Tesla Uses Airborne Roadster Demo to Challenge Porsche After Mission S Reveal

On Thursday, Oct. 15, Porsche introduced Mission S as a vision model for a planned mid-engined sports-car platform above the 911. Later that day, Tesla used its Roadster demonstration in Texas to challenge the German automaker on performance. Porsche’s Mission S unveiling outlined its planned mid-engined platform above the 911.

The next-generation Roadster made brief airborne maneuvers using a suction system and thrusters during the event in McGregor, Texas. Tesla’s official account later posted, “Porsche has to compete with this...” alongside a claimed 0-to-60-mph time of 0.81 seconds.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said, “We enter production in 2028. Actually.” He did not give a month or customer delivery date at the event. Tesla first showed this Roadster generation in November 2017, when Musk said it was expected to be available in 2020.

Porsche described Mission S as a preview of its evolving design identity and a platform it intends to make a permanent addition to its offerings. Porsche Chairman of the Executive Board Michael Leiters called it a “permanent and versatile addition to our customer offering.” The announcement gave no price, powertrain specifications, acceleration figure or production date for a vehicle on the planned platform.

The presentations put a physical Roadster demonstration and an early look at Porsche’s future platform in the same day’s spotlight. Tesla’s production target is 2028; Porsche has not announced when a production vehicle based on Mission S will arrive.