EV A Luxury DRIVE
Sedan has electrifying personality, is blisteringly quick and totally nailed down
Is it possible for a heavy, luxurious, all-electric sedan to attain the levels of performance and handling demanded of a true Porsche? Time behind the wheel of the 2020 Taycan Turbo S will answer that question.
The key to the Taycan is its electrifying personality. In the case of the Turbo S, the front electric motor with a single-speed transmission fires 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque through P265/35ZR21 tires. The more substantial rear motor, which uses a two-speed transmission, pushes 449 hp and 405 lb-ft of torque through P305/30ZR21 tires. The upshot is the electric motors combine to give the Taycan all-wheel drive, and the driver access to 616 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque.
When Launch Control is activated, the Turbo S goes into an overboost mode and the rear motor downshifts into first gear; this pushes the output to 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque, and it does so instantly. The Taycan Turbo S accelerates from rest to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, and does the 80-to120-km/h passing move in 1.7 seconds. Keep the hammer buried, and the Taycan Turbo S hits 200 km/h in 9.8 seconds. Stunning.
The juice the electric motor needs comes from a 93.4 kwh battery. Thanks to its unique 800-volt architecture, a nearly depleted battery accepts an 80 per cent charge in an hour and a half using a DC fast charger. But Porsche doesn’t recommend using a 110-volt outlet, preventing an overnight trickle-charge when not on the road.
Porsche has the range officially pegged at 307 km. When we pumped an 80 per cent charge into the battery, the range meter showed 327 km. So the real-world range ought to be closer to 400 km with a full charge.
To keep things flat and unflustered, the Taycan Turbo S gets all the needed gear. It starts with adaptive dampers and three-chamber air springs; depending on the drive mode selected, the damping and ride height change.
Next up is the four-wheelsteering; at speed, the response is millimetre-precise without feeling darty. At slow speeds, the rear wheels cut the turning circle, making it easier to manoeuvre in a cramped parking lot.
Capping things off is the rear-axle torque vectoring. Dabbing the inside rear brake forces more of the drive to the outside rear wheel, which improves turn-in response on the way into a corner. It then helps the rear tires dig in and prevent unwanted wheelspin at the exit.
The optional active roll-control system (PDCC Sport) keeps the Taycan flat. From the driver’s perspective, it all works to perfection.
The manner in which the Taycan drives can be tweaked in four stages. Range mode emphasizes just that, and Normal mode is for everyday use, although I preferred Sport. The impact on the driving range is negligible, yet it makes the Taycan feel so much more alive.
Part of the reason is Normal mode sees the car do the regenerative braking itself — there is little in the way of retardation, which, Porsche says, is the more efficient way. I disagree; the saving grace is the driver can activate the accelerator pedal-based regenerative braking that’s standard in Sport and Sport Plus modes through a steering wheel-mounted button.
In Sport Plus everything switches to hyper and the car responds accordingly. This is part of the reason the Taycan Turbo S employs monster carbon-ceramic brakes with 10-piston front calipers — slowing a heavy car repeatedly would see mortal brakes fade into oblivion. The ceramics don’t fade, no matter how hard they’re worked. Interestingly enough, the regenerative braking (which is the primary source of braking power) is so efficient, the brake pads only need replacing every six years.
The Taycan’s cabin is beautifully crafted, with superb materials and all the mod cons. In this case, there’s a free-standing 16.8-inch curved instrument display that’s fully configurable and elegant in its simplicity, and the two-screen infotainment system is easily operated and doesn’t need a PHD to comprehend. It also comes with two of the best front seats in the business. Even the back seat has real-world space. The icing on this particular tester’s case was the optional Burmester surround-sound system — it’s truly symphonic in its audio reproduction.
To answer the original question: yes, the Taycan Turbo S is a proper Porsche by any standard you want to use. It’s a truly dynamic drive that’s blisteringly quick and totally nailed down. It also happens to be a full-on luxury ride.