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The AE Quote of the Century: Everybody loves The High-Octane Truth. Until they don't. -WG
(Porsche Images)
Porsche is planning a machine above the iconic 911 sports car, and it will be a permanently available super sports car offering. Unveiled in New York last Thursday, the Mission S is "authentic, consequent, and timeless: these three terms set the strategic framework for the further development of Porsche's iconic design identity," according to Porsche PR minions. “The Mission S is the result of a forward-looking, holistic design strategy,” says Tobias Sühlmann, Head of Style Porsche. “This vision model illustrates a fundamental strategic direction that we will soon be translating into our future product portfolio.” The Mission S "combines a powerful mid-engine super sports car platform with a clear design language inspired by historic Porsche icons," according to the manufacturer. Inside, the focus is on purism, driver-oriented ergonomics, and a forward-looking symbiosis of analogue and digital controls. The deliberate reduction of digital surfaces focuses on direct interaction between driver and vehicle.
“A Porsche must be recognizable as a Porsche at first glance,” Dr. Michael Leiters, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, said. “The Mission S provides a glimpse of the ideas and design features that will shape Porsche in the coming years.” The focus is on the authentic, consequent, and timeless design of the vehicle and a particularly intense connection between driver and car. “At the same time, the Mission S represents a mid-engined super sports car platform positioned above the 911 – not as a one-off hypercar, but as a permanent and versatile addition to our customer offering,” Leiters added.
The Porsche Mission S celebrated its world premiere at a location of historical significance to the company: a pier in Queens, New York, with a view of the Manhattan skyline. The first pictures of the mid-engined Porsche 550 Spyder on this very pier made their way around the world in 1953. As the brand's first super sports car, the 550 Spyder is still regarded today as having defined the company's identity. At the same time, it laid an important foundation for Porsche to become popular and successful in the US. By choosing this location, Porsche is emphasizing the importance of its history for the future of design and brand – a claim that is also reflected in the Mission S.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: It's significant that Porsche revealed nothing about the drivetrain in the Mission S. Rumors of a flat-8-cylinder engine persist, but Porsche operatives remain mum on that speculation. One thing I can assure you about the Mission S, however, is that when it appears sometime in 2028 or early 2029, you can expect prices of $500,000+, especially when the normal transaction price for the current 911 is close to $200,000, on average, and "special" 911s like the Dakar regularly push $400,000. This adheres to Leiters' recent pronouncements that Porsche will continue to push upmarket in search of more profits. My thoughts on the overall design? It's reminiscent of several recent competition cars, but beyond that, I can't be bothered to care. Porsche's pursuit of the exotic pricing strata ended my interest in the brand a long, long time ago. -PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: This week, our video features the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring. Watch it here. -PMD
"The Flame" by Cheap Trick from the album "Lap Of Luxury" (1988).* Written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.
