Porsche Designs Secret Animal Easter Eggs For Every Concept It Builds

The Porsche Mission X Concept car may very well be the most incredible vehicle unveiled this year, and a look at its development gives us insight into why that is.

Mission X is the culmination of everything the brand has become known for over the last 75 years. Porsche hopes this new hypercar will set the tone for the next 75 years, so it has a lot riding on its shoulders. Head of Design Michael Mauer put it succinctly when he said, "It's a dream and a whole lot of stress."

However, we think the man who designed vehicles like the Cayenne, Panamera, and 918 Spyder had no problem dealing with all of that stress. "We basically worked on the concept car until the very last second," said Mauer. "Your pulse is racing by the end, and you hope that everything runs and works."

After its reveal at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart this past June, we say things have probably worked out better than anyone expected.

The exquisite design debuted in a gorgeous shade of Rocket Metallic paint that one wouldn't commonly associate with a hypercar. Ensuring the vehicle's proportions were as compact as possible, the company didn't just want to build something that looked like it would set a Nurburgring record, but something that sent a clear visual message: "I'm more than just a hypercar. Motorsport is in my genes."

Inspiration for the model was borrowed from all different places throughout the brand's 75-year history. Reaching back to the past, it uses design elements like Le Mans doors, Daytona windows, and the glass dome with exoskeleton from the iconic 917.

The stacked headlights come from race cars like the 906 and 908. The company fused these elements with newer vehicles like the 918 Hybrid and the 919 Hybrid and found a sort of middle ground that best expressed their design goals.

This middle ground focuses less on striking, aggressive design and more on luxurious appeal. "We focused on design quality, the materials, and the best possible integration of all the elements," said Mauer.

You won't find Alcantara adorning this concept's steering wheel, seats, and doors. Instead, Porsche opted for sumptuous Andalusia Brown and Kalahari Grey leather with carbon fiber accents. In fact, Mauer says that they went to great lengths not to highlight the carbon fiber, instead painting it in matching colors so it doesn't pull your attention away from the overall design.

"Many modern hypercars are made up almost entirely of holes," said Mauer. "In comparison, the Mission X has many smooth, uninterrupted surfaces." These smooth surfaces look beautiful but are yet to be 100% proven to work aerodynamically.

Many engineers, racing technicians, and aerodynamic specialists helped with the concept. Still, much more work will have to be done to ensure the vehicle will achieve the performance goals the company wants it to.

This means the Mission X still has to spend hundreds of hours in a wind tunnel to ensure it's the fastest street-legal car around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. "The front of the car, including the headlights, is very advanced aesthetically, and even the interior is feasible with very little modification," said Mauer. He will be thrilled to keep as much of his original design as possible, but he's willing to do what is needed to see it all come together.

One thing we do want to see make it through to production is the animal sticker. Visible in front of the rear left wheel and slightly tucked under some aero, you can make out a cheetah. "We designers love stickers," said Mauer. "At some point, the idea took on a life of its own, and we designed an animal sticker for each new concept car."

This included a dinosaur for the Porsche Vision 357 and a wild boar for the Mission R. The cheetah, the fastest land animal on earth and an exceptional silent hunter, perfectly represents the Mission X.