

“That’s just how concept cars are.” (-_-)

he replied, matter-of-factly.

What Is a Concept Car?

A concept car is a vehicle built by an automaker for display, often at international motor shows. Sometimes called a “dream car” or “future car,” it shows the direction a manufacturer hopes to take: “This is the kind of thinking that will shape the cars we build in the future.” Concept cars also give automakers a chance to gauge public reaction and get drivers excited about new ideas.

As I searched online, I found plenty of comments and articles calling concept cars “a scam” or saying they were “disappointing.” Then my husband chimed in:

“A concept car isn’t the same thing as a production car. It can look incredibly cool, but there may be practical issues: the headlights might be positioned somewhere regulations don’t allow, the ride height might be too low, or those long, stylish wheels and tires might make the ride really uncomfortable. So putting a car into production is a different story. That said, when the Audi TT Coupe went on sale in 1998, the production version stayed remarkably close to the concept car—and it was a huge hit. I actually bought one myself back in the day, haha.”

he explained.

Here’s the Audi TT Coupe concept car:

Source: https://gqjapan.jp/car/story/20170117/dream-car/gallery/38

And here’s the production car:

Source: favcars.com

They really do look alike. So it can happen! I’d always assumed that concept cars went into production just as they were, but apparently that’s not usually the case. Still, it would be easier to tell if automakers unveiled concept cars with designs that screamed, “There’s no way this is ever going into production!”

Like this one (LOL):

Rolls-Royce Next 100 (2016) Source: https://gqjapan.jp/car/story/20170117/dream-car/

How the World of Concept Cars Is Changing

My husband went on to explain:

“In the past, concept cars were generally built as real vehicles and shown at motor shows. These days, automakers are also unveiling concept-car-like designs through Gran Turismo on PlayStation.”

I checked out the website—and sure enough!

“Would you design a Gran Turismo as you imagine it?” It all began with that question from Kazunori Yamauchi. In the automotive world, Gran Turismo—or GT, the name that inspired the video game series—is a term for a two-door sports car built for grand touring.
Automakers around the world have embraced that idea, and new “Gran Turismos” are arriving one after another. Vision Gran Turismo began as a 15th-anniversary celebration created by automakers, Gran Turismo, and its users. The cars unveiled through the project are gradually added to the Gran Turismo series, where players can get behind the wheel and help the celebration grow.

Source: Vision Gran Turismo

Sure enough, automakers like Audi, Honda, McLaren, Subaru, and Lexus have all unveiled their own concept-car-like designs. And the idea that you can actually drive them in a game is fascinating. The world of concept cars is changing with the times—and the world of esports (if that’s what we call it) is definitely one to keep an eye on.