It will do 0-62mph in ‘less than 3.5 seconds’, says Porsche officially. Is that a simulation or a real figure, Top Gear asks project head Stefan Weckbach. It was a simulation when they announced the number for the show car (above) in 2015, he says, but now it’s been proved. Oh, and he emphasises the ‘less than’ part of the claim. But refuses to answer by how much it’ll be quicker.

It’ll also get to 125mph in ‘less than’ 12 seconds and have a top speed of ‘more than’ 155mph. See a pattern here?

This whole lot is brought about by a pair of powerful motors, front and rear, totalling ‘more than’ (here we go again) 600bhp. They’re the permanent magnet synchronous type, as used by Nissan and others. They’re more power-dense and temperature-stable than Tesla’s induction motors.

Porsche has also said the acceleration figure will be repeatable, time after time, as the battery goes down. Again, temperature management is critical. Weckbach says the battery uses liquid cooling, as most other EVs do.

This claim about repeatability is surely a dig at Tesla. Ludicrous Mode on a Model S means a full charge. The Porsche, like the Tesla, will also need a battery conditioning interval, though. “You can’t beat physics,” he admits. So to repeat 0-60 in the three-second range actually means waiting several minutes in between goes, and that kinda defeats the point.

He says that the car will have multiple modes including Sport Plus that reconfigure its systems for when you want a blitz run.

To keep the acceleration strong all the way to top speed, two-speed gearboxes will be used. The 918 decouples its front motor at speed; it’s conceivable the Mission E will have a two-speed box at the back and a decoupling clutch at the front. It’s fundamentally a rear-biased car anyway, as the rear motor is more powerful than the front.