The AE Song of the Week
Another night slowly closes in
And I feel so lonely
Touching heat freezing on my skin
I pretend you still hold me
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you
I can't believe you're gone
You were the first, you'll be the last
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember, after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
Watching shadows move across the wall
I feel so frightened
I wanna run to you, I wanna call
But I've been hit by lightning
Just can't stand up for fallin' apart
Can't see through this veil across my heart, over you
You'll always be the one
You were the first, you'll be the last
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember, after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you
You'll always be the one
You were the first, you'll be the last
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember, after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
And whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Touching heat freezing on my skin
I pretend you still hold me
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you
I can't believe you're gone
You were the first, you'll be the last
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember, after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
Watching shadows move across the wall
I feel so frightened
I wanna run to you, I wanna call
But I've been hit by lightning
Just can't stand up for fallin' apart
Can't see through this veil across my heart, over you
You'll always be the one
You were the first, you'll be the last
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember, after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
I'm going crazy, I'm losing sleep
I'm in too far, I'm in way too deep over you
You'll always be the one
You were the first, you'll be the last
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Whenever you need someone
To lay your heart and head upon
Remember, after the fire, after all the rain
I will be the flame
I will be the flame
Whatever you want, I'll give it to you
Wherever you go, I'll be with you
And whatever you want, I'll give it to you
"The Flame" by Cheap Trick from the album "Lap Of Luxury" (1988).* Written by Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind. Watch the Official Music Video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u6uXuT9pm4&list=RD2u6uXuT9pm4&start_radio=1
*Cheap Trick had a huge breakthrough with their 1979 live album Cheap Trick at Budokan, which brought "I Want You To Want Me" into the Top 10. In 1980, bass player Tom Petersson left the group, and for most of the decade they had a hard time finding another hit, with none of their singles reaching the Top 40. Peterson returned to the group for their 1988 album Lap of Luxury, which included the big ballad that would get them back on the airwaves: "The Flame." This was the dawn of the hair metal era, when the likes of Cinderella and Poison were cracking the charts wide open with similar songs. Cheap Trick already had the MTV-ready look and the rock pedigree; they just needed the song. "The Flame" checked all the boxes, and although it wasn't something the band would whip up themselves, they liked it better than the other option. In an interview with Gerry Galipault, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos explained: "The vice president at Epic told us he had these two songs and they're both gonna be #1. He goes, 'We got one for you and one for the group Chicago, but you can have first choice.' He said, 'I think the one 'The Flame' would be good for you guys.' The other one was 'Look Away' and it sounded like some girl singing on the demo. We really didn't like that song anyway, so 'Sure, we'll do 'The Flame.' We're game.'" This was written by the songwriting team of Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. They wrote it for the British singer Elkie Brooks, but she wouldn't record it, so Mitchell put his voice on the demo and shopped the song around. It found its way to Epic Records, which gave it to Cheap Trick. The song is a tender ballad where the singer tells a girl he will always be there for her. It was not typical of Cheap Trick's sound, and was also their only hit not written or co-written by their guitarist Rick Nielsen. The song succeeded in exposing the band to a much larger audience. This was Cheap Trick's only #1 hit, remaining at the top spot in the US for two weeks in the summer of 1988. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
*Cheap Trick had a huge breakthrough with their 1979 live album Cheap Trick at Budokan, which brought "I Want You To Want Me" into the Top 10. In 1980, bass player Tom Petersson left the group, and for most of the decade they had a hard time finding another hit, with none of their singles reaching the Top 40. Peterson returned to the group for their 1988 album Lap of Luxury, which included the big ballad that would get them back on the airwaves: "The Flame." This was the dawn of the hair metal era, when the likes of Cinderella and Poison were cracking the charts wide open with similar songs. Cheap Trick already had the MTV-ready look and the rock pedigree; they just needed the song. "The Flame" checked all the boxes, and although it wasn't something the band would whip up themselves, they liked it better than the other option. In an interview with Gerry Galipault, Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos explained: "The vice president at Epic told us he had these two songs and they're both gonna be #1. He goes, 'We got one for you and one for the group Chicago, but you can have first choice.' He said, 'I think the one 'The Flame' would be good for you guys.' The other one was 'Look Away' and it sounded like some girl singing on the demo. We really didn't like that song anyway, so 'Sure, we'll do 'The Flame.' We're game.'" This was written by the songwriting team of Bob Mitchell and Nick Graham. They wrote it for the British singer Elkie Brooks, but she wouldn't record it, so Mitchell put his voice on the demo and shopped the song around. It found its way to Epic Records, which gave it to Cheap Trick. The song is a tender ballad where the singer tells a girl he will always be there for her. It was not typical of Cheap Trick's sound, and was also their only hit not written or co-written by their guitarist Rick Nielsen. The song succeeded in exposing the band to a much larger audience. This was Cheap Trick's only #1 hit, remaining at the top spot in the US for two weeks in the summer of 1988. (Knowledge courtesy of Songfacts.com)
Editor's Note: Click on "Next 1 Entries" at the bottom of this page to see previous issues. - WG