OUR TAKE PORSCHE'S ELECTRIFYING FUTURE

Whether it's the next-gen 911, early sales figures for the new Panamera or plans for themission E, if there's a common thread to thismonth's news it's electrification. We've been here before, of course. In fact, there was a Porsche-badged hybrid way back in 1900, the Lohner-porsche.

In the intervening period, there have been several false electric dawns. Indeed, one such false start occurred around seven or eight years ago when the big brands in automanufacturing talked up EVS only to scale back plans. Cars like Audi's stillborn R8 E-tron were among the casualties. But this time it looks like it's really happening. Every singlemajor car brand has new pure-electricmodels planned for launch over the next two years.

Porsche's entrant will bemission E and inmany ways it will be themost interesting new Porsche in memory. Apart fromall the technical wizardry, it will be intriguing to see how wellmission E fares. Porsche is used to dominating the segments in which it operates, butmission E's specifications are already beingmade to look old hat thanks to the staggering 1000kmrange and sub two-seconds to 60mph claims Tesla is placing on its upcoming new Roadstermodel.

Meanwhile, Henrik Fisker's eponymous startup is readying a second-gen EV boasting so-called solidstate battery tech that couldmake even the Tesla Roadster look off the pace. In other words, things are moving incredibly fast in the emerging electric carmarket and even the likes of Porsche, which has been so very assured with its products over the past two decades, could be left looking thoroughly flat footed. Mission E could be a defining product. But it could also be a complete flop if Porsche falls behind a fastmoving technological curve. Exciting – but risky – times lie ahead.

911 & PORSCHE WORLD