There has been much excitement around the new Porsche Taycan Turbo and Turbo S since the vehicle was unveiled earlier this month. It’s Porsche’s first true all-electric sports performance car that is taking on the Tesla Model S.
This weekend I had the opportunity to spend sometime around the Taycan, pronounced « Tie-caan ». The model on display was a pre-production unit so sadly there wasn’t an opportunity for a test drive but I did get to go over many of the car’s features with a Porsche product specialist.
What immediately stands out is just how close the Taycan resembles the Mission-E Concept. While there were some changes from concept to the production model, the overall shape is unchanged. Speaking of the shape, it was carefully crafted with minimal drag and features PAA (Porsche Active Aerodynamics) which closes the front air intakes and adjusts the rear spoiler. There are dual charging ports located on the front wings – one for DC charging and the other for fast charging. I’m told around 20-30 mins is required for 80% state of charging. The charging doors open with a slight swipe of your finger on a tab located next to the door. I asked about ice buildup and how it might affect this function. The product specialist told me that the charging port covers and door handles will vibrate first if ice is detected.
Where the Taycan really stands out is the interior. It’s absolutely stunning and all the trimmings and finishings are typical Porsche. There is an optional eco-friendly interior where completely recycled materials are used. Standard leather or sustainability tanned OLEA leather interior are also available. The interior in this demo car was the eco-friendly one.
You’re presented with a beautiful digital dash which displays the car’s various functions. The sub-menus are very easy to use and all very intuitive. The drive mode selector moves to the steering wheel now, this is on all Porsche models.
Okay enough about sustainable interiors and let’s talk about the power. Turbo and Turbo S models both have around 615 horsepower however the Overboost function it up to 670 and 725 horsepower respectively. As for the Torque figure, it’s over 1000 lb-ft . The entirely of the power is fed through all 4 wheels via front single-speed and rear two-speed transmissions. The electrical motors are 800v units compared to the normal 400v units most other EVs get. The battery is 93 kWh and has a 400-450 km range. Porsche is developing its « Porsche Charging » network to serve its 800v cars. Turbo S features the usual PCCB brakes, while Taycan Turbo features PSCB or cast Iron brakes. Both cars have the ability to recover brake energy and the Turbo S is the first production car with composite brakes and recovery. I can go on but this was meant as a first impressions review.
Many might feel that EVs are still a gimmick or and not very useful. The Taycan puts those thoughts to rest. Porsche seems to have hit it out of the ballpark with the Taycan. At this price point, the quality in terms of fit/finish is there as is attention to detail and most importantly so is the technology. EV consumers no longer need to face questionable build quality.
It’s no wonder why there are already 40,000 pre-orders (thousands in Canada alone) with prices starting at around 173k for the Taycan Turbo.
Not long ago we said « this is the future » or « in the future » with EVs however now it’s reality and cars such as the Taycan shine bright. I wouldn’t expect anything other than perfection from Porsche.
