TEST DRIVER NOTES

BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CROSS TURISMO

WHERE ARE THE BADGES?

This is a prototype of the Taycan Cross Turismo, hence the half-hearted camouflage. But no matter, there’s still the arrival of more metal at the rear, an off-road package and a Gravel mode in the drive set-up that make Porsche’s all-conquering BEV even cooler than it already is.

GUESS IT’S JUST AS CRUSHINGLY QUICK AS THE SALOON?

Oh yes. The full-fat Taycan Turbo S throws itself down the road with such ferocity and immediacy that it takes your brain a few moments to compute. Tesla was spot on when it christened its most powerful mode ‘Ludicrous’. No better adjective exists to describe the sensation. That sub-3.0secs 0–62mph threshold is the barometer for true hypercar acceleration, but also the point at which things can be almost unpleasantly rapid (100mph in 6.5!) – certainly for your dog or other sentient being that doesn’t have anything to hold on to. The absence of gathering mechanical thunder underscores the abstract nature of this ultra-high performance electric sensory assault.

AND AT LEGAL SPEEDS?

Slow down a bit and the rest of the peerless Porsche experience snaps back into focus. It’s an astonishing way to travel. It never feels anything less than utterly planted, while its ultimate party trick is how it disguises its considerable 2,295kg mass. It does move around more than the regular car, and at higher speed and over certain tricky undulations, it can also get out of phase and floaty. But left in Normal it’s mostly another beautifully balanced, highly entertaining Porsche, terrific steering, beautifully damped. We didn’t get to try Gravel mode but suspect it’d be a lot of fun. We’ll come back to that one in the finished car.