BREAK IT DOWN
PORSCHE TAYCAN TURBO
ENGINE: 93.4kWh lithium-ion battery with front/rear electric motors
POWER: 460kW (160kW front, 300kW rear)/850Nm
GEARBOX: Single-speed (front) with 2-speed (rear axle), AWD ECONOMY: Estimated range 348km
PRICE: $289,900.
+ Looks like a Porsche, handles like a Porsche, faster than most Porsches
— Crazy expensive and still lots of options, can’t see gear selector from driver’s seat, endless jibes about how it doesn’t have a turbo.
from the driver’s seat.
Despite the four doors, Taycan is still more a 2+2. But that’s okay, because it’s primarily a sports car. Rear passengers do get a “foot garage”: there’s a cutout in the underfloor batteries to make extra foot room.
The biggest challenge with Taycan for the true Porschephile is probably the soundtrack — or lack of it. The notion that a car’s character is entirely tied up with how it sounds is something we enthusiasts may have to rethink as we move forward. After all, a Porsche flat-six petrol engine sounds epic.
For Taycan, Porsche offers the Electric Sport Sound option ($980): it amplifies the sound of the electric motor into the cabin at the touch of a button. It’s still a real noise, although it sounds pretty Jetsons when you’re really pressing on.
I tried it for a few k’s and then switched it off, because I like the juxtaposition of silence with sensational dynamic performance.
However, I was in the minority at the DRIVEN office, where others
‘ The electric sport sound option amplifies the sound of the electric motor into the cabin at the touch of a button. ’
came back giggling like schoolchildren about the sci-fi noises. So there’s something for everyone.
I’ve been lucky enough to drive many Porsches on road and track over the years, including many from the current line-up. I love the Taycan Turbo as much as any, maybe more.