Leaked video footage has provided the clearest look yet at Porsche’s Mission S supercar concept, revealing a distinctive rear-mounted cooling fan inspired by the marque’s historic 917 racing cars.

The footage was reportedly recorded in New York while Porsche’s official photography team was preparing the car. It shows handlers removing a black cover from a mid-engined two-seater ahead of its scheduled official reveal at 16:30 ET.

Distinctive rear design

The Mission S features pronounced rear fenders and an integrated hoop-style spoiler. The shape gives the rear bodywork an enveloping appearance, with visual similarities to the 911-based Marsien from Marc Philipp Gemballa and, in some areas, the BMW i8.

Two glass roof panels sit above the driver and passenger, separated by a raised central section. That spine could be a roof-mounted air intake, although its function has not been confirmed.

More certain is the prominent horizontal fan positioned in the center of the rear deck. Its compact appearance recalls the much larger fans used by Porsche’s 917 racing cars during the 1960s and 1970s.

Powertrain details remain unconfirmed

The original 917’s large fans supported air-cooled flat-eight and flat-12 engines. Porsche later moved away from air cooling in the 1990s, with noise regulations cited as a factor.

Exhaust hardware visible in the footage confirms that the Mission S has an internal-combustion engine. The car features two pairs of stacked exhaust outlets, while some reports have suggested a possible flat-eight configuration. Neither the engine layout nor its exact specifications have been confirmed.

Hybrid assistance has also been suggested, potentially following the approach used by the 918 Spyder as well as the 911 GTS and Turbo. Possible front electric motors for torque vectoring, along with another motor assisting the rear-mounted combustion engine, have been mentioned, but those details remain speculation. Although the footage appears to show a genuine vehicle, the possibility of AI involvement has not been completely ruled out.

Positioning within Porsche’s lineup

Porsche introduced the Mission S project as part of a strategy focused on improving profitability through higher-margin vehicles. The concept has been described as a potential successor to the 918 Spyder, while reports have indicated that a production version could target the supercar segment and be built in greater volume than Porsche’s hypercar.

Further information is expected with the official reveal